Oxford Covid vaccine: Scientists hail ‘exciting’ potential new candidate which could be effective in low doses

The candidate, named RBD-SpyVLP, could be as effective in lower doses making it easier to manufacture in large quantities and be used in conjunction with other vaccines, early animal studies suggest

By Paul Gallagher i NEWS January 22, 2021 

A potential new coronavirus vaccine from Oxford University could be as effective in lower doses making it easier to manufacture in large quantities and be used in conjunction with other vaccines, early animal studies suggest.

The candidate, named RBD-SpyVLP, produces a strong antibody response in mice and pigs, providing vital information for the further development of the vaccine. Although this type of vaccine is not a competitor for the first wave of vaccines, it is hoped that it will be useful as a standalone vaccine or as a booster for individuals primed with a different Covid vaccine. Current guidance is for the same vaccine to be used in the required two doses to maximise protection.

Greater antibody response

The Oxford-produced candidate contains part of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein called the receptor binding domain (RBD), which a range of protective neutralising antibodies can bind to in a way that blocks infection. The RBD is attached to a virus-like particle (VLP) that contains no genetic material using Oxford’s SpyTag/SpyCatcher technology, a kind of protein “superglue”.

Studies by Oxford and The Pirbright Institute revealed the potential vaccine generated a greater antibody response in mice than administering the RBD alone. Pirbright researchers tested the RBD-SpyVLP vaccine in pigs as a large animal model to establish if different dosages would affect the immune response

.

Pirbright’s pig model has previously been used to test the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine now in use across the UK (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images)

The study also examined samples taken from the nose and mouth of vaccinated pigs and found specific antibodies of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, were present. The teams described the finding as “promising” since antibodies at the site of entry for SARS-CoV-2 could be important for providing robust protection.

Interestingly, no difference was found in the magnitude of antibody response when comparing vaccine dose levels. This suggests that the smaller dose tested, which is the same as intended for humans, may provide equal protection to larger doses or that even lower doses of the vaccine could be effective.
Pig model

Pirbright’s pig model has previously been used to test the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine now in use across the UK, which demonstrated that two doses produced a stronger immune response in pigs than one. Pigs have similar immune, respiratory and physiological characteristics to humans, and can therefore provide vital knowledge about the response to candidate vaccines that can inform human clinical trials. This model has been shown to predict vaccine outcome in humans, particularly in influenza studies.

Professor Simon Graham, who led the pig studies at Pirbright, said: “These results offer valuable insights into the kind of immune responses that the RBD-SpyVLP vaccine could trigger in humans. Further understanding the dose required to elicit a strong immune response is key for the progression of vaccine development and scaling up for manufacture.”

‘Exciting and promising’

The researchers said their work, published in Nature Communications, provides vital information for the further development of the vaccine. They also tested the stability of the vaccine and found it is highly resilient, stable at room temperature and can be freeze dried without losing its power to immunise. These properties would reduce dependence on cold chains for transport and storage and facilitate global distribution, such as those needed for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

Professor Melanie Welham, Executive Chair at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) said: “These latest results into the immune response from the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine candidate, RBD-SpyVLP, are both exciting and promising. By drawing on scientific knowledge from multiple disciplines, researchers have collectively demonstrated the ability to improve and advance development of the vaccine.”

Vaccine development has progressed at an unprecedented pace, with the World Health Organisation reporting 173 vaccine candidates in preclinical trials, 64 that have moved to human clinical trials and three that have received temporary authorisation for use in the UK.

THE CRISIS OF CAPITALIST PRODUCTION

Moderna And Pfizer Need To Nearly Double COVID-19 Vaccine Deliveries To Meet Goals

THE NEED FOR NATIONALIZATION & CENTRAL PLANING OF PRODUCTION COVID-19

A COVID-19 vaccine hub taking appointments only stands in Brooklyn as New York City begins to run low on doses Friday.
SPENCER PLATT / GETTY IMAGES

By SYDNEY LUPKIN • NPR

Originally published on January 22, 2021 

With a spotlight on COVID-19 vaccine distribution shortcomings, there's another bottleneck that could prevent inoculations from significantly speeding up in the near future: Pfizer's and Moderna's ability to scale up manufacturing and deliver doses to the U.S. government.

The companies promised to deliver 100 million doses apiece to the United States by the end of March. But they'll need to make huge leaps in a short time to meet that goal.


In the last few weeks, they've each been steadily delivering about 4.3 million doses a week, according to an NPR examination of vaccine allocation data. But to hit their targets of 100 million doses on time, they each need to deliver 7.5 million doses a week for the next nine weeks.

"I think it is going to be a real challenge for them to hit that contracted target. There's just no question about that," said consultant John Avellanet, who's advised pharmaceutical companies since the 1990s on manufacturing and compliance issues.

The companies would need everything to go right.

