• Aw, so Harry Potter can't seem to cast a spell over Shanghai, earning barely half of what Transformers II: Revenge of the Fallen did. Is it because we didn't organize a movie night around this opening? [Shanghai Daily]
• Reacting to the Stern Hu detained in Shanghai saga, Rio Tinto is now pulling ALL of its foreign staff out of China. Allegedly. [CNN]
• To battle potential traffic jams, Shanghai will be employing an even-odd license plate system for the Expo like Beijing did for the Olympics. [Xinhua]

Here's something to consider if you're thinking of buying a car in Shanghai: the city is discussing a scheme to grant discounts to license plates of low-emission vehicles. Every year, the Shanghai government puts a set number of license plates its willing to issue up for auction in an attempt to slow urban congestion. Though they've raised the amount of issued plates each year to pace growing demand, getting a " 沪 （hu）" license can still be astronomically expensive (this January, it cost around $4,388 per plate - and that was considered low). Officials weren't clear about what discount would be offered, but the policy would hope to balance reducing the cost of owning a private car and boosting sales of more environmentally friendly motor vehicles. Source: Shanghai Daily more ›