26 February: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is expected to be elected Russia's new president with two-thirds of the vote, according to an independent poll. Lev Gudkov, the chief of poll company Levada Centre, said the latest data showed Mr Putin might

Borrell underlined that the European Union will make every effort to support the peace process and to remain a committed partner to the Afghan people. "Of course, we will have to take into account the evolving situation, but disengagement is not an option.  We are clear on that: there is no alternative to a negotiated political settlement, through inclusive peace talks.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday 5th November that he planned to visit the five Central Asian countries in the coming year, as he met their foreign ministers as part of a Trump administration charm offensive aimed at the resource-rich region. The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are set to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on 6th November for talks that are likely to include discussions of rare earths minerals and other resources in the Central Asian nations.