And a lot can go wrong. Equipment breaks and needs repair. Doses need to pass quality tests before they can be shipped. And the production process depends on companies maintaining a steady supply of chemical ingredients, glass vials and skilled labor.

"In some ways, it's almost a miracle that they've been able to produce what they've been able to produce," Avellanet said.

Pfizer and Moderna vaccines both rely on messenger RNA, or mRNA, to protect against the virus. Although mRNA vaccines have been studied for a decade, it's the first time they've been used on a massive scale.

"It's one thing to make 300 vials or let's say even for a clinical trial, 3,000 vials. It's a whole other game to make 4 million, 7 million," Avellanet said. "And all of a sudden, the demands are huge. And so you're going to end up with machinery that gets out of calibration, that breaks down ... and so forth and so on. And so that can slow the process dramatically."

What's more, RNA is fragile, said David Gortler, who until Wednesday afternoon was the senior adviser to the now-former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn.

"Going back to my Yale days when I was a lowly fellow inside of a molecular biology lab, I had to work with RNA myself," he told NPR. "And RNA is something which is very, very delicate and it can be inactivated, just like — we used to joke — just by looking at it the wrong way."

Gortler is a pharmacist and pharmacologist who specializes in drug quality and supply chain issues. He said he understands that Pfizer and Moderna are already working at "maximal capacity" with existing facilities. Building new facilities would require FDA inspections and "take a very long time."

When it comes to COVID-19 vaccines, he said quality is even more important than speed.

"I'd rather hear the companies have fallen short of their production goal, but managed to maintain their quality control because all of this really depends on the quality control," he said. "It's really the case for all drugs. So like I said before, but in this case, just because of the particular nature of this drug and the specific fragility of dealing with anything RNA-related, it's important to take a step back."

Asked about why vaccine delivery appeared to be behind and what's being done to speed it up, Operation Warp Speed spokesperson Michael Pratt in the Trump administration sent NPR the following statement just before the Biden administration took over:

Both companies continue to scale up production, and current forecasts indicate we are on track to allocate 200 million doses by the end of March across the vaccine portfolio. Operation Warp Speed continues to assess all available avenues to assist manufacturers to optimize and maximize their production processes as requested/required.

The new administration has said it plans to use the Defense Production Act to increase production. The Trump administration used the Defense Production Act 18 times as part of Operation Warp Speed, according to a Dec. 29 statement from the White House press secretary.

Moderna said it hasn't been releasing weekly or monthly production estimates, so it couldn't provide more details about how it will deliver significantly more doses to the United States in the coming weeks to meet its first-quarter goal.

"We continue to be on track with our expectations of delivering 100 million doses of vaccine by the end of Q1, and 200 million doses by the end of Q2," Moderna spokesperson Ray Jordan wrote in an email to NPR. "Production and releases are not linear and we have explained that we have been successfully scaling up our production yields over time."

On Dec. 15, Vice President Pence visited the Catalent contract manufacturing facility making finished vaccine doses for Moderna, where leadership told him they were completing 500,000 doses a day and hoped to double production to meet delivery goals. They described employees working "tirelessly" and volunteering to work Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Pfizer didn't respond to NPR's request for comment. But it slashed vaccine deliveries for some European Union countries this week, according to Reuters.

Gortler said he worked at Pfizer for several years, and if it's running behind, it's probably because of its attention to quality. "I'm sure that if they're rejecting things, that's actually what you want to hear," he said. "So in my mind, it's a good thing."

To hit their goals, Moderna and Pfizer each need to increase shipments to 7.5 million doses from 4.3 million per week in a hurry.

The task is difficult but not impossible.

John McShane, a managing partner at the health care product consulting firm Validant, said he's "guardedly optimistic" that the companies will be able to scale up manufacturing drastically and deliver 100 million doses each by March 31.

He said there are three main "levers" the companies can pull to increase production: add equipment, increase the yield per batch and find ways to shorten the time it takes to go from raw materials to finished, internally approved product.

"Those are three pretty big levers," McShane said. And outsourcing could help, too. "One CMO [contract manufacturing organization] with the right capacity could double your throughput overnight," he added.

What's more, he said, it's likely that the doses Moderna and Pfizer plan to deliver on March 31 are already somewhere in the production process.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

THE CRISIS OF CAPITALIST PRODUCTION 

AstraZeneca to cut COVID-19 vaccine delivery to EU by 60%, reports

THE NEED FOR NATIONALIZATION & CENTRAL PLANING OF PRODUCTION COVID-19

The company says the delay is due to "production problems" at a vaccine factory in Belgium run by its partner Novasep.


Saturday 23 January 2021 UK

The delivery issues are understood to have been caused by production problems at a plant in Belgium

AstraZeneca will cut deliveries of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine to the European Union by 60% in the first quarter of the year, according to Reuters news agency.

The company was expected to deliver around 80 million doses to the 27 EU countries by the end of March, an EU official told the agency.

However, it now expects that to be cut to 31 million doses due to "production problems" at a vaccine factory in Belgium run by its partner Novasep.

