Slowly deflating campaigns leading to 'electile dysfunction'
What was supposed to be a gentlemanly exchange of views between the candidates, followed by the anointing of Henry Tang Ying-yen as Beijing's supposed chosen one, has turned out to be anything but that. For bemused onlookers - which unfortunately is most of Hong Kong since they can't vote - the electoral process went from boring to high farce in the span of a week as Tang missed an open goal by shooting himself in both feet. And when you thought it couldn't get any worse, he shot himself in the mouth in the debate last Friday.
A little mud appears to have stuck to C.Y. Leung as Tang has tried to bring him down into the basement with him, so to speak. One reader with a wicked sense of humour describes it as 'electile dysfunction', which she says is the inability to become aroused by any of the chief executive candidates.
HK's heavy hitters in commodities
The election of Barry Cheung as chairman of Russian aluminium giant Rusal puts Hong Kong in an interesting position with respect to the global commodities market. Alongside Cheung, Simon Murray is chairman of Glencore, the world's largest commodities trading company, and there is Richard Elman, chairman of Hong Kong-based Noble Group, which is also a big hitter in global commodities. You could say Hong Kong was exerting a disproportionate influence on global commodities markets.
Rebels without applause