This is a daily collection of links, some with commentary, to news stories and interesting blog posts. It will be updated throughout the day with a new timestamp for the updates.

Scroll down for today's other posts.

• Yesterday I discussed the proposed increase in demerit points and fines for running red lights in Hong Kong. Today the SCMP reports bus drivers are threatening industrial action, claiming the move will cause them stress and increase risks to pedestrians. The risk is from those that run red lights, not from stressed bus drivers. Here's a handy stress-reduction technique for bus drivers: obey the law. Let's hope the Government has enough backbone to stand up to them.
• The Government is considering nationalising the two privately owned cross-Harbour tunnels. That's right, in the world's "free-est" economy. The idea would be if the Government owned them all it would magically free up congestion at the Central tunnel. As I said on Monday, Hong Kong doesn't need another price fixing cartel. The cost of buying both tunnels is HK$11 billion, at which rate the tolls wouldn't even cover the interest. Luckily the major shareholder in both the Eastern and Western tunnels has said they are not for sale. However Citic Pacific did offer to take the Central tunnel off the Government's hands instead. Congestion occurs because the Central tunnel is cheaper and in the best location. It's just a different cost of using it.
• The Hong Kong Tourism Board is getting HK$9 million to rework its website, says the SCMP. Sure it could use sprucing up, but $9 million? I'm going to apply for Government funds to revamp this site.
• More support for China's anti-secession law: Jordan and Palestine (some interesting parallels there).
• Heh. There are two solutions to the current fuss over a 2 year term for the next Chief Executive. Either the NPC re-interprets the Basic Law, which has the beauty of eliminating any possible legal challenge and constitutional crisis; or each candidate declares they will only serve for 2 years. The latter saves face for China and removes the legal threat, all while earning massive brownie points for the candidate. In fact China is having a great demonstration that democracy and its trappings are NOT a threat. Despite Hong Kong's free press, limited autonomy and partial elections, China is still in control. The new doctrine of legislative intent means that even the written word need not mean what it appears - it is the interntion of the law's framers that matter, not what they wrote. Friends, this is legal history in the making.
• Confucianism making a comeback in China? Duophony weighs up Confucian perfectability with Western naturalness.
• China's newspapers are all over the KFC Sudan food scare. Remember: don't panic.
• (11:29) The US Air Force deliberately lost a major training exercise in order to gain intelligence and training it could use against China. An excellent piece of research.
• (14:49) How deals get done. China releases a key dissident, America drops its traditional censure of China's human rights. Realpolitik in action.
• A troubling story about bullying in Hong Kong schools. Almost as troubling is the poor job the English language press does in this town. There exists a major market gap for a group effort to translate and post articles such as this reported in the Chinese language media in English. Any interest?