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Uzbekistan rose five places in the Global Firepower ranking of the world’s strongest militaries, placing 53rd out of 145 countries.

Global Firepower estimates that nearly 19 mln people in Uzbekistan fall within labour and mobilisation resources, with about 15.9 mln deemed fit for military service. By this measure, the country ranks among global leaders. The armed forces number about 120,000 active personnel, with roughly 95,000 serving in the ground forces and the remainder in the air force.

Uzbekistan’s military operates 159 aircraft, 87 of which are considered combat-ready. The air force fleet includes 101 helicopters, among them 34 attack...

Uzbek entrepreneurs will be able to access more loans for business development this year. A total of 140 trln soums ($11.6 bn), has been allocated for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

The president noted that loan interest rates are currently the same across all regions at 17.5%.

«But conditions and opportunities differ greatly between districts. That is why loans are issued at 12% in 37 ‘difficult’ districts,» he said.

The maximum amount of a concessional loan for family businesses will increase by 1.5 times to 50 mln soums...

Netflix has delayed its live special «Skyscraper Live,» which follows free solo climber Alex Honnold as he attempts to scale Taipei 101, after rain forced a last-minute postponement.

The streamer said the event could not proceed as planned because of weather concerns and has been rescheduled for January 24 at 8 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. PT, which will be January 25 morning in Taiwan. Netflix said safety remains its top priority.

Producers had previously warned that weather could disrupt the climb despite January being Taiwan’s dry season. Rain was forecast around the scheduled start time, prompting the delay...

Meta Platforms said it will suspend teenagers’ access to its existing AI characters across all of its apps worldwide while it develops an updated version designed specifically for younger users.

In an updated blog post on child protection, the company said teens will lose access to AI characters in the coming weeks and will not regain it until the new experience is ready. Meta said the revised version will include parental controls once it is launched.

In October, Meta previewed tools that would allow parents to disable private chats between their teenagers and AI characters. The move followed strong...

A court in Dubai has sentenced citizens of Uzbekistan, handing eight of them life imprisonment and one person 25 years behind bars. The Uzbek foreign ministry has confirmed the verdict.

«Currently our authorities and diplomatic missions are carefully studying the situation and taking all measures to protect the rights of our citizens,» the ministry said.

The incident took place in Dubai in April 2025, when a fight broke out between two groups. Two Uzbek nationals were killed. Authorities detained 11 people in connection with the incident. Police said the conflict stemmed from a...

Cha Eun Woo’s agency Fantagio has issued an official response to reports alleging the singer and actor was involved in large-scale tax evasion.

On January 22, a media report claimed that Cha, a member of ASTRO, was investigated last year by Investigation Bureau 4 of the Seoul Regional Tax Office on suspicion of tax evasion. The report said the National Tax Service informed him of an additional tax assessment exceeding 20 bn won, or about $13.6 mln, covering income tax and other levies.

Corporation A

According to the report, tax authorities questioned the structure of Cha’s earnings. Although...

Silver prices climbed above $100 an ounce for the first time on January 23 as investors moved into safe-haven assets. Gold also hit another record and edged closer to $5,000 an ounce.

Spot silver jumped 5% to $100.94 an ounce by 18:48 GMT. The metal has risen more than 200% over the past year, supported by difficulties in expanding refining capacity and a persistent shortage of supply.

Spot gold was up 0.6% at $4,964.81 an ounce after touching a record high of $4,988.17 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures for February delivery settled 1.4% higher at $4,979.70.

Since...

Williams have confirmed they will not take part in the upcoming Barcelona shakedown, saying the decision was made to prioritise maximum performance from their 2026 car.

The shakedown is scheduled to run from January 26 to 30 at the Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya and will give teams three days to run their new cars. It is intended to supplement the standard pre-season testing in Bahrain and help teams adapt to the revised regulations.

Williams will not be present in Barcelona but will instead carry out private testing ahead of the first official pre-season test in Bahrain from February 11 to 13.

