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A Hong Kong government review of public broadcaster RTHK found editorial management “deficiencies” and a lack of transparency in handling complaints, signalling a major overhaul of the revered institution and raising concerns over media freedoms.

Radio Television Hong Kong, founded in 1928 and sometimes compared to the British Broadcasting Corporation, is the only independent, publicly funded media outlet on Chinese soil. It is guaranteed editorial independence by its charter.

It angered the Hong Kong government, the police force, and Beijing with its coverage of anti-government protests that shook the city in 2019, including several investigations that led to widespread criticism of the authorities.

Last year, the Commerce Bureau announced an unprecedented, government-led review of RTHK’s governance and management – spanning its administration, financial control and manpower – to ensure it complied with its charter.

“There are deficiencies in (the) editorial management mechanism,” said the 154-page review released on Friday, February 19.

There were “no well-defined and properly documented editorial processes and decisions,” and no “clear allocation of roles and responsibilities among editorial staff,” it said. “Weak editorial accountability is observed.”

Earlier on Friday, the government appointed deputy Secretary for Home Affairs Patrick Li as Director of Broadcasting, effective March 1.

Pro-Beijing supporters regularly file complaints against RTHK and stage protests outside its headquarters, accusing it of anti-government bias.

Last week, RTHK said it was suspending the relay of BBC radio news programming after China barred the BBC World News service from its networks, in a decision which underlines how Beijing’s tightening grip on Hong Kong extends to media.

When Beijing expelled about a dozen journalists working for US news outlets last year, it also barred them from relocating to Hong Kong.

A sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing in June 2020 is seen by its critics as a blunt tool to stifle dissent and curb media freedom and other liberties. The legislation calls for tougher regulation of the media.

The government maintains rights and freedoms remain intact.

Media tycoon and Beijing critic Jimmy Lai, the founder of the popular Apple Daily tabloid, is the highest profile activist charged under the national security law for allegedly colluding with foreign forces.

Hong Kong fell to the 80th place in the Reporters Without Borders’ global press freedom index in 2020, from 18th in 2002. China ranks 177th. – Rappler.com

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Janssen Pharmaceutica has started Phase 3 clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccines in the country, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said.

Guevara made the announcement in a virtual press briefing on Friday, February 19, adding that she could not disclose further details of the trials.

“‘Yung sa cities, nabigay na namin ‘yan last time. ‘Yung number [of partipcants] po ay hindi po namin puwede i-reveal; Janssen po ang puwede magsabi niyan,” she added. (We’ve already provided [which cities will participate] last time. We cannot disclose the number of participants; only Janssen is authorized to do so.)

The DOST earlier said that the following cities were the target sites of the Janssen trials: San Pablo, Laguna; Cabuyao, Laguna; Makati City; La Paz, Iloilo; and Bacolod City.

Clinical trials are a type of research which evaluates potential medical interventions that affect one’s health. During trials, medicines, treatments, procedures, and devices may be tested to study or verify their clinical or pharmacological effects before they are approved for public use.

Janssen, the pharmaceutical firm of Johnson & Johnson, is developing a vaccine using a “non-replicating viral vector” called Adenovirus 26, which  has been genetically engineered so it can still invade cells but can’t replicate and cause disease. The company used the same method to develop vaccines for Ebola and other diseases. 

Unlike most other candidates, Janssen’s vaccine utilizes a single dose. Despite this, the company said it would use some Phase 3 trials to study the effects of two doses given 56 days apart. 

Its vaccine can also be stored in standard refrigerated facilities, making the prospect of distributing and administering vaccines easier for lower income countries like the Philippines. 

Meanwhile, Guevara said that trial site preparations are ongoing for Sinovac and Clover Biopharmaceuticals.

Though it could not give the exact date of the arrival of vaccines in the country, the government said that the vaccination program would start this February.