Stella Kyriakides, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said on Twitter: "@EU_Commission and Member States expressed deep dissatisfaction with this.

"We insisted on a precise delivery schedule on the basis of which Member States should be planning their vaccination programs, subject to the granting of a conditional marketing authorisation.

"The @EU_Commission will continue to insist with @AstraZeneca on measures to increase predictability and stability of deliveries, and acceleration of the distribution of doses."

A statement from AstraZeneca said: "While there is no scheduled delay to the start of shipments of our vaccine should we receive approval in Europe, initial volumes will be lower than originally anticipated due to reduced yields at a manufacturing site within our European supply chain.

"We will be supplying tens of millions of doses in February and March to the European Union, as we continue to ramp up production volumes."

The EU drug regulator is due to decide on approval of AstraZeneca's vaccine on 29 January, with a deal to purchase at least 300 million doses, with an option for an additional 100 million already signed

Europe's immunisation campaign has already been hampered by a temporary shortfall in the supply chain of vaccine developers Pfizer and BioNTech, who are retooling a site in Belgium to boost output.

Earlier the Financial Times reported that supplies to the UK would not be affected.

 CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

MEPs vote to add Channel and British Virgin Islands to tax haven blacklist

UK overseas territories such as Cayman Islands also may lose protection once afforded by UK’s EU membership

Cane Garden Bay at Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The UK overseas territory faces inclusion on the EU’s tax haven blacklist after the union. Photograph: cdwheatley/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Richard Partington

@RJPartington

Fri 22 Jan 2021 THE GUARDIAN

The European parliament is pushing for UK overseas territories including the British Virgin Islands, Guernsey and Jersey to be added to an EU tax havens blacklist after the conclusion of the Brexit deal.

Sending a signal that tougher action on tax avoidance was required in response to the coronavirus pandemic, MEPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of adding more nations and territories to the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions.

The resolution, passed earlier this week by a vote of 587 to 50, included measures calling for the automatic inclusion on the blacklist of countries which use a 0% tax regime. Among these are the UK overseas territories, viewed by transparency campaigners as havens for tax avoidance.

EU blacklist names 17 tax havens and puts Caymans and Jersey on notice

Read more

Several jurisdictions have been taken on and off the list since it was first launched in 2017. However, those linked to EU member states have typically avoided inclusion, and the UK had lobbied to protect its overseas territories from past scrutiny

After the vote, any decision to expand the blacklist would rest with the 27 member states on the EU’s Economic and Financial Affairs Council. While also arguing for the inclusion of EU territories such as the Netherlands, Ireland and Malta, MEPs said that after Brexit that UK territories lacked a layer of protection from inclusion on the blacklist.

This week’s vote explicitly mentioned the conclusion of the Brexit deal, saying that Britain’s overseas territories should now be screened for potential inclusion on the list, and that the Brexit deal was based on “mutual values and geared towards common prosperity, which automatically excludes aggressive tax competition”.

Robert Palmer, the director of the Tax Justice UK campaign group, said: “Post-Brexit the UK tax havens have lost their protector within the corridors of Brussels. I’d expect to see the EU to ramp up pressure on places like Jersey to clean up their act. The UK itself has been warned that if the government tries a Singapore-on-Thames approach, with a bonfire of regulations and taxes, then the EU will act swiftly.”

The push to expand the blacklist comes amid criticism from MEPs that the current version excludes many locations widely regarded as tax havens, including the Cayman Islands. The British overseas territory was included on the EU blacklist in February last year, but was then later removed.

Debating the vote on Wednesday, Spanish conservative MEP José Manuel García-Margallo attacked the post-Brexit status of Gibraltar. “Who would set up in European territory if they can set up in Gibraltar and not pay tax and have access to the European Union? We were concerned about the UK becoming a Singapore on our borders. So should we accept a tax haven on the borders at Gibraltar?”

Scrutiny of the UK’s tax arrangements is rising amid concern on the continent that Boris Johnson’s government could dramatically reshape the regime to give Britain a competitive advantage outside of the EU. It also comes as government borrowing balloons in countries around the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic, putting pressure on nations to raise more from taxes to repair their battered public finances.

UK overseas territories have also come under the microscope after allegations of widespread political corruption, misuse of taxpayers’ money and a climate of fear led the governor of the British Virgin Islands to establish an independent judge-led inquiry into the claims.

SOLIDARITY IS MUTUAL AID 
Tradesmen work for free to complete work for Maidstone family targeted by alleged cowboy builders

WORKING CLASS VALUES

HOLMES ON HOMES WOULD BE PROUD

By Rhys Griffiths

rgriffiths@thekmgroup.co.uk
22 January 2021

A group of kind-hearted tradesmen have come to the rescue of a family targeted by cowboy builders.

The victims of the alleged rip-off - a Maidstone family who do not wish to be identified - were left with nothing more than a half-finished extension and a pile of fly-tipped rubbish when the suspected rogue traders reportedly made off with £20,000.

