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The Queens’ Online Chess Festival will return in March 2026, marking its sixth edition as a global celebration of women’s and girls’ participation in chess.

Organised by the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess under the Chess4All FIDE WOM Project, the festival will run from March 1 to March 29 and is dedicated to International Women’s Day. Participation is free and open to women and girls of all ages and skill levels worldwide, including unrated players.

The 2026 festival will feature two parallel competitions: the Queens’ Women’s Open Tournament, open to female players with a FIDE ID, and the...

Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan have reviewed the results of their bilateral cooperation in 2025 and outlined key priorities for strengthening relations in 2026, according to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The discussions took place during a meeting between Bobur Usmanov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, and Huseyn Guliyev, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Uzbekistan.

Both sides stressed the importance of maintaining close coordination between their foreign ministries and agreed to develop new practical initiatives aimed at deepening the strategic partnership and allied relations between Tashkent and Baku.

Economic cooperation featured prominently in the talks. Bilateral trade...

Viral food reviewer and community advocate Keith Lee has been named Creator of the Year at the inaugural U.S. TikTok Awards, capping a meteoric rise that began with casual food reviews filmed from his daughter’s Paw Patrol chair.

The ceremony, hosted Thursday night at the Hollywood Palladium, celebrated a «New Era, New Icons» theme and featured fan-voted categories recognizing creators shaping digital culture. Lee, who has amassed more than 17 mln followers on TikTok, said he was overwhelmed by the honor, thanking supporters «from the bottom of my heart» and adding that he «never in a million years...

Norway’s royal family is facing renewed scrutiny after newly released «Epstein files» revealed extensive personal contact between Crown Princess Mette-Marit and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The disclosures show that Mette-Marit exchanged hundreds of emails with Epstein between 2011 and 2013, some marked by unusually close and informal language. The revelations surfaced days before her eldest son, Marius Borg Høiby, is due to stand trial in Oslo on 38 criminal charges, including rape and sexual assault.

Norwegian media, including NRK, reported that Mette-Marit had researched Epstein’s background as early as 2011 and acknowledged in emails that...

Gold and silver extended their steep sell-off on Monday, deepening losses triggered late last week after U.S. President Donald Trump named a new candidate to lead the Federal Reserve.

Both precious metals had been trading at record highs on Thursday before plunging after Trump announced on Friday that he wants Kevin Warsh to replace Jay Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve from May. Markets interpreted the nomination as reducing the risk of aggressive interest-rate cuts and political interference in monetary policy.

Gold and silver, traditionally seen as safe-haven assets, suffered their worst single-day falls since 1983 and...

Low-cost Chinese electric vehicles and bargain e-commerce goods are rapidly gaining ground across Latin America, raising alarms among governments and domestic industries, according to a new report by The Associated Press.

China’s expanding trade footprint is especially visible in major markets such as Brazil, Mexico and Chile, where sluggish demand at home has pushed Chinese manufacturers to seek growth abroad. Backed by heavy state subsidies and low production costs, Chinese brands now dominate key segments, particularly electric vehicles.

In Brazil, more than 80% of the 61,000 EVs sold in 2024 were Chinese, led by BYD and GWM. In...

Most high-liquidity stocks on the Republican Stock Exchange (UzSE) in Tashkent posted losses during the week of January 23–30. The UCI index dropped by 0.4% over this period.

The strongest performer was the privileged shares of Uzbektelecom, which rose 8.61%. Positive growth was also recorded in shares of SQB (+5.16%) and Trastbank (+5%). By contrast, the privileged shares of Ipoteka-Bank fell 11.21%, marking the largest decline on the exchange. Shares of Aloqabank (-10.13%) and Hamkorbank (-10.12%) also fell sharply. Ordinary shares of Uzbektelecom remained unchanged.

Trading Activity

In terms of deal numbers, Hamkorbank led with 1,082 transactions, followed...