At least 5,002 people have been killed in Iran’s crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests, according to activists, who warn the true toll may be far higher as a near-total internet blackout enters its third week.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said most of the dead were demonstrators, including at least 43 children, and reported more than 26,800 arrests since protests erupted in late December.

Iranian authorities have denied higher casualty figures and rejected claims of impending mass executions, even as some detainees face charges that carry the death penalty.

The unrest has fueled growing...

Italy and Germany support an international agreement to control raw material prices in an effort to reduce China’s influence over global supply chains, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Friday.

Speaking at an Italian-German business forum in Rome, Tajani said Europe could not accept a situation in which China effectively sets prices for key raw materials.

Tajani said Rome and Berlin were working on a common strategy and hoped other countries would join the initiative.

He added that Italy and Germany were set to issue a joint statement on raw materials later in the day...

The Royal Navy has intercepted and closely monitored Russian vessels transiting the English Channel, sending what UK officials described as a clear warning to Moscow that its naval movements are being tracked.

Patrol ships HMS Mersey and HMS Severn, supported by a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron, shadowed the Russian corvette Boikiy and the oil tanker MT General Skobelev during a two-day operation carried out in coordination with NATO allies. The vessels were first intercepted as they entered the Channel, with UK forces taking over monitoring duties from allied warships that had tracked them through the...

The official trailer for Masters of the Universe from Amazon MGM Studios has quickly climbed into YouTube’s trending videos, racking up more than 13 mln views in less than 24 hours after its release on January 22, 2026. The strong early response has made it one of the most-watched trailers of the day.

The film is based on Mattel’s iconic He-Man franchise set in the world of Eternia and is directed by Travis Knight. Nicholas Galitzine stars as Prince Adam/He-Man, while Jared Leto takes on the role of the villain Skeletor. According to the storyline, Prince Adam, who was sent...

F1: The Movie, the high-budget Formula 1 drama starring Brad Pitt, has emerged as one of the surprises of the 2026 Oscars after securing a Best Picture nomination despite mixed reviews from critics.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the film received four nominations in total at the 98th Academy Awards, including Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing and Best Sound.

Released in June 2025, the $300 mln production grossed more than $631 mln worldwide, becoming Apple TV’s biggest box office hit to date.

While the nomination has sparked debate over the film’s artistic merits, industry insiders say...

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has received a baby box from the Scottish Government as officials in Scotland seek to support his plans for a similar scheme in the city.

Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary, Shirley Anne Somerville, said the gesture was intended to help Mamdani develop a proposed «baby basket» policy aimed at easing cost-of-living pressures for new parents. The initiative featured in the 34-year-old mayor’s election campaign, with Mamdani previously citing Scotland, Finland and Chile as successful examples.

The Scottish baby box programme, launched in 2017, provides every new parent with essentials such as clothes, books and health items...

Uzbekistan has joined the Gaza Board of Peace because it has vital interests in the Middle East, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s foreign policy adviser, Abdulaziz Kamilov, said in an interview with Uzbekistan 24.

Kamilov said the board’s aims align with Uzbekistan’s priorities. He added that the country pays close attention to the region due to security risks, including the threat of extremism.

He noted that some Uzbek citizens previously joined extremist groups abroad and later returned, attempting to destabilise the country. Uzbekistan has ensured their return and provided support for their social reintegration.

Tashkent joined the board on January...

The death toll from the fire that swept through Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping centre has risen to 67, police have confirmed.

Seventy-seven people are still listed as missing by their families after the blaze began on Saturday evening, officials said. The fire took more than 24 hours to bring under control, and the scale of the damage has slowed recovery efforts as teams search through the remains of the 6,500 square metre complex.

Some of the bodies recovered are only partial remains. Authorities have counted 67 skulls and identification is ongoing. So far, 15 victims have been identified.

Gul...

