Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko may be many things, but no one can disagree – he is a survivor.

The latest, but bloodiest Central Asian conflict in years is over water resources. And this clash, long in the making, has major regional implications.

Uzbekistan plans to list its securities on the Russian stock exchange in a bid to develop its capital market and attract foreign investors.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested face-to-face talks in the Vatican with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on ending seven years of conflict in the east of his country, but Russia heaped new scorn on his dogged bid for a meeting and dismissed Ukrainian calls for a new approach to securing peace.