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 đ˘ (don't forget that you already get discounts at a bunch of places)
(and if you have no idea what Iâm on about, go check the events section)
â Cyril
On Todayâs Tide
Society | TVB accused (again) of blackface
COVID | Gov changes laws to annul 20k vax exemptions
Education| Teachers with âbad moral conductâ likely to be banned for life
Events
Behind the paywall:
Politics | Jimmy Lai loses fraud case
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TVBlackface 2.0
Youâd think that Hong Kongâs equivalent to national TV would have learned their lesson after backlash over Canadian-HKer Francesca Wongâs brownface performance as a Filipino helper (complete with accent) in April.
ButâŚ.


The questionable scene was seen in Monday nightâs episode of sitcom Come Home Love: Lo and Behold. When Hong Kong Free Press asked TVB for a statement, they replied that âthe characters wearing special make-up were simply designed as a dramatic story plot based on creativityâ.
(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 justâŚbeen in suits?
I guess weâll never know because I donât work at TVB and apparently they were fine with it.
COVID in Hong Kong


COVID-19 in Hong Kong
New cases: 4767
Total cases: 1,886,228
New deaths: 10
Total deaths: 10,343
Compulsory Testing locations: 44
Iâm wrong? No itâs 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 âKing of Judicial Reviewsâ 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 âurgency of the anti-epidemic work, the time needed to appeal, and the expiration date of the relevant vaccine exemptionâ meant that it would be better to simply amend the laws for âHong Kongâs best interestâ.
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.
Teachers with âpoor moral conductâ 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 âfit and properâ 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 âpoor moral conductâ - then itâs unlikely theyâll ever be allowed back in the profession.
Events and deals
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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!
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