Alpine revealed its 2026 Formula 1 car, the A526, during a launch event in Barcelona ahead of next week’s shakedown.

The new car was shown just two days after it completed its first track running during a filming day at Silverstone. Fans were given their first full look at the A526 and its livery for the coming season.

The Enstone-based team has kept its familiar blue and pink colour scheme as it prepares for a season shaped by sweeping new technical regulations. Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto will continue as Alpine’s drivers.

Russian gas supplies to Uzbekistan rose by 30% in 2025, reaching 7 bn cubic metres, according to the International Energy Agency report cited by TASS. The fuel was transported through the Central Asia–Centre pipeline.

Uzbekistan’s national statistics agency reported that the country spent $1.6 bn on imported gas last year, a 1.2% decrease from 2024. At the same time, Uzbekistan exported around $773 mln worth of pipeline gas to China.

Russia also boosted gas exports to China in 2025, with deliveries rising 25% to 39 bn cubic metres.

Moscow plans to raise gas supplies to Uzbekistan to...

Ferrari revealed its new Formula 1 car for the 2026 season, the SF-26, which was built to comply with extensive new regulations. The team will retain Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton as its drivers, while Fred Vasseur stays on as team principal.

Ferrari is hoping the SF-26 can finally end a title drought that has lasted nearly 20 years. The team last won the Constructors’ Championship in 2008, and its last Drivers’ title was claimed by Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

Frederic Vasseur described 2026 as a major turning point for the sport. He said the new regulations represent...

Music from some of the world’s most popular video games, including The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy, will be performed live by a full orchestra at a special concert in Liverpool.

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, led by conductor Robert Ames, will present a programme featuring scores chosen in part through social media polls among gaming fans.

Marek Smagala of the Liverpool Game-Dev Network said developers and players alike share a deep attachment to the music associated with their favourite titles. He added that Liverpool has a strong gaming heritage and a revitalised community, noting the city’s role...

Chinese President Xi Jinping told Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that China would stand by Latin America’s largest economy and support the broader Global South, as both leaders called for strengthening the role of the United Nations amid growing global tensions.

According to China’s state news agency Xinhua, Xi made the remarks during a phone call on Friday, urging Beijing and Brasília to safeguard shared interests and uphold the UN in what he described as a turbulent international environment.

Brazil’s presidency confirmed the 45-minute call, saying both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the UN as...

Vietnam’s top leader To Lam was unanimously reappointed as head of the ruling Communist Party for another five-year term.

In the one-party state, all 180 members of the newly formed central committee backed Lam at the close of the party’s five-yearly congress, which sets policy priorities and leadership appointments.

Lam promised to pursue double-digit growth and said governance should be based on integrity, talent, courage and competence, with performance judged by concrete results.

Party Congress Sets Targets

The congress approved a resolution calling for annual economic growth of at least 10% through the decade and appointed the 19-member...

Turkey and Uzbekistan have launched a new «4+4» strategic cooperation mechanism, bringing together their foreign, defence, interior and intelligence institutions in a single framework, as the two countries seek to deepen coordination on security and regional strategy.

The fourth meeting of the Joint Strategic Planning Group was held in Ankara on January 20, co-chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bahtiyor Saidov.

During the meeting, the sides signed an Action Plan for 2026–2027, formalising cooperation across security, defence, intelligence sharing and internal affairs. Officials said the mechanism reflects a shift toward institutionalised, long-term coordination amid...

The World Bank approved a decade-long programme to develop electricity markets and integrate power systems across Central Asia, the organisation said. In the first phase, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will receive $143.2 mln.

Of that total, the World Bank’s International Development Association will provide $140 mln, while $3.2 mln will come from the Central Asia Water and Energy Programme. The REMIT initiative will be implemented in three stages and aims to expand regional electricity trade and integrate renewable energy sources.

The programme is designed to use the region’s complementary energy resources, including hydroelectric power in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, thermal generation...