The pandemic has infected over 110 million people globally. As of Thursday, February 18, the Philippines has 555,163 cases, with 11,673 deaths and 512,375 recoveries. – Rappler.com

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Norman Powell and Pascal Siakam both outscored Giannis Antetokounmpo as the visiting Toronto Raptors completed a two-game sweep of the Milwaukee Bucks with a 110-96 victory on Thursday night, February 18 (Friday, February 19, Philippine time).

Powell had a season-high-tying 29 points and Siakam added 27, helping Toronto double up on the Bucks after a 124-113 win on Tuesday.

Antetokounmpo had 23 points to lead the Bucks, who lost their fifth straight.

Siakam backdoor to OG for the reverse!@Raptors in front on TNT pic.twitter.com/O2EmLRsQrL

— NBA (@NBA) February 19, 2021

In a matchup of last season’s top two teams in the Eastern Conference’s regular season, Toronto never trailed in the second half after entering halftime with a 58-41 lead.

Milwaukee got no closer than 12 in the 3rd period and 10 in the 4th as the Raptors kept last year’s regular-season champions in the East at arm’s length over the final 24 minutes.

Powell’s 29 points, which matched his total last Monday at Memphis, came on 9-for-12 shooting overall and 4-for-7 on three-pointers. The Raptors outscored the Bucks 36-30 on three-pointers.

Meanwhile, Siakam reached 20 points for the fifth time in his last 6 games. He contributed 23 points to Tuesday’s series-opening win over the Bucks.

Fred VanVleet added 17 points and a team-high 8 assists for the Raptors, who won for the seventh time in their last 10 games. OG Anunoby added 10 points and a team-high-tying 7 rebounds.

Antetokounmpo’s point total was his lowest since scoring 21 against Indiana on February 3, 8 games ago. He added a game-high 12 rebounds and 8 assists.

He had 34 points in Tuesday’s loss.

Donte DiVincenzo had 14 points, Khris Middleton 13, Brook Lopez 12 and Bryn Forbes 11 for the Bucks, whose back-to-back losses opened an eight-game homestand.

The Raptors built a 17-point lead by halftime after trailing for much of the 1st quarter. Back-to-back three-pointers by Powell late in the opening period gave the visitors a lead they never relinquish.

Powell shot 3-for-5 on three-pointers in the half, during which Toronto led by as many as 20. The Raptors went 9-for-18 from beyond the arc in the first two periods, the Bucks 5-for-17. – Rappler.com

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Auring (Dujuan) strengthened from a tropical storm into a severe tropical storm on Friday morning, February 19, as it continued to move slowly over the Philippine Sea.

In its 11 am bulletin on Friday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Auring now has maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (km/h) and gustiness of up to 115 km/h.

It remains “less likely” to intensify further into a typhoon at this time, according to the state weather bureau. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories)

Auring was last spotted 535 kilometers east southeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, slowly moving southwest. PAGASA said it is expected to speed up on Saturday morning, February 20.

The severe tropical storm’s latest forecast track shows a potential landfall in the eastern coast of the region of Caraga on Sunday morning, February 21. Once it makes landfall, it is likely to cross Caraga, the Visayas, and Mimaropa from Sunday to Monday, February 22.

PAGASA added that when Auring crosses land, it could weaken “due to significant terrain interaction and dry air intrusion from the northeast monsoon” or hanging amihan.

Though Auring is not yet near land, parts of Mindanao are already experiencing rain from the severe tropical storm. Here is PAGASA’s latest rainfall forecast for the next 48 hours:

Friday, February 19, until Saturday afternoon, February 20

Light to moderate rain, with at times heavy rain

• Caraga
• Davao Oriental
• Davao de Oro
• Davao del Norte

Saturday afternoon, February 20, until Sunday morning, February 21

Heavy to intense rain

• Caraga

Moderate to heavy rain, with at times intense rain

• Eastern Visayas
• Misamis Oriental
• Camiguin
• Bukidnon
• Davao del Norte
• Davao Oriental
• Davao de Oro

Light to moderate rain, with at times heavy rain

• rest of Visayas
• rest of Northern Mindanao
• Albay
• Sorsogon
• Catanduanes
• Masbate
• Lanao del Sur
• Cotabato
• Davao City

PAGASA urged residents to prepare for scattered to widespread flooding as well as landslides, which are “likely during heavy or prolonged rainfall.”

