Cheaper durians for China, Hong Kong helpers camp in tents: 5 weekend reads you missed

The South China Morning Post's weekend recap delivers five stories that may have slipped under the radar. First, China's new railway connection with Southeast Asia is bringing fresh Musang King durians to Beijing supermarkets at lower prices — a boon for durian lovers in a market that consumes the fruit voraciously. The so-called "Durian Express" highlights growing trade ties and infrastructure integration across the region.

Second, a structural shift is underway in Middle East logistics: new freight routes are being developed to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, with the port of Fujairah in the UAE emerging as an alternative hub. This could reshape global oil and cargo flows amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Meanwhile, Hong Kong's foreign domestic helpers face a different kind of struggle — with no public spaces to gather on their day off, hundreds now set up tents at the Lohas Park Station bus terminus, describing it as the only place they are not chased away. The stories underscore economic, geopolitical, and social shifts across Asia.