Kind-hearted tradesmen Ian Clarke, left, and Gary Peters at their 'DIY SOS' mission in Maidstone

So when roofer Ian Clarke heard about their plight when he visited the property to do a smaller job, he quickly rallied a band of fellow construction pros who offered to complete the job free of charge.

"The builder had taken deposits for everything and just disappeared," Mr Clarke, who owns ICC Roofing in the county town, said.

"There was not much I knew about what needed to be done, so I went home and put a post on my Facebook to see if anyone could help.

"By the next morning friends were calling up from every trade. They all phoned up and said 'give me the address and we will go and do it for free'."

The family had sought quotes online for the extension to the property to add space to accommodate their adult disabled son who is autistic and has increasing difficulty with mobility.

Tradesman have been working for free to help a Maidstone family who fell victim to cowboy builders

When they were approached by the builder, who is alleged to have later disappeared with their cash, he told them he also had a disabled family member, a line which the victims believe he spun to win them over to giving him the job.

The father who agreed to give them the work says he was left in ill health through the stress of the ordeal - but the response by Ian and his fellow tradesmen has given the family a huge lift.

He said: "We did not ask Ian or anyone else for help and we tried to say no when they said they were going to work for free, I have tried to pay for materials but no one will accept any money from myself.

"We were in a very low place last year with Covid and then being ripped off, they literally destroyed our home and then refused to put any of the mess right.

"Everything they did was wrong and left in a dangerous state.

Tradesman have been working for free to help a Maidstone family who fell victim to cowboy builders

"They refused to refund any of the money or provide proof of ordering any of the materials and glazing they charged us for, they left our garden inaccessible for our disabled son and dumped the contents of their lorry onto our front lawn, this was the rubbish from previous jobs."

Now thanks to the kindness of strangers, work on the extension is almost complete.

A Go Fund Me page has been set up to raise funds to cover the work, with almost £1,500 donated so far, and anything left over will be put towards fitting a downstairs wet room for their son who has difficulty using the upstairs bathroom.

The firm which carried out the initial work and took payment from the family has been reported to Kent Police and Trading Standards.

Officers investigating the alleged fraud today arrested a 40-year-old man from Folkestone who was later released pending further investigation.

Britain’s electricity use is at its lowest for decades – but will never be this low again

January 22, 2021 


In 2020, Britain’s electrical use was the lowest it had been since 1983. This wasn’t entirely due to COVID – demand for electricity had been falling for more than a decade anyway, thanks to savings from energy-efficient appliances, moving industry offshore and consumers becoming more careful as costs increased.

But demand will bounce back after COVID. And the electrification of transport and heat, both critical to achieving net-zero emissions, will require lots more electricity in future.

We have looked at the data for electricity use in Great Britain (Northern Ireland is part of a single market on the island of Ireland) over the past year and we believe that there will never again be a year when so little electricity is used.

COVID meant less electricity use

Pandemic measures reduced the overall amount of electricity used by 6% in 2020, to the lowest level since 1983. When you look at usage per person the fall in recent years is even more extreme. To find a similar level of electricity use per capita you would have to go back more than 50 years to a time when black and white TVs were still the norm.

Overall, 2020 was not a particularly windy year but wind still managed to generate more than a quarter of Britain’s electrical energy. Broadly speaking, generation from other renewables and coal were all similar to 2019. Reductions in generation came mostly from gas, while nuclear output also dropped to its lowest level since 1982. Net imports were also down on recent years.

From a climate perspective, major power production was coal-free for more than 5,000 hours in 2020 – more than half the year. This meant the electricity that was generated was on average Britain’s cleanest ever.



The chart above and table below show that over the past decade, Britain has switched its electricity generation from coal to gas and renewables. The challenge is to continue to substitute the remaining fossil-fuels while at the same time increasing the total amount generated.

How to power millions of electric cars?

Britain will need to generate more electricity because low-carbon transport and heating rely on it. To get a sense of the scale of the electricity needed for transport, let’s imagine what would happen if all cars and taxis suddenly went electric.

Cars and taxis currently travel nearly 280 billion miles a year in Great Britain. Multiply that by the 24-25 kilowatt hours per 100 miles that the current best electrical vehicles technologies can reach, and you have a total of around 70+ terawatt hours of electricity needed each year (interestingly, a similar value to the total amount of wind generation in 2020).

Generating enough electricity to cover these cars and taxis – even ignoring other forms of transport – would take Britain’s annual demand back up to its peak year in 2005.
From gas to electricity

Unlike the trend towards much cleaner power generation, more than 80% of the energy used to provide warmth in Britain is still provided by burning fossil fuels, most commonly through a gas boiler. As with transport, decarbonisation will mean shifting a significant portion of this energy demand from fossil fuel to electricity.

