THE BALKANS: China and Serbia signed an agreement today to build a “shared future,” making the country the first in Europe to do so.

After meeting in Belgrade, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Serbian President Vucic announced they would “deepen and elevate the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Serbia,” and “build a new era of a community with a shared future between” them.

Mr Xi travelled to Hungary later today. Like Serbia, Hungary is seen as one of China’s friendlier partners in Europe.

NORTH MACEDONIA: Voters went to the polls today in a parliamentary election and a presidential run-off dominated by issues including the country’s path toward European Union membership, corruption and the economy.

The first round of the election for president, a largely ceremonial post, was seen as a barometer for the parliamentary vote.

It gave a clear lead to Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, the candidate backed by the centre-right opposition, over incumbent Stevo Pendarovski, who is supported by the governing centre-left coalition.

UNITED STATES: Police dismantled an anti-Gaza genocide occupation protest at George Washington University in Washington, DC, today and arrested demonstrators, hours after dozens marched to the home of the school’s president.

DC police arrested 33 people and used pepper spray outside the encampment against the protesters.

Since April 18, at least 2,600 people have been arrested at 50 universities across the country, after this latest anti-war movement was launched by a protest at Columbia University in New York.

THAILAND: Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said today that he wants to outlaw cannabis, two years after the country became the first in Asia to legalise the sale of the plant.

Decriminalisation was spearheaded by the Bhumjaithai Party, whose stronghold is in the impoverished north-east, where it promised farmers cannabis would be a new cash crop.

But in last year's elections, all major parties — including Bhumjaithai — promised to restrict cannabis for medical use.

Cannabis advocates and entrepreneurs have opposed a radical rollback, which they claimed would be damaging to the economy.