Here are this week’s major stories.

Exothelogian Dr Alfred Ulyanov has commented on the abandoned Far God outposts recently discovered in the Etain system. In a statement, Dr Ulyanov said that information recovered from the sites would be invaluable to the book he is writing with Gethin Okonkwo about the Far God religion.

Aegis has announced a breakthrough that has effectively neutralised the disruptive effects of Thargoid Sensors on starports. New procedures in the application of meta-alloys mean that extremely small quantities are now sufficient to shield systems from disruption, resulting in a cure for what was once called ‘the technological plague’.

Meanwhile, several Imperial senators have spoken in support of isolationist group Nova Imperium. Senator Pal Vespasian said that Imperator Mordanticus would be invited to address the Senate and detail his policies, and gave his backing to Nova Imperium’s proposal to install a new Emperor.

Aegis has stationed a security force in the Meene system to protect the engineer Ram Tah. Professor Alba Tesreau said the force would provide continual support while allowing Ram Tah’s operation to remain independent. There has been no response from the Sirius Corporation, which recently arrested a cabal of officers from its private fleet for launching an incursion into Meene.

The conflict between two rival factions in the Loha system has now come to an end. Freelance correspondent Karleen Troy reported that it had been a harrowing week for the people of Loha, but said that overall control of the system had finally been established.

Finally, the Achilles Corporation has announced plans to replace all robots destroyed as a result of the recent spy robot scandal. The organisation has placed an open order for quantities of robotics, computer components and microcontrollers, which will be used to produce brand new PA912 administration robots.

And those are the main stories this week.

Aegis has announced a breakthrough that has effectively neutralised the disruptive effects of Thargoid Sensors on starports.

Henrik de Lacerda, a senior engineer at Aegis Research, told the media:

“As we know, Thargoid Sensors can cripple starports for weeks or months at a time, but recent advancements in our study of meta-alloys have resulted in an effective cure for what was once called ‘the technological plague’.”

“New procedures in the application of meta-alloys mean that extremely small quantities are now sufficient to shield systems from disruption.”

“Following this breakthrough, we have made arrangements to ship meta-alloys to all affected stations, to restore them to functionality. It will not be long before every starport in known space is immune to Thargoid Sensor–related interference.”

A spokesperson for the Sirius Corporation has announced that its appeal for microresources has been enthusiastically received by the galactic community. Hundreds of pilots responded to the corporation's appeal by delivering Unknown Energy Source, Shield Density Reports and Shield Pattern Analysis to Cormack Hub in the Procyon system.

As the campaign drew to a close, Li-Yong Rui, CEO of Sirius Gov, released a statement:

"While irresponsible fortune hunters continue to destabilise the galaxy's starports by selling Unknown Artefacts on the black market, the galaxy's superpowers stand idly by, mired in bureaucracy and paralysed by indecision. Well we say: no more."

"I will do everything in my power to put an end to the technological plague and restore the galaxy's starports to functionality. The effort to conquer this epidemic starts now."

Pilots who contributed to the initiative can now collect their rewards from Cormack Hub in the Procyon system.

Recent reports indicate that a number of starports forced to suspend services due to Unknown-Artefact related interference have been restored to normality through the application of meta-alloys. Ackerman Market in Eravate, Gabriel Enterprise in Harma, Weyn Dock in 64 Arietis and Onnes Gateway in LFT 37 are all now reported to be fully operational.

This development – a testament to the hard work of the pilots who have delivered meta-alloys to the affected stations – will no doubt bring hope to those still affected by the technological plague.