As for winds, these are the areas under Signal No. 1 as of 11 am on Friday, all located in Mindanao:

• Davao Oriental
• eastern part of Davao de Oro (Pantukan, Maragusan, New Bataan, Compostela, Monkayo)
• eastern part of Agusan del Sur (Sibagat, Bayugan City, Prosperidad, Talacogon, San Francisco, Rosario, Bunawan, Santa Josefa, Trento)
• Surigao del Sur

PAGASA said the areas under Signal No. 1 may experience “strong breeze to near-gale conditions” due to Auring starting Saturday at the earliest.

Note, however, that the surge of the northeast monsoon is already causing similar windy conditions in Northern Luzon and the eastern parts of Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao on Friday.

PAGASA said the highest tropical cyclone wind signal that may be raised due to Auring is Signal No. 2, “for potentially damaging gale-force to storm-force winds.” This is “based on current meteorological data.”

Image from PAGASA

As for coastal waters, these are the expected conditions in the next 24 hours:

Rough to high seas

Travel is risky for all types of vessels

• eastern seaboard of Mindanao (waves 3 to 7 meters high)

Rough to very rough seas

Travel is risky for all types of vessels

• seaboards of Northern Luzon and eastern seaboards of Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and Visayas (waves 3 to 6 meters high)

Moderate to rough seas

Small vessels must take precautionary measures, inexperienced mariners should avoid navigation

• rest of the seaboards of the Philippines (waves 1.2 to 3 meters high)

An average of 20 tropical cyclones form within or enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) each year. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2021)

These are PAGASA’s latest estimates for the number of tropical cyclones inside PAR in the next 6 months:

• February – 0 or 1
• March – 0 or 1
• April – 0 or 1
• May – 0 or 1
• June – 1 or 2
• July – 2 or 3

PAGASA earlier said La Niña is expected to continue until March 2021, causing above normal rainfall in the country. The onset of La Niña was declared in October 2020. – Rappler.com

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After a fiery 4-0 start to the G League season, the Kai Sotto-less Ignite suffered their second straight loss of the season after falling to the Westchester Knicks in overtime, 121-113, on Thursday, February 18 (Friday, February 19, Manila time) at the Disney World bubble in Orlando, Florida. 

Former NBA player Donta Hall led the way for Ignite with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Filipino-American star Jalen Green finished with an all-around game of 15 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in the loss.

get up then, young fella @JalenGreen pic.twitter.com/q46YQ4EYRe

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) February 19, 2021

this fake by @JalenGreen, though pic.twitter.com/F2xhDViqlW

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) February 19, 2021

Sweet-shooting big man Isaiah Todd added 14 points, while top prospect Jonathan Kuminga and NBA veteran Amir Johnson had 11 points apiece. 

Leading by 7 points, 66-59, at halftime, Ignite failed to sustain their momentum in the 2nd half as the Knicks managed to keep the game within striking distance.

With 40 seconds left in the game and Ignite up by 2, 110-108, Daishen Nix committed a loose ball foul that sent Justin Patton of the Knicks to the free-throw line, which ultimately brought the game into overtime. 

In the extra period, the Knicks, led by Louis King, exposed Ignite’s lack of experience in the end game as they outscored the young prospects, 11-3, to seal the victory.

Ignas Brazdeikis topscored for the Knicks with 21 points, along with 10 rebounds, while King, who shot 3-of-3 from three-point range in overtime, finished with 18 points.

clutch gene @SweetLouu2 goes 3-3 from deep in OT to ice this game pic.twitter.com/oVCACEToQf

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) February 19, 2021

Ignite will get a much-needed two-day break before they face the Greensboro Swarm on Monday, February 22, Manila time, with the 7-foot-3 Filipino basketball wunderkind Sotto hopefully back in the frame. –Rappler.com

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Virgin, the storied record label once home to acts including the Sex Pistols and Spice Girls, was relaunched on Thursday, February 18 with a mission to nurture a new generation of indie talent.