Gas boilers are still used to heat most homes in Britain. lovemydesigns / shutterstock
STILL BETTER THAN FURNACES USED IN NORTH AMERICA

Specifically, this will mean replacing gas boilers with a variety of heat pumps. These devices use electricity to extract ambient thermal energy from the surroundings – the air or the ground – and to “pump” this heat into a building. Around 28,000 heat pumps were installed in 2019, though the government’s target is to fit 600,000 a year by 2028. Clearly a massive and sustained increase in deployment will be required.

Just as electric vehicles require less energy than petrol cars, heat pumps require less input energy than their fossil fuel counterparts. Despite this efficiency benefit, the decarbonisation of heat will probably still require Britain to generate hundreds of terawatt hours more electricity every year. The exact amount ultimately depends on the mix of different low-carbon heating technologies and reduction in heat demand from climate change and building improvements.

All this extra electricity will have to be carefully managed to avoid the network being overloaded at peak times. Demand for heat is currently seen as less flexible, and it always will be highly seasonal – people want warm houses in colder weather, during the daytime. This differs markedly from transport, which shows a much more consistent pattern of demand throughout the course of the year (notwithstanding the temporary impacts of COVID).

Managing that extra electricity isn’t impossible: users can be provided with incentives to shift their behaviour (why not charge your car overnight, or on particularly windy days when electricity is clean and cheap?), and longer-term energy storage options are being developed. Innovations such as thermal energy storage and active buildings also aim to provide more flexibility to heating.

For those of us who study energy systems, it’s an exciting time. As demand from transport and heat increases, Great Britain will never again use as little electricity as it did in 2020 – and as this means using less fossil fuels, it’s something to celebrate.

Authors

Grant Wilson
Lecturer, Energy Informatics Group, Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham

Grant Wilson receives funding from EPSRC through the Active Building Centre Programme https://abc-rp.com/, and Innovate UK through the Regional Energy Systems Operator project

Joseph Day
Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Energy Informatics, University of Birmingham

Joseph Day receives funding from Innovate UK and is a Research Assistant within the West Midlands Regional Energy System Operator project https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/energy/news/2020/decarbonising-coventry.aspx

Noah Godfrey
Energy Data Analyst - PhD in Modelling Flexibility in Future UK Energy Systems, University of Birmingham
Noah Godfrey is a Research Assistant within the Active Building Centre Research Programme https://abc-rp.com/, and a PhD Student with the Energy Informatics Group at the University of Birmingham.
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The Illuminatus! Trilogy - McGill School Of Computer Science

www.cs.mcgill.ca › ~rwest › wikispeedia › wpcd › The...

The Illuminatus! Trilogy is a series of three novels written by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson primarily between 1969 and 1971. The trilogy is a satirical, ...

FIA GIRLS ON TRACK - RISING STARS DRIVER BECOMES THE FIRST-EVER FEMALE STUDENT AT THE FERRARI DRIVER ACADEMY AND EMBARKS ON A SEASON IN F4

22.01.21

Maya Weug, the Dutch/Belgian driver born in Spain, has made history not only by becoming the first FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars driver to join the Ferrari Driver Academy, but the first-ever female to do so.

FIA
WOMEN IN MOTORSPORT
GIRLS ON TRACK


Nearly a year since the initial launch of the FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars programme, and after months of intense preparation, training, scrutiny and pressure, Maya Weug has been selected to become the first-ever female student of the world-famous Ferrari Driver Academy.

16-year-old Maya will now embark on the most significant journey in her young racing career with a one-year contract at the Academy and a full season in a Formula 4 championship certified by the FIA.

An emotional and elated Maya said: “I literally have no words to express my feelings right now. It’s been my dream for so long, since I started karting; being with Ferrari is amazing. And now, actually winning is just unreal and I’m super happy and thankful to the whole Ferrari Driver Academy and FIA for all their hard work, thank you very much. It’s been an amazing experience, I’ve learned a lot but definitely COVID made it difficult to travel and to be there on time. But also the other girls have made it very tough to be here right now and it’s been amazing; I’m lost for words still! It’s my first season in F4 so I’m looking to improve myself every single race and it’s a huge honour to be with the Ferrari Driver Academy and to represent them and FIA Women in Motorsport. I’m going to make them proud and give everything I have and I’m going to aim for a top position, of course. You can’t imagine how proudly I will wear this red T-shirt with the logo, it’s amazing and I’ll make them all proud, I’m sure.”

“My warmest congratulations to the Dutch/Belgian driver Maya Weug,” said Jean Todt, President of the FIA. “At just 16 years old she has already had a lot of success in national and international karting. Becoming a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and taking this step up to Formula 4 is the next important stage in her career. I also congratulate the other three finalists for reaching the final selection. The FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars programme is key to our commitment to supporting gender equality in our sport. I would like to thank the Ferrari Driver Academy and all our partners who have joined us in embracing such an innovative and positive initiative.”

