Good morning,

Just 24 hours since we posted our free Oktoberfest ticket competition, and we already have several more subscriptions.

Y'all just want free stuff don't you? Fine, I'll get more free stuff 😢 (don't forget that you already get discounts at a bunch of places)

(and if you have no idea what I’m on about, go check the events section)

— Cyril

On Today’s Tide

• Society | TVB accused (again) of blackface

• COVID | Gov changes laws to annul 20k vax exemptions

• Education| Teachers with “bad moral conduct” likely to be banned for life

• Events

Behind the paywall:

• Politics | Jimmy Lai loses fraud case

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TVBlackface 2.0

You’d think that Hong Kong’s equivalent to national TV would have learned their lesson after backlash over Canadian-HKer Francesca Wong’s brownface performance as a Filipino helper (complete with accent) in April.

But….

Jay Ganglani @GanglaniJay

#BREAKING: In Hong Kong’s latest incident of blackface, a TVB sitcom Lo and Behold featured a scene in last night’s episode, where the actors appear to be replicating a popular meme, known as the ‘Nigerian funeral meme’ in blackface. (1/3)

2:26 AM ∙ Oct 25, 2022

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317Likes111Retweets

The questionable scene was seen in Monday night’s episode of sitcom Come Home Love: Lo and Behold. When Hong Kong Free Press asked TVB for a statement, they replied that “the characters wearing special make-up were simply designed as a dramatic story plot based on creativity”.

(scene begins: 6:15)

The scene is a reference to the Dancing Pallbearer meme where four Ghanian men carry a coffin while dancing.

Within the context of the show, the dancing pallbear reference is supposed to be jarring, as other characters also ask wtf is happening.

However, did they have to use blackface? Could they not have just…been in suits?

I guess we’ll never know because I don’t work at TVB and apparently they were fine with it.

COVID in Hong Kong

Hong Kong SAR Government News @newsgovhk

The #EducationBureau announces the latest arrangements for #FaceToFaceClasses including the suspension of #vaccination requirements to be implemented in secondary schools from November 1 #COVID19 news.gov.hk/eng/2022/10/20…

4:38 PM ∙ Oct 25, 2022

COVID-19 in Hong Kong

• New cases: 4767

• Total cases: 1,886,228

• New deaths: 10

• Total deaths: 10,343

• Compulsory Testing locations: 44

I’m wrong? No it’s law that is

The government has moved to change COVID laws, giving the Health Secretary legal powers to annul exemption passes he considers risky without checking them one by one.

This comes as the government lost a judicial review against the ‘King of Judicial Reviews’ Kwok Cheuk-Kin on Friday. The court ruled that Health Secretary Lo Chung-Mau did not have the authority to annul 20,000 vax exemptions under the assumption that the doctors giving them out did not give proper consultations.

In a statement, the government said that instead of filing an appeal, the “urgency of the anti-epidemic work, the time needed to appeal, and the expiration date of the relevant vaccine exemption” meant that it would be better to simply amend the laws for “Hong Kong’s best interest”.

The Prevention and Control of Disease (Vaccine Pass) (Amendment) Regulation 2022 will be debated in LegCo today. But due to the negative vetting procedure, it is already in effect even before being put before the house.

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Teachers with ‘poor moral conduct’ fired for life

Updated rules for teacher conduct will be released by the end of the year, said Education Secretary Christine Choi. The new regulations will more clearly lay out what is considered ‘fit and proper’ for teachers, and under what circumstances a teacher struck off the register will be able to return.

Choi said that if a teacher was taken off for teaching quality, they might be able to simply do some courses and fill in knowledge gaps. However, if the issue is related to abuse or national security - issues with ‘poor moral conduct’ - then it’s unlikely they’ll ever be allowed back in the profession.

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Events and deals

Support Harbour Times, our friends and partners by attending these events! Let everyone know who sent you by tagging @harbourtimes

• Hong Kong Oktoberfest Southside: Free tickets!

Harbour Times, in combination with The Underground, are proud to offer free tickets to Oktoberfest Southside. Back after a three year hiatus, the festival now takes place outside the brand new Oceanpark Waterworld. Running from 21 Oct to 8 Nov, the festival features traditional german food and drink, and live music courtesy of The Underground.

From now till 1st November, we will be picking four winners a day for free entrance to the festival - you can bring friends too!

Details on our social media post!

harbourtimes

A post shared by Harbour Times | Hong Kong Daily News (@harbourtimes)

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Harbour Times ❌ Program

UPDATED 9/6/2022 If you’re on this page, congrats! It means you’ve chosen to support one of the best newsletters in Hong Kong! To thank you for your support, we’ve teamed up with local businesses to give special discounts only to you guys. We’re calling it the ‘Harbour Times x’ programme because I’m a weeb…

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9 months ago · Harbour Times

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