Rebranded for the digital age as Virgin Music Label & Artist Services, the label is now part of the giant Universal Music Group (UMG), which hopes its global reach and economic clout can help the indie scene thrive.

Founded in 1972 by British entrepreneur Richard Branson, and with its roots in punk, reggae, and new wave sounds, Virgin Records’ past roster has included David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Culture Club, and Massive Attack.

“I’m proud that half a century after we opened our first independent record shop in London, the Virgin Music name continues to represent the very best entrepreneurs, innovators, and artists from the world of music today,” Branson said in a statement released by UMG.

The tycoon no longer has a stake in the label, which he sold to Thorn EMI in 1992 and was later bought by UMG.

The rebooted label’s British line-up of artists will include Mixtape Madness, D-Block Europe, The Amazons, and Billie Marten. – Rappler.com

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Archbishop Jose Palma tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday evening, February 18.

Monsignor Joseph Tan, spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Cebu, confirmed this at around 10 am Friday.

The Archbishop is currently under medical care at the Perpetual Succor Hospital in Cebu City.

“The Archbishop remains in stable condition. Let us all pray for his steady and speedy recovery,” said Monsignor Tan, adding that Palma’s contacts have been informed of the matter.

On January 15, the Archbishop was also hospitalized after showing COVID-19 symptoms.

As of February 18, Cebu City’s total active cases have reached 2,864, while recoveries are now at 12,007. 282 new cases were recorded the same day. —Rappler.com

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The baguette – a mix of wheat flour, water, yeast, salt, and a pinch of savoir-faire and as much a symbol of France as the Eiffel Tower – may soon join UNESCO’s listing of cultural treasures.

Bakers say the traditional craft loaf, whose purchase from the local bakery has for decades been a ritual in French daily life, is being pushed off shop shelves, even in France, by frozen bread sticks made on giant assembly lines.

“There’s not one single secret to making a good traditional baguette,” said Mickael Reydellet, owner of eight bakeries. “It requires time, a savoir-faire, the right way of baking, good flour without additives.”

The Confederation of French Bakers has submitted its application to be added to the U.N. rankings of intangible treasures.

The baguette finds itself up against two rivals for the French bid: The zinc-plated rooftops of Paris and the Jura region’s Biou d’Arbois wine festival. France’s culture minister will make her recommendation to the president in March.

Bakers say the UNESCO listing would protect a know-how that has passed through generations and shield the baguette from imposters around the world.

The UNESCO “intangible heritage” marker – meant to recognize oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, and methods of traditional craftsmanship – already covers ancient methods of making flat breads in Iran and Kazakhstan.

The craft behind 1,500 or more beers brewed in Belgium has been recognised, as has the Neapolitan art of pizza twirling.

A 1993 French government decree dictates that “traditional” baguettes must be made from nothing more than the 4 classic ingredients. Fermentation of the dough should last 15 to 20 hours in a temperature between 4 to 6 degrees Celsius.

France’s boulangeries have been hit hard by COVID-19 restrictions over the past year. Reydellet said: “This title would comfort bakers and encourage the next generation.”

About 6 million baguettes are sold daily in France. But Dominique Anract, president of the bakers’ federation said the cultural habit was under threat, with some 30,000 bakeries closing since the 1950s as supermarkets took over.

“The first errand we ask of a child is to go buy a baguette from a bakery.” Anract said. “We owe it to ourselves to protect these habits.” – Rappler.com

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A gauge of global equity markets fell for a 3rd straight session on Thursday, February 18, dragged lower by weakness on Wall Street on views the market has climbed too high too soon, while a rise in weekly jobless claims pointed to a fragile recovery in the United States labor market.

Investors took profits on technology shares and other segments that have risen sharply.

Oil prices erased early gains, with Brent retreating from a 13-month high above $65 a barrel as buying spurred by concerns that a rare cold snap in Texas could disrupt US crude output for days or even weeks petered out.