The starports currently closed as a result of Unknown-Artefact related interference are:

• Lave Station, Lave

• Ising Dock, 109 Piscium

• Fozard Dock, HIP 19934

• Irens Dock, Manite

• von Bellingshausen Port, Almar

• Haack Gateway, Halbangaay

• Gurragchaa Gateway, Warkushanui

• Korolyov Hub, Arawere

• Lobachevsky Outpost, Pic Tok

• Carter Port, Rhea

Meanwhile, the following starports continue to experience technical issues:

• Alexander Freeport, HIP 18843

• Bloch Vision, Loperada

• Love Ring, Evejitaka

• Robigo Mines, Robigo

• Saunders's Dive, Wolf 1301

• Skvortsov Orbital, 63 G. Capricorni

• Kooi Gateway, HIP 93377

• Jaques Station, Gliese 1269

Authorities at Fozard Dock in the HIP 19934 system have announced the immediate suspension of all services due to Unknown Artefact-related interference. Starport personnel have confirmed that only docking and shipyard access remain available. This brings the total number of starports closed as a result of the technological plague to 12.

The affected stations are:

• Fozard Dock, HIP 19934

• Irens Dock, Manite

• Ackerman Market, Eravate

• von Bellingshausen Port, Almar

• Haack Gateway, Halbangaay

• Gabriel Enterprise, Harma

• Gurragchaa Gateway, Warkushanui

• Gaiman Dock, 49 Arietis

• Weyn Dock, 64 Arietis

• Korolyov Hub, Arawere

• Lobachevsky Outpost, Pic Tok

• Carter Port, Rhea

Meanwhile, the following starports are still experiencing technical issues:

• Alexander Freeport, HIP 18843

• Bloch Vision, Loperada

• Love Ring, Evejitaka

• Robigo Mines, Robigo

• Saunders's Dive, Wolf 1301

• Skvortsov Orbital, 63 G. Capricorni

• Hinz Hub, Ngobe

Recent reports indicate that some members of the galactic community are concerned about the development of Unknown Artefact-resistant ship modules. Critics of the new technology, developed by Professor Lea Tantaga, have claimed it will facilitate further black-market trade of Unknown Artefacts, thus exacerbating the so called-technological plague.

In an attempt to counter the rising concern, a member of the technical team at Obsidian Orbital released the following statement:

"I know some people are concerned that these new modules might aggravate the technological plague, but there's every reason to believe we can use the Unknown Artefact-resistant material developed by Professor Tantaga to protect our starports from UA-related malfunctions. All that's needed is for pilots to deliver meta-alloys to the affected starports. We'll do the rest."

When Professor Ishmael Palin and his team disappeared en route to Maia b1ba, research into meta-alloys was brought to a near standstill, with only the Canonn Interstellar Research Group continuing to investigate the mysterious material. But recent reports indicate that research has continued in Professor Palin's absence under the helm of Lea Tantaga, a molecular chemist based at Obsidian Orbital.

"We've known for a while that the ongoing technical issues are the result of molecular interference from the Unknown Artefacts," said Tantaga. "What we now know is that meta-alloys can be used to neutralise this interference. In their raw form, the meta-alloys aren't all that effective. And the process of using them to create materials that can counter the artefacts' dangerous self-repair mechanism hasn't yet been perfected. But we're definitely on the right path."

In response to this development, authorities at starports affected by the technological plague have opened their markets to the sale of meta-alloys, no doubt hoping to receive further quantities of the much-needed material and return their outposts to normality. But the harvesting of meta-alloys continues to prove controversial, with some opining that the so-called 'barnacles' from which the materials are derived – and which are destroyed in the harvesting process – should be protected.

It has been over a month since personnel at Obsidian Orbital reported that meta-alloys had been used to alleviate the starport's ongoing technical issues. Since then, there has been widespread speculation that the meta-alloys might hold the key to eradicating the technological plague that has blighted so many starports in recent months. But the only attempt to verify the theory was brought to an abrupt end with the mysterious disappearance of Professor Ishmael Palin, who had been researching the meta-alloys.

A member of the technical team at Irens Dock in the Manite system, one of the latest starports to experience technical issues, commented on the situation:

"When I heard the news from Obsidian Orbital I expected people to start taking meta-alloys to the other affected starports, but that hasn't happened. Maybe people are being cautious - after all, we don't know for sure that the meta-alloys can help. But if you ask me, it's worth a shot."

