Chinese President Xi Jinping's trip to the Western Balkan state strengthens the so-called steel friendship that has developed between Beijing and Belgrade. In Serbia, China is seen as the strongest ally after Russia.

Another high-ranking official has stepped down during continued scrutiny of corruption. That has led to questions about how the political instability could affect the ruling Communist Party.

About a quarter of Germans cited immigration as their main priority in 2022, which rose to 44% in the 2024 survey. About a third were most concerned about climate change two years ago, falling below the 25% mark this time.

Labor unions called for people to strike against President Javier Milei's austerity agenda after the lower house of Argentina's Congress approved a downsized version of Milei's economic overhaul package in April.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Friday.

As India's marathon election rolls on, FRANCE 24 speaks to expert Mitali Mukherjee, who tells us that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling BJP is running its campaign on anti-Muslim rhetoric. Also, Thailand's opposition leader speaks about his efforts to reform lese majeste laws. And we bring you the latest on the heatwave that has broken temperature records across Asia, from India to the Philippines.