The MSCI’s global stock index fell 0.52% to 679.13. The index touched a record intra-day high of 687.26 on Tuesday, February 16, before erasing gains to snap an 11-day winning streak.

Investors’ appetite for riskier assets dulled after data showed the number of Americans filing first-time applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, even though the labor market is steadily recovering as additional fiscal stimulus and falling COVID-19 cases allow more service businesses to reopen.

On Wall Street, main indexes fell as investors resumed a shift out of big technology-related firms.

Strong earnings, progress in the vaccination rollout, and hopes of a $1.9-trillion federal stimulus package helped US stock indexes hit record highs again at the start of the week.

But the months-long rally suggests stocks now have high valuations, said Jason Pride, chief investment officer for private wealth at Glenmede in Philadelphia.

“We are still in the cautiously bullish environment for the market on the whole,” Pride said, citing two reasons.

“We’re going to get a vaccine-induced economic recovery, that’s No. 1. The flip side of that story is the markets have largely priced that in and driven themselves to overvalued territory. Markets are going to struggle with that,” he said.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 119.68 points, or 0.38%, to finish at 31,493.34, the S&P 500 lost 17.36 points, or 0.44%, to end at 3,913.97, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 100.14 points, or 0.72%, to close at 13,865.36.

European stocks fell after a clutch of disappointing earnings reports from companies including Airbus and Orange. The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed down 0.82%.

US Treasury yields were mixed across the curve on Thursday, as the market adjusted to higher levels on the longer end of the curve that were reached this week on expectations of extended fiscal and monetary stimulus and signs of an economic upswing.

“Clearly, bond markets are thinking the world economy can normalize and yields can come off emergency levels. They are moving away from only thinking of COVID and QE (quantitative easing) and are thinking about normalization,” said April LaRusse, head of fixed income investment specialists at asset manager Insight Investment.

“But while that will be the general trend, we do think markets may have got a bit ahead of themselves,” LaRusse said.

The benchmark 10-year yield, which touched 1.333% on Wednesday, February 17, its highest level since February 27, 2020, was last down a basis point at 1.2872%.

The dollar lost ground, ending its first two-day winning streak in two weeks as disappointing labor market data tempered expectations for a speedy economic recovery from the global health crisis. The dollar index was off 0.3%.

Bitcoin eased off its record high of $52,640 reached overnight.

Brent crude futures settled at $63.93 a barrel, down 41 cents or 0.64%, while US crude oil futures settled at $60.52 a barrel, down 62 cents, or 1.01%.

Copper surged nearly 3% to its highest since April 2012 as Chinese investors returning from a weeklong holiday added impetus to a rally that has almost doubled prices from lows last March, when coronavirus worries peaked.

Spot gold was down 0.02% at $1,775.8667 an ounce. – Rappler.com

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The number of Americans filing first-time applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly increased last week, raising the possibility of a 2nd straight month of tepid job growth despite declining new COVID-19 infections.

The weekly unemployment claims report from the Labor Department on Thursday, February 18, the most timely data on the economy’s health, could add impetus to President Joe Biden’s push for a $1.9-trillion package to aid the recovery from the pandemic.

At least 18.3 million Americans were receiving unemployment checks at the end of January. Government-funded benefits for millions of these people will expire in mid-March unless Congress approves the Biden administration’s spending plan.

“Robust pandemic aid is precisely the medicine the economy needs to get Americans back where they want to be, at work,” said Andrew Stettner, senior fellow at The Century Foundation.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 861,000 for the week ended February 13. Data for the prior week was revised to show 55,000 more applications received than previously reported.

There were big jumps in filings in California and Illinois, while claims in Ohio remained elevated.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 765,000 applications in the latest week. Many were perplexed by the second straight weekly increase in claims, given the declining coronavirus cases, the disbursement of nearly $900 billion in additional rescue aid by the government in late December, and the White House’s pending massive stimulus package.