The latest data on affected starports follows.

Starports where services have been suspended:

• Ackerman Market, Eravate

• von Bellingshausen Port, Almar

• Haack Gateway, Halbangaay

• Gabriel Enterprise, Harma

• Gurragchaa Gateway, Warkushanui

• Gaiman Dock, 49 Arietis

• Weyn Dock, 64 Arietis

• Korolyov Hub, Arawere

• Lobachevsky Outpost, Pic Tok

• Carter Port, Rhea

Starports experiencing technical issues:

• Irens Dock, Manite

• Bloch Vision, Loperada

• Skvortsov Orbital, 63 G. Capricorni

• Tall Enterprise, Ngalia

• Love Ring, Evejitaka

• al-Din Prospect, Alpha Centauri

• Robigo Mines, Robigo

• Saunders's Dive, Wolf 1301

• Alexander Freeport, HIP 18843

• Coats Hub, Warkushanui

• Bond Hub, Varati

• Hinz Hub, Ngobe

• Tsunenaga Dock, Iapodes

• Li Qing Jao, Sol

• Ray Gateway, Diaguandri

• Vizcaino Enterprise, Nganji

• Talos 2, Peregrina

A remarkable discovery was made last week when non-human structures were found on a number of planets in the Pleiades Nebula. These 'barnacles', as the galactic community has christened them, produce a material known as meta-alloys, the exact properties of which are not yet known.

The discovery was followed swiftly by news that technical personnel at Obsidian Orbital – one of the starports affected by the mysterious malfunctions sweeping the galaxy – had apparently used meta-alloys to return the starport to some kind of normality. Naturally, this prompted speculation that the meta-alloys might hold the key to eradicating the technological plague that has blighted so many starports in recent months.

Professor Ishmael Palin, the former Federal scientist conducting research into the unknown artefacts, is evidently thinking along the same lines:

"The report from Obsidian Orbital is indeed encouraging, but there is still a great deal we do not know, including the cause of the malfunctions, or if the meta-alloys are indeed capable of countering them. That is why I am appealing to the galactic community to deliver as many meta-alloys as possible to my new research base at Obsidian Orbital. Only by amassing a substantial research sample can we know for sure whether or not the meta-alloys can be used to target this mysterious technological malady."

Professor Palin has pledged to reward all pilots who deliver meta-alloys to his base of operations at Obsidian Orbital in the Maia system.

Authorities in Eravate, Almar and Halbangaay have confirmed that theirs are the latest systems to experience mysterious technical issues, bringing the total number of systems affected by what some are calling 'the technological plague' to 22. All services apart from docking and shipyard access have been suspended at Ackerman Market in Eravate, von Bellingshausen Port in Almar and Haack Gateway in Halbangaay. A complete list of affected stations follows.

Starports where services have been suspended:

• Ackerman Market, Eravate

• von Bellingshausen Port, Almar

• Haack Gateway, Halbangaay

• Gabriel Enterprise, Harma

• Gurragchaa Gateway, Warkushanui

• Gaiman Dock, 49 Arietis

• Weyn Dock, 64 Arietis

• Korolyov Hub, Arawere

• Lobachevsky Outpost, Pic Tok

• Carter Port, Rhea

Starports experiencing technical issues:

• al-Din Prospect, Alpha Centauri

• Robigo Mines, Robigo

• Saunders's Dive, Wolf 1301

• Alexander Freeport, HIP 18843

• Coats Hub, Warkushanui

• Bond Hub, Varati

• Hinz Hub, Ngobe

• Tsunenaga Dock, Iapodes

• Li Qing Jao, Sol

• Ray Gateway, Diaguandri

• Vizcaino Enterprise, Nganji

• Talos 2, Peregrina

We will continue to bring you up-to-the-minute reports on this issue.