One of the office’s favourite memes is “graphic design is my passion”, and Cyril (HT’s Managing Editor-in-Chief) found the latest addition to our growing collection, which I’ve decided to share below as a special end-of-week bonus.

To quote the calendar, “Hope’s everything goes well way”!

– Jasmine Lee

The Big Picture

Media | RTHK’s Director of Broadcasting Leung Ka-wing has stepped down six months before the end of his term. He will be replaced by Deputy Secretary for Home Affairs Patrick Li Pak-chuen.

COVID-19 | The first batch of Sinovac vaccines arrived in Hong Kong yesterday afternoon. Vaccination appointments will open up for booking on Tuesday, with the first jabs set to start on 26 February. Priority groups in this program are medical workers, those aged 60+, senior home caretakers, environmental hygiene personnel, cabin crew, cross-border drivers and disciplined forces. The latest pandemic restrictions have eased, with night-time dining opening back up for business.

National Security | Jimmy Lai has lost his second bid to be released on bail. "Having considered all relevant materials... I am not satisfied that there are sufficient grounds to believe that he will not continue to commit acts that endanger national security," said Justice Anthea Pang, the judge overseeing the case.

Immigration | 5,000 BN(O) holders have signed up for Britain’s visa to citizenship scheme. The UK has also updated its Overseas Business Risk guide changes phrasing on Hong Kong, removing descriptions of Hong Kong as an "international financial centre" and a "mutually beneficial cooperation" with London.

Real Estate | A 1.25-acre plot of land on the Peak sold for $935 million, setting a local record for the highest price-per-square-foot paid for a government-owned residential site (Insider). In other record-breaking news, a luxury apartment in the Mid-Levels has sold for HK$460 million, making it the most expensive property in Asia (Apple Daily).

Events

Webinar | Hong Kong Real Estate: Time for Tokenisation? Learn how the real estate ecosystem is increasing access to capital and liquidity by digitising assets with blockchain technology in our upcoming webinar. Today is the last chance to register for the event, scheduled on Monday

Join the online book talk on ‘Joe Biden: The Life, the Run, and What Matters Now’. The event is free of charge with advance registration is required. Learn more about this book talk and how to register.

In other news

• Six HK hotel groups and a tour operator have been caught giving information to two travel service operators for price-fixing.

• Rodelia Pedro Villar, a Filipino domestic worker herself, launches a webinar series to help foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong with COVID-related challenges.

• Australian brewery Newstead Brewing Co will be shipping nine different brews to HK, so cheers to that!

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