Timely data have shown an improvement in economic activity, with retail sales surging by the most in 7 months in January. A Conference Board survey on Thursday showed only 12% of chief executive officers in the first quarter anticipated reducing their workforce over the next 12 months, down from 34% in the prior period.

“Although the economy in the 1st quarter appears to be rebounding more strongly than expected, the same does not appear to be true of the labor market at this point,” said Conrad DeQuadros, senior economic advisor at Brean Capital in New York.

Stocks on Wall Street were trading lower. The dollar slipped against a basket of currencies. US Treasury prices fell.

Plant closures

Some of the increase in claims could be related to the temporary closure of automobile plants beginning last week due to a global semiconductor chip shortage. General Motors announced it would take down production entirely at its Fairfax plant in Kansas City during the week of February 8.

Claims could remain higher after a winter storm walloped Texas and parts of the South this week.

Filings for a government-funded program for the self-employed, gig workers, and others who do not qualify for the regular state programs jumped 174,427 to 516,299 last week, which economists blamed on fraud in Ohio. Including this program, 1.4 million people filed claims last week.

Claims remain above their 665,000 peak during the 2007-2009 Great Recession, though they are below the record 6.867 million reported last March when the pandemic hit the United States.

Last week’s claims data covered the period during which the government surveyed businesses for the nonfarm portion of February’s employment report. Though claims have not provided a good signal on job growth because of the shock caused by the pandemic, the continued increase in filings is consistent with weak labor market conditions.

“The claims data are consistent with the downbeat message from labor market indicators at the start of the year,” said Lydia Boussour, lead US economist at Oxford Economics in New York. “While downside risks remain, broader vaccine distribution and increased fiscal support should lead to a marked improvement in labor market trends by the spring and summer.”

The economy created 49,000 jobs in January after shedding 227,000 in December, the first drop in payrolls in 8 months.

About 12.3 million of the 22.2 million jobs lost during the pandemic have been recovered. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated employment would not return to its pre-pandemic level before 2024.

Labor market sluggishness is likely to prevent an anticipated acceleration in inflation this year from becoming troublesome. A second report from the Labor Department showed import prices increased by the most in nearly 9 years in January, lifted by higher prices for energy products and a weak dollar.

But the economy is steadily improving, with the housing market and manufacturing the main pillars of support.

In a 3rd report, the Commerce Department said permits for future home construction soared 10.4% to a rate of 1.881 million units in January, the highest level since May 2006.

The housing market has outperformed other sectors of the economy during the pandemic, supported by lower mortgages rates and demand for spacious accommodations for home offices and schooling.

“Strength in forward-looking building permits reaffirm that housing sector activity can remain strong into 2021, with new construction, in particular, becoming an engine for growth in the coming months,” said Veronica Clark, an economist at Citigroup in New York.

A 4th report from the Philadelphia Federal Reserve showed its business conditions index slipped to a still solid reading of 23.1 this month from 26.5 in January amid a decline in new orders and shipments. But factories in the region that covers eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware boosted employment and increased hours for workers. – Rappler.com

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The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant lead the list of 10 players who have been selected by fans, current NBA players and a media panel to start in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, March 7 (Monday, March 8, Philippine time) at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

As the NBA All-Star Game starters who led their respective conferences in fan votes, James and Durant will serve as team captains for the Team LeBron vs Team Durant matchup and draft the rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference.  

The All-Star Game starters comprise of 2 guards and 3 frontcourt players in each conference, while the reserves, featuring 7 players from each conference as selected by NBA head coaches, will be unveiled on February 23. 

Along with James (frontcourt), the Western Conference starter pool includes the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (guard), the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić (guard), the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić (frontcourt) and the LA Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (frontcourt).

The Western Conference @NBAAllStar Starters Pool!@KingJames (Captain)@StephenCurry30@luka7doncic
Nikola Jokic
Kawhi Leonard#NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/ojxfaZwHuj

— NBA (@NBA) February 19, 2021

In the Eastern Conference, Durant (frontcourt) is joined in the starter pool by the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (frontcourt), the Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal (guard), the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid (frontcourt) and the Nets’ Kyrie Irving (guard).

