CL Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing confirmed today that its five-year China bond futures debut August 3rd, with the IPO pipeline now past five hundred deals. Somewhere in Central, a banker is rehearsing "landmark listing" for the ribbon-cutting photo. The numbers won't need the speech.-- CL

MB Iran's leaders are burying a man they now openly disagree about, which is the most honest thing a succession has looked in years. Taiwan runs invasion drills while Beijing runs the invasion. AXA denied a boy's knee surgery weeks before the date. Standard Chartered got approved to mint digital dollars the same week. Read the fine print.-- MB