The announcement of Maya’s contract with the Ferrari Driver Academy comes after the final demanding week of off-track assessments, workshops and training, which then culminated in two days of Formula 4 track time on the Fiorano circuit (January 14-15). This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be immersed in the Ferrari Driver Academy - which has nurtured the careers of a number of Formula One drivers - provided the four youngsters with invaluable data and feedback from the Academy experts as they strive to pursue a professional career in the sport.

“This is an emotional and historic moment for the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission and I am incredibly proud to witness the first edition of the Girls on Track - Rising Stars reach fruition,” said Michèle Mouton, President of the Commission. “Maya is very deserving of her place in the Ferrari Driver Academy and I am sure she will demonstrate even more of the talent and determination to succeed she has shown us throughout the whole selection, training and assessment process. That she is the first female student at the Academy, detected through our programme, is quite an overwhelming feeling.

“My many congratulations also go to Doriane Pin, Antonella Bassani and Julia Ayoub who have also shown real talent, potential and motivation over the past months, and my sincere thanks go to all our partners who have supported us in what I hope will be the first of many such programmes. This initiative is the pinnacle of our various Girls on Track activities and delivers concrete contractual support to a young female racer; I am really looking forward to following Maya’s journey through the Ferrari Driver Academy and this forthcoming Formula 4 season.”

Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal, Mattia Binotto, said: “This is an important moment in the history of Scuderia Ferrari and its Academy, the FDA, set up in 2019 to shape the drivers of the future for our Formula 1 team. Now, thanks to the partnership with the FIA and its Women in Motorsport Commission in the “Girls on Track - Rising Stars” programme, for the first time, a female driver will join the Ferrari Driver Academy. She is Maya Weug and over the course of this year, she will progress along with us and also take part in one of the “F4 Championship – Certified by FIA” series, the category seen as the first step in single-seaters on the road to Formula 1. Maya’s arrival is a clear indication of the Scuderia’s commitment to making motorsport increasingly inclusive, in line with the hashtag supported by the entire Formula 1 community, #weraceasone.”

For the other three finalists – Doriane, Antonella and Julia – Ferrari has awarded each a test session in its Ferrari 488 Challenge EVO, the GT racing car eligible for the most renowned single-marque championship, the Ferrari Challenge.

The FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars is a four-year programme and, as such, 2021 will also host a second call for talent among the FIA’s ASNs and the same process will result in a second female driver potentially becoming part of the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2022.

The FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars video series provides a unique insight into the drivers’ journey through this rigorous and exhilarating programme. It is available via the FIA YouTube channel YouTube - FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars

To rewatch the Facebook Live announcement, click here.

You can find the best photos of the FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars Scouting Camp: here.

Lloyd Austin becomes the first Black US defense secretary

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, right, is saluted by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley as he arrives at the Pentagon, Jan. 22, 2021. (AP)

Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya EnglishFriday 22 January 2021

History was made Friday after the US Senate confirmed Lloyd Austin as the country's first-ever Black defense secretary.

The retired Army General passed his Senate confirmation with an overwhelming 93-2 in the 100-member chamber, far more than the simple majority needed.

For Austin to take up his new role, a waiver was needed since he has not been out of the military for at least seven years - the mandatory law to ensure civilian control of the armed forces.

President Joe Biden signed the waiver into law, which provided an exception to the restriction.

But there was bipartisan support for Austin's confirmation.

Senator Jack Reed, the incoming Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, noted the wide range of challenges facing the country - including the coronavirus pandemic and competition with China and Russia.

“General Austin is an exceptionally qualified leader with a long and distinguished career in the US military,” Reed said before the vote.

“We’re in the most threatened time that we’re in,” said Senator James Inhofe, the outgoing Republican chairman of the armed services panel, as he also urged support for the nominee.

A statement from the Pentagon said Austin would receive an intelligence briefing shortly after being sworn in. He was also expected to receive a COVID briefing followed by a call with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

And in one of his first operational briefings, Austin was set to receive information about China and the Middle East.

Austin was previously the US Central Command chief, which is responsible for the Middle East. He was also the first Black Commander of CENTCOM.

REST IN POWER
Hank Aaron, baseball’s one-time home run king, dies at 86

FILE - In this April 8, 1974, file photo Atlanta Braves'
Hank Aaron hits his 715th career home run in Atlanta Stadium to break the all-time record set by the late Babe Ruth. Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth but went on to break the career home run record in the pre-steroids era, died early Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves said Aaron died peacefully in his sleep. No cause of death was given. (AP Photo/Joe Holloway, Jr., File) Joe Holloway, Jr.


