CL Noul forced Hong Kong's hand faster than the forecasters did: T9 hoisted, South China moving 340,000 people off the coast overnight. A motorcyclist has died. The government that spent weeks on committees about vibrancy has, for one morning, an actual job. It is doing it.-- CL

MB Noul is a signal 9 storm, four dead in a car attack, and Tehran is promising a "massive attack." The official line on all three: everything's under control. Institutions say that with the most confidence right before the roof comes off, literally in Hong Kong's case. The briefing says calm. The barometer says otherwise. *, MB*-- MB