The Eastern Conference @NBAAllStar Starters Pool!@KDTrey5 (Captain)@Giannis_An34@JoelEmbiid@RealDealBeal23@KyrieIrving#NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/BBozyd2NhK

— NBA (@NBA) February 19, 2021

A record 5 international players have been voted NBA All-Star Game starters: Antetokounmpo (Greece), Dončić (Slovenia), Embiid (Cameroon), Irving (Australia) and Jokić (Serbia). The previous record was 4, which was set last year.

Mini bubble

The All-Star Game – and every event associated with the festivities – will be condensed into one day for the first time. 

There also will be no fan activities or hospitality functions that usually accompany the festivities.

The skills challenge and three-point contest will precede the All-Star Game, with the slam dunk contest taking place at halftime, the league announced.

The game also will follow the same format as last year, with the teams competing to win each quarter and playing to a final target score during the untimed 4th quarter.

The league and the National Basketball Players Association are buoying health and safety protocols with private travel to and from Atlanta and the creation of a “mini bubble” within a single hotel for players and coaches. There will also be enhanced testing for COVID-19, the league said.

Further, the league and the NBPA will commit $2.5 million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the fight against COVID-19.

“NBA All-Star in Atlanta will continue our annual tradition of celebrating the game and the greatest players in the world before a global audience,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. 

“In addition to the festivities on the court, the All-Star Game will honor the vital role HBCUs play in our communities and focus attention and resources on COVID-19 relief, particularly for the most vulnerable.”

First time

James trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19 times) and Kobe Bryant (18) in number of All-Star selections. He is averaging 25.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game this season.

Jokic (third appearance) is averaging 27.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 8.6 assists while Leonard (fifth) is scoring 26.7 points per game. Curry (seventh) ranks second in the NBA with a 30.0 scoring average and Doncic (second) is averaging 29.1 points, 9.4 assists and 8.6 rebounds.

Durant is back in the contest after missing all of last season due to an Achilles injury. He is averaging 29.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists. Irving (seventh) is averaging 28.3 points per game.

Beal is making his third appearance but is a starter for the first time. He is averaging 32.8 points per game.

“It is truly an honor to be selected to start in the All-Star Game for the first time in my career,” Beal said in a statement. “I want to thank the fans, media and players for selecting me to represent the Wizards organization during the All-Star festivities in Atlanta. I also want to thank my teammates, coaches, the entire organization, and our fans who are still supporting us through this unprecedented season.”

Antetokounmpo (fifth) is the two-time reigning regular-season MVP. He is averaging 28.2 points, 11.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists. Embiid (fourth) is fourth in the NBA in scoring (29.7) while also averaging 10.8 rebounds.

Voting formula

The voting formula for starters consisted of fan balloting counting as 50% with player and media voting each counting as 25%.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard being bypassed as a starting guard. Lillard, who ranks third in the NBA with a 29.8 scoring average, tied with Doncic for a West starting spot.

Fan balloting was used as the tiebreaker. Doncic ranked second in the Western Conference backcourt voting by the fans and Lillard was third.

There has been criticism of the NBA holding an All-Star Game during the coronavirus pandemic, but Silver defended staging the contest during an appearance on TNT.

“All-Star is the No. 1 fan engagement event of the entire season for the league,” the commissioner said.

“It’s been a 70-year tradition and something like 100 million people will vote for All-Stars … For us, All-Stars is part of the league, no different than the games we played. It begins and ends with the fans. This is an event our fans love to see. Nothing comes without controversy during a pandemic.” – with a report from Reuters

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NASA’s science rover Perseverance, the most advanced astrobiology laboratory ever sent to another world, streaked through the Martian atmosphere on Thursday, February 18, and landed safely on the floor of a vast crater, its first stop on a search for traces of ancient microbial life on the Red Planet.