FILE - Hall of Famer Hank Aaron waves to the crowd during Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Cooperstown, N.Y., in this Sunday, July 28, 2013, file photo. Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth but went on to break the career home run record in the pre-steroids era, died early Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves said Aaron died peacefully in his sleep. No cause of death was given. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File) Mike Groll


FILE- In this March 29, 2017, file photo, Hank Aaron looks at his new statue in Monument Garden at SunTrust Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, after the unveiling ceremony in Atlanta. Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth but went on to break the career home run record in the pre-steroids era, died early Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves said Aaron died peacefully in his sleep. No cause of death was given. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File) Curtis Compton


FILE - Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron sits for a portrait after receiving his COVID-19 vaccination at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, in this Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, file photo. Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth but went on to break the career home run record in the pre-steroids era, died early Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves said Aaron died peacefully in his sleep. No cause of death was given. (AP Photo/Ron Harris, File) Ron Harris


FILE - Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron smiles as he is honored with a street named after him outside CoolToday Park, the spring training baseball facility of the Atlanta Braves, in North Port, Fla., in this Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, file photo. Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth but went on to break the career home run record in the pre-steroids era, died early Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves said Aaron died peacefully in his sleep. No cause of death was given. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File) Curtis Compton


FILE- In this July 14, 1968, file photo, Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron smiles as he looks at the trophy presented him by Braves President Bill Bartholomay, after Aaron hit his 500th career home run in Atlanta. Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth but went on to break the career home run record in the pre-steroids era, died early Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves said Aaron died peacefully in his sleep. No cause of death was given. (AP Photo/Charles Kelly, File) Charles Kelly


FILE- In this Jan. 14, 2016, file photo, Hank Aaron, left, looks on with wife Billye during a ceremony presenting him the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, by the Consul General of Japan at his official residence in Atlanta. Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth but went on to break the career home run record in the pre-steroids era, died early Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves said Aaron died peacefully in his sleep. No cause of death was given. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File) David Goldman


FILE - In this April 4, 1974, file photo, baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn, right, presents Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron with a trophy after he tied Babe Ruth's all-time home run record in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Bob Johnson, File) Bob Johnson


FILE - Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron smiles during a press conference at Atlanta Stadium, Ga., after the game in which he hit his 715th career home, in this April 8, 1974, file photo. With him is his wife Billye, partially obscured. Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home run record and gracefully left his mark as one of baseball’s greatest all-around players, died Friday. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves, Aaron's longtime team, said he died peacefully in his sleep. No cause was given. (AP Photo/File) BJ


FILE- In this March 1974 file photo, Atlanta Braves outfielder Hank Aaron swings a bat at home plate during spring training. Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth but went on to break the career home run record in the pre-steroids era, died early Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves said Aaron died peacefully in his sleep. No cause of death was given. (AP Photo, File)

FILE- In this 1954 file photo, Milwaukee Braves' Hank Aaron poses for a photo at Ebbets Field during an exhibition season in New York. Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth but went on to break the career home run record in the pre-steroids era, died early Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves said Aaron died peacefully in his sleep. No cause of death was given. (AP Photo, File)

By PAUL NEWBERRY
Associated Press
Published: 1/22/2021 

ATLANTA — Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home run record and gracefully left his mark as one of baseball’s greatest all-around players, died Friday. He was 86.

The Atlanta Braves, Aaron’s longtime team, said he died peacefully in his sleep. No cause was given.

Aaron made his last public appearance just 2 1/2 weeks ago, when he received the COVID-19 vaccine. He said he wanted to help spread the to Black Americans that the vaccine was safe.

“Hammerin’ Hank” set a wide array of career hitting records during a 23-year career spent mostly with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, including RBIs, extra-base hits and total bases.

But the Hall of Famer will be remembered for one swing above all others, the one that made him baseball’s home-run king.

It was a title he would be hold for more than 33 years, a period in which the Hammer slowly but surely claimed his rightful place as one of America’s most iconic sporting figures, a true national treasure worthy of mention in the same breath with Ruth or Ali or Jordan.

Before a sellout crowd at Atlanta Stadium and a national television audience, Aaron broke Ruth’s home run record with No. 715 off Al Downing of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Hall of Famer finished his career with 755, a total surpassed by Barry Bonds in 2007 — though many continued to call the Hammer the true home run king because of allegations that Bonds used performance-enhancing drugs.

Bonds finished his tarnished career with 762, though Aaron never begrudged someone eclipsing his mark.

His common refrain: More than three decades as the king was long enough. It was time for someone else to hold the record.

No one could take away his legacy.

“I just tried to play the game the way it was supposed to be played,” Aaron said, summing it up better than anyone.

He wasn’t on hand when Bonds hit No. 756, but he did tape a congratulatory message that was shown on the video board in San Francisco shortly after the new record-holder went deep. While saddened by claims of rampant steroid use in baseball in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Aaron never challenged those marks set by players who may have taken pharmaceutical short cuts.

Besides, he always had that April night in 1974.

“Downing was more of a finesse pitcher,” Aaron remembered shortly before the 30th anniversary of the landmark homer. “I guess he was trying to throw me a screwball or something. Whatever it was, I got enough of it.”

Aaron’s journey to that memorable homer was hardly pleasant. He was the target of extensive hate mail as he closed in on Ruth’s cherished record of 714, much of it sparked by the fact Ruth was white and Aaron was black.

