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1. 2 years on: China proves its ‘desert wheat farms’ are not a hoax

   Growing wheat in sand may be regarded as impossible in most countries. But China’s “desert wheat farms” have survived repeated sandstorms and continue to grow following an initial trial in the country’s largest desert, as part of an ongoing effort to combat desertification and unlock the land’s potential for strengthening national food security. Two years ago, on the fringes of the Taklamakan...

2. Jardine Matheson to exit Swire’s Taikoo Place, consolidate offices in Central: sources

   Jardine Matheson is giving up its remaining office space in FWD Tower at Taikoo Place and plans to relocate staff back to Jardine House in Central as part of operational consolidation, sources said. The group’s primary office at Jardine House, part of its own property portfolio, “is now undergoing renovations to create a modern workspace that will accommodate all head office employees from May”,...

3. Sara Duterte leads early 2028 Philippine presidential poll as rivals struggle to unite

   Her father is in custody at The Hague, her alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has collapsed into bitter rivalry and she is fighting to halt impeachment proceedings before the Supreme Court. Despite all of that, Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio is still, by a distance, the early favourite to be the country’s next president. A new survey by Manila-based pollster WR Numero...

4. Peace is a common wish, Xi Jinping tells Taiwan’s opposition leader Cheng Li-wun

   Communist Party chief Xi Jinping and the chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party both highlighted the message of peace across the strait on Friday, in the first meeting of the sitting leaders of the two parties in nine years. “Compatriots on both sides are both Chinese, and we need peace, we need development, we need communication, and we need cooperation. This is a common wish,” Xi has...

5. Why Japanese firm’s tie-up with Ukrainian drone maker sparks concerns in Russia

   Russia’s protest over a proposed investment by a Japanese company in a Ukrainian drone maker signals its concern that Tokyo may be supporting closer cooperation with Kyiv’s defence sector and planning to lift a long-standing ban on weapon exports, according to an international relations expert. On Wednesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko registered Moscow’s protest in a meeting...

6. Israel plans talks with Lebanon as violence imperils Iran ceasefire

   In a potential boost to Middle East ceasefire efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he authorised direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible” aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbours. Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948, and Netanyahu later...

7. Tai Po probe: fire department to propose law changes, tougher penalties to boost safety

   This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. An independent committee examining the causes of Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades held its 10th day of evidential hearings on Friday. The Fire Services Department’s handling of shutdown notices for the fire safety systems of the devastated Tai Po...

8. Asian economies face ‘formidable test’ as Middle East conflict drags on: ADB

   Economic growth across Asia is likely to slow even if oil prices stabilise in the coming months, as the impact of war in the Middle East ripples through industries from manufacturing to tourism, according to the Asian Development Bank. The US and Israeli war on Iran is projected to halt developing Asia’s economic upswing, with the region’s gross domestic product expansion seen moderating to 5.1...

9. ‘No offensive role’ for Australia as clock ticks towards first US-Iran talks since war

   US Vice-President J.D. Vance will travel to Islamabad for the first round of talks on Saturday morning local time with Iran to end the war in the Middle East, according to the White House. The US Secret Service has already arrived in the Pakistani capital to make security arrangements ahead of his visit, which marks the most significant face-to-face, high-level US–Iran contact since 1979. The...

10. Alibaba’s Qwen family captures over 50% of global open-source downloads, report finds

    Alibaba Cloud captured more than 50 per cent of global open-source model downloads as of March following the release of its Qwen 3.5 model series, a new report has found. The finding underscores the dominance of Chinese models in the global open-source artificial intelligence landscape, though some US companies including OpenAI and Nvidia are also making early gains. Qwen reached nearly 1...