Mission managers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Los Angeles burst into applause, cheers and fist-bumps as radio beacons signaled that the six-wheeled rover had survived its perilous descent and arrived within its target zone inside Jezero Crater, site of a long-vanished Martian lake bed.

“Touchdown confirmed,” Swati Mohan, the lead guidance and operations specialist announced from the control room. “Perseverance safely on the surface of Mars.”

The robotic vehicle sailed through space for nearly 7 months, covering 293 million miles (472 million km) before piercing the Martian atmosphere at 12,000 miles per hour (19,000 km per hour) to begin its descent to the planet’s surface.

Moments after touchdown, Perseverance beamed back its first black-and-white images from the Martian surface, one of them showing the rover’s shadow cast on the desolate, rocky landing site.

Because it takes radio waves 11 minutes to travel from Mars to Earth, the SUV-sized rover had already reached Martian soil by the time its arrival was confirmed by signals relayed to Earth from one of several satellites orbiting Mars.

The spacecraft’s self-guided descent and landing during a complex series of maneuvers that NASA dubbed “the 7 minutes of terror” stands as the most elaborate and challenging feat in the annals of robotic spaceflight.

Acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk called it an “amazing accomplishment.”

The landing represented the riskiest part of two-year, $2.7 billion endeavor whose primary aim is to search for possible fossilized signs of microbes that may have flourished on Mars some 3 billion years ago, when the fourth planet from the sun was warmer, wetter, and potentially hospitable to life.

Scientists hope to find biosignatures embedded in samples of ancient sediments that Perseverance is designed to extract from Martian rock for future analysis back on Earth – the first such specimens ever collected by humankind from another planet.

Two subsequent Mars missions are planned to retrieve the samples and return them to NASA in the next decade.

Thursday’s landing came as a triumph for a pandemic-weary nation still in the grips of economic dislocation from the COVID-19 pandemic, a public health crisis that complicated execution of the Mars mission.

“The 7 minutes of terror are very exciting. But on the other hand, the mission’s just started,” JPL Director Michael Watkins said shortly after touchdown. “We built the mission not to land, but actually to drive, and to get the samples and do the other technology demonstrations.”

Search for ancient life

NASA scientists have described Perseverance as the most ambitious of nearly 20 US missions to Mars dating back to the Mariner spacecraft’s 1965 fly-by.

Larger and packed with more instruments than the 4 Mars rovers preceding it, Perseverance is set to build on previous findings that liquid water once flowed on the Martian surface and that carbon and other minerals altered by water and considered precursors to the evolution of life were present.

Perseverance’s payload also includes demonstration projects that could help pave the way for eventual human exploration of Mars, including a device to convert the carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere into pure oxygen.

The box-shaped tool, the first built to extract a natural resource of direct use to humans from an extraterrestrial environment, could prove invaluable for future human life support on Mars and for producing rocket propellant to fly astronauts home.

Another experimental prototype carried by Perseverance is a miniature helicopter designed to test the first powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet. If successful, the 4-pound (1.8-kg) helicopter could lead to low-altitude aerial surveillance of distant worlds, officials said.

The daredevil nature of the rover’s descent to the Martian surface, at a site that NASA described as both tantalizing to scientists and especially hazardous for landing, was a momentous achievement in itself.

The multi-stage spacecraft carrying the rover soared into the top of Martian atmosphere at nearly 16 times the speed of sound on Earth, angled to produce aerodynamic lift while jet thrusters adjusted its trajectory.

A jarring, supersonic parachute inflation further slowed the descent, giving way to deployment of a rocket-powered “sky crane” vehicle that flew to a safe landing spot, lowered the rover on tethers, then flew off to crash a safe distance away.

Perseverance’s immediate predecessor, the rover Curiosity, landed in 2012 and remains in operation, as does the stationary lander InSight, which arrived in 2018 to study the deep interior of Mars.

Last week, separate probes launched by the United Arab Emirates and China reached Martian orbit. NASA has 3 Mars satellites in orbit, along with two from the European Space Agency. – Rappler.com

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