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.

• Asia's already pushing its candidate for next UN Secretary General. You'd have thought they'd be fighting over who won't have to do it.
• China's laying the groundwork to block reform of the UN Security Council. They are asking for no time limit on reform (ie it can be postponed indefinately) and consensus from the 191 member General Assembly. That gives every member effective veto power over the reforms. It is death by bureacracy.
• The depths of Hong Kong's paparazzi.
• The alternative etymology of hello.
• Women are leading North Korean neo-capitalism.
• The fueding continues between Japan and both China and South Korea. What's most interesting is the differing methods of protest. In China there have been boycotts, protests and online petitions. After yesterday officially telling the media to stop reporting anti-Japan protests, today it emerges China has banned books pleading for greater Sino-Japanese understanding. ESWN has some translations of the banned author's work so you can judge for yourself. Also just to remind you why people in China feel so strongly about this issues, read ESWN's account of the Japanese history textbook revisions.

  Meanwhile in South Korea things are going a bit too far.

  More optimistically some think within 15 years a Confucian Union will integrate Japan with the Koreas and China.

• China helping Canada.
• A new China blog: The Horses Mouth (via TPD)
• China has forced Miss Tibet out of the Miss Tourism beauty pageant.
• More Sudan food dye worries in Hong Kong. Unless you intend to use gallons of chilli powder, relax.
• (13:35) A Zogby poll says the US Congress is harsher on China than the public.
• Disco never dies...and sometimes its better to take the stairs.
• (15:39) Time to convert to Shinto...they just celebrated the Kanamara Festival. Follow that link to find out what Kanamara means.
• One-fingered zen and some cute Chinese character jokes that anyone can appeciate.
• A summary of the various "insignificant islands" disputes across East Asia.
• Japan's pro-government media.
• (17:33) The GaijinBiker points out an interesting angle on the Japan textbook affair. Some well made points. The only problem I have is that history, especially this history, is not necessarily an internal matter. For another take, Laowiseass blames the current anti-Japan feeling on Chinese self-loathing.
• Malaysian bloggers are getting harassed by the Government. Mack Zulkifli's Brand Malayisa is featured.
• It's a small blogosphere. I recently came across John & Belle have a blog, I think via Brad DeLong. A well written philosophy/liberal site with a side of Martha Stewart (pre-incarceration), it turns out John and Belle live in Singapore. Interesting.