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.

• Has Taiwan PFP Chairman James Soong claimed the record for the fastest political flip-flop in history?
• The lifting of quotas on textiles would inevitably be a case of free trade working too well, I said last month. Now the USA has pre-emptively begun cases against China to determine if quotas should be re-imposed. Two interesting things here. Firstly the Bush Administration has done this before being asked (officially) by the US textile makers. Secondly while supposedly free trade America panics, the protectionist EU is standing pat. What will be most interesting is to see the reaction and lobbying of American textile importers, such as Wal-Mart, and consumer groups. When the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements looks at "safeguard procedings", you wonder who are they protecting? They are defending a small group of costly domestic producers at the cost of more expensive goods for literally millions.
• North Korea's strain of bird flu is new to Asia. The North Koreans are being urged to follow Hong Kong's example in handling the disease. But Hong Kong didn't have millions starving.
• SCMP goof of the day: front page main story headlined "Fresh fury over Japan's distorted history book". The by-line: Agencies in Tokyo and Beiing and Chan Siu-sin in Islamabad. Islamabad is in Pakistan. I've heard of outsourcing but putting reporters there to cover events in Japan, Korea and China?
• Did the Earth move for you? China will relocate 400,000 people as part of its newest white elephant, the North-South Water Canal.
• Some aren't impressed with the Vatican's plan to cut ties with Taiwan and establish them with China. In fact the plan has long been part of the Vatican's China position.
• Watched Le Divorce last night with Mrs M. A movie made by the English about the French for American audiences. Take from that what you will.
• (11:04) China keeps its place on the list of the world's most repressive societies.
• (16:21) Brad DeLong reflected on the value of books and how they make sure you can always be in the right place at the right time. He then has a follow-up where a curator of rare book's from MIT writes in a short history of personal libraries, and Brad finishes with:

  The wonderful and awesome thing is not just that there is someone somewhere on the earth who can answer pretty much any question I might ask, but that so many of them read my weblog. I am truly fortunate.

  I'll take that one step further. Set aside the politics, we weblog readers are truly fortunate we are able to read sites by people such as Mr. DeLong and plenty of others who are intelligent experts, doing interesting work they are passionate about and are happy to share it all with the world for free. The democratisation of knowledge continues apace. There is a direct link between effects of Gutenberg's printing machine and of blogs (along with such efforts as Google's online library). Lucky us.