Good morning,

Today our major headlines include: NSL film censorship, rising homelessness and new university rankings. Paid Tide readers also get a sprinkle of Asia-Pacific regional news at the end. Enjoy!

~ Sze Yu

Lawmakers pass NSL film censorship bill

LegCo has passed a series of proposed amendments to the Film Censorship Ordinance, enabling the government to ban films deemed contrary to national security. Chief secretary John Lee can instruct the Film Censorship Authority to revoke any approvals at any time if they believe the presentation of a film is contrary to national security interests.

Filmmakers also may not challenge the censorship body’s decision, as the the Board of Review will be barred from reconsidering decisions made on national security grounds. Screening an unauthorised film could lead to up to three years in jail and a HK$1 million fine.

COVID news

Hong Kong SAR Government News @newsgovhk

The Centre for Health Protection says it is investigating five additional imported #COVID19 cases, two of which involve mutant strains

news.gov.hk5 imported COVID-19 cases recordedThe Centre for Health Protection says it is investigating five additional imported COVID-19 cases, two of which involve mutant strains.

9:27 AM ∙ Oct 27, 2021

Coronavirus in Hong Kong

• New cases: 5 (imported)

Events & Exhibitions

Our events are handpicked from public exhibitions, partnerships/collaborations and also just stuff we find cool. We want to make sure that what we advertise is interesting for our readers, so if you go to an event that you saw here, let us know by taking a selfie and tagging us on Twitter or Instagram ( both @harbourtimes ).

We’ll throw in a free month of Paid High Tide for yourself or a friend!

Wine and Dine Festival

The Hong Kong tourism board has announced that the Wine and Dine Festival will return with a “City Wine Walk” offer and last throughout next month. Participants can buy a tasting pass which will allow them to try wines and special menus at restaurants and bars in Kennedy Town, Central, Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui.

For more information visit the Hong Kong tourism board’s website!

Hong Kong Through Australian Eyes

Ever wondered what the Aussies think of us? (of you’re an Aussie, every wondered what you…think of…me?) The Fringe Club, in association with the Australian Consulate-General of Australia is hosting a photographic exhibition featuring the work of four Australian photographers living and working locally.

Admission is free

Want your events on Tide as well? Let us know!

HK homeless population rises to over 1,500

Findings from the Hong Kong Homeless Census 2021—conducted by seven local NGOs—showed the city’s homeless population rose to over 1,500 amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The welfare groups spoke to 711 homeless people during an overnight census conducted on July 9 and 10.

40 percent of those surveyed said they suffered from chronic illness, 15.5 per cent suffered from physical disabilities, and a quarter said they had taken psychiatric medicine during the past six months. The NGOs urged the government to scrap its “practice of eviction” against street sleepers.

Other updates

HKU has placed 48th on the Times Higher Education World University Reputation Rankings. HKUST, CUHK and PolyU all made the top 150 while Tsinghua University cracked the top 10.

Ocean Park’s annual report has revealed a HK$270 million operating deficit. Revenues nearly halved and visitor numbers were down 36 per cent through the fiscal year.