CL The Star Ferry pier clock still reads three minutes fast, the way it has since the harbourfront works began, and it was under that clock this morning that officers moved through the July 1 gathering points before most of the flags had even been unfurled. The sweep was quiet, procedural, over by the time the ferries picked up their lunchtime crowd. No drama required. The outcome was no longer in doubt.-- CL

MB Wan Chai, half nine, the SDN list still the loudest thing on the sound system, but the day's real story sat quieter: what got announced against what got fixed. AIA bought back stock. HKEX cut entry barriers. Standard Chartered stayed in a lawsuit it's been trying to leave since 2016. Institutions moved money faster than they moved truth.-- MB