“If I was white, all America would be proud of me,” Aaron said almost a year before he passed Ruth. “But I am black.”

Aaron was shadowed constantly by bodyguards and forced to distance himself from teammates. He kept all those hateful letters, a bitter reminder of the abuse he endured and never forgot.

“It’s very offensive,” he once said. “They call me ‘nigger’ and every other bad word you can come up with. You can’t ignore them. They are here. But this is just the way things are for black people in America. It’s something you battle all of your life.”

After retiring in 1976, Aaron became a revered, almost mythical figure, even though he never pursued the spotlight. He was thrilled when the U.S. elected its first African-American president, Barack Obama, in 2008. Former President Bill Clinton credited Aaron with helping carve a path of racial tolerance that made Obama’s victory possible.

“We’re a different country now,” Clinton said at a 75th birthday celebration for Aaron. “You’ve given us far more than we’ll ever give you.”

Aaron spent 21 of his 23 seasons with the Braves, first in Milwaukee, then in Atlanta after the franchise moved to the Deep South in 1966. He finished his career back in Milwaukee, traded to the Brewers after the 1974 season when he refused to take a front-office job that would have required a big pay cut.

While knocking the ball over the fence became his signature accomplishment, the Hammer was hardly a one-dimensional star. In fact, he never hit more than 47 homers in a season (though he did have eight years with at least 40 dingers).

But it can be argued that no one was so good, for so long, at so many facets of the national pastime.

The long ball was only part of his arsenal.

Aaron was a true five-tool star.

He posted 14 seasons with a .300 average — the last of them at age 39 — and claimed two National League batting titles. He finished with a career average of .305.

Aaron also was a gifted outfielder with a powerful arm, something often overlooked because of a smooth, effortless stride that his critics — with undoubtedly racist overtones — mistook for nonchalance. He was a three-time Gold Glove winner.

Then there was his work on the base paths. Aaron posted seven seasons with more than 20 stolen bases, including a career-best of 31 in 1963 when became only the third member of the 30-30 club — players who have totaled at least 30 homers and 30 steals in a season.

To that point, the feat had only been accomplished by Ken Williams (1922) and Willie Mays (1956 and ‘57).

Six-feet tall and listed at 180 pounds during the prime of his career, Aaron was hardly an imposing player physically. But he was blessed with powerful wrists that made him one of the game’s most feared hitters.

Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt described Aaron as “an unassuming, easygoing man, a quiet superstar, that a ‘70s player like me emulated.”

“He was one of my heroes as a kid, and will always be an icon of the baby boomer generation,” Schmidt said. “In fact, if you weigh all the elements involved and compare the game fairly, his career will never be topped.”

Aaron hit 733 homers with the Braves, the last in his final plate appearance with the team, a liner down the left field line off Cincinnati’s Rawley Eastwick on Oct. 2, 1974. Exactly one month later, he was dealt to the Brewers for outfielder Dave May and minor league pitcher Roger Alexander.

The Braves made it clear they no longer wanted Aaron, then 40, returning for another season on the field. They offered him a front office job for $50,000 a year, about $150,000 less than his playing salary.

“Titles?” he said at the time. “Can you spend titles at the grocery store? Executive vice president, assistant to the executive vice president, what does it mean if it doesn’t pay good money? I might become a janitor for big money.”

Aaron became a designated hitter with the Brewers, but hardly closed his career with a flourish. He managed just 22 homers over his last two seasons, going out with a .229 average in 1976.

Even so, his career numbers largely stood the test of time.

Aaron still has more RBIs (2,297), extra-base hits (1,477) and total bases (6,856) than anyone in baseball history. He ranks second in at-bats (12,354), third in games played (3,298) and hits (3,771), fourth in runs scored (tied with Ruth at 2,174) and 13th in doubles (624).

“I feel like that home run I hit is just part of what my story is all about,” Aaron said.

While Aaron hit at least 20 homers in 20 consecutive seasons, he was hardly swinging for the fences. He just happened to hit a lot of balls that went over the fence.

Through his career, Aaron averaged just 63 strikeouts a season. He never whiffed even 100 times in a year — commonplace for hitters these days — and posted a career on-base percentage of .374.

He was NL MVP in 1957, when the Milwaukee Braves beat the New York Yankees in seven games to give Aaron the only World Series title of his career. It also was his lone MVP award, though he finished in the top 10 of the balloting 13 times.

Aaron also was selected for the All-Star Game 21 consecutive years — every season but his first and his last.

His only regret was failing to capture the Triple Crown. Aaron led the NL in homers and RBIs four times each, to go with those two batting crowns. But he never put together all three in the same season, coming closest in 1963 when he led the league in homers (44) and RBIs (130) but finished third in hitting (.319) behind Tommy Davis of the Dodgers with a .326 average.

“Other than that,” Aaron said, “everything else was completed.”