The 66th Grammy Awards delivered history, controversy and political statements as the ceremony unfolded at the Crypto.com Arena on Sunday night.

Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny made Grammy history after Debí Tirar Más Fotos became the first Spanish-language album to win Album of the Year. Accepting the award in Spanish and English, an emotional Bad Bunny dedicated his win to immigrants and to Puerto Rico, calling it a moment for «all the Latinos in the entire world.»

The night also produced chaos when Cher mistakenly announced «Luther Vandross» as the winner of Record of...

Chappell Roan made a striking statement on the red carpet at the 68th Grammy Awards, leaving social media buzzing over her daring choice. The singer, known for her bold fashion sense, appeared in a sheer topless gown, adorned with nipple rings, while also showing off a large back tattoo.

Styled by Genesis Webb, Roan wore a custom creation by Miguel Castro Freitas for French fashion house Mugler. The flowing chiffon gown featured a bodice-less design, paired with a coordinating cape that could be draped for more coverage. Inspired by Manfred Thierry Mugler’s Spring–Summer 1998 couture collection, the cowl...

Episode 3 of HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms raises the stakes as a bustling tournament gets underway and a long-teased secret finally surfaces. With the arrival of the Targaryens, the series begins to show its hand, blending spectacle with character-driven drama.

Dunk remains an unlikely hero. Towering over nearly everyone around him, he is physically imposing yet persistently gentle, often seeming unaware of his own size. As he prepares for the tournament, his nerves provide much of the episode’s humour, particularly given his obvious physical advantage over most of the field.

A Growing Gallery of Unsettling...

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is investing in East Can Solutions to support the construction of Uzbekistan’s first greenfield aluminium can production facility, the company said.

Based in Tashkent, the plant will supply domestic beverage producers with fully recyclable metal packaging, helping meet growing demand while reducing the country’s reliance on imports. Uzbekistan’s metal packaging market is currently fully dependent on foreign suppliers, leaving manufacturers exposed to supply chain disruptions, volatile import costs and long delivery times.

IFC’s financing will also support job creation, with more than 200 direct positions anticipated once the facility is fully operational.

Production capacity is...

Worldwide, international passenger traffic increased 7.1% compared with 2024, while domestic travel grew 2.4%, accroding to IATA. Airlines faced tight capacity, with the global passenger load factor reaching 83.6%, a record for annual volumes. December 2025 capped the year strongly, as overall traffic rose 5.6% and load factors climbed to 83.7%.

IATA highlighted ongoing challenges for the aviation sector, including decarbonisation and supply chain constraints.

«Sustainable aviation fuel and energy development are essential for countries whose economies rely on air transport,» IATA Director General Willie Walsh said.

Airlines also faced delays in new aircraft deliveries...

Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula 1 world champion, and U.S. reality star Kim Kardashian have been spotted enjoying a private romantic weekend in the Cotswolds, The Sun reports.

The pair spent time at the exclusive Estelle Manor in Witney, Oxfordshire, where they had full use of the spa, pool and private dining facilities. Kim, 45, flew in from Los Angeles on her private jet, accompanied by three bodyguards, while Hamilton, 41, arrived later by helicopter.

Insiders said the couple enjoyed a couples’ massage and an intimate dinner, with security officers stationed outside to ensure privacy. Both kept a low...

Uzbekistan’s General Prosecutor’s Office has opened a criminal case over the fire at the Aviator shopping centre in Tashkent, the agency confirmed to Kursiv Uzbekistan.

The investigation is examining potential abuse of authority and breaches of fire safety regulations. The blaze broke out on January 31 on the second floor of the mall, which housed a children’s play area and a food court. According to Gazeta.uz, the fire alarm and suppression systems did not activate during the incident.

Around 200 rescuers and dozens of vehicles were involved in tackling the fire. Traffic near the mall was temporarily halted. After...

The 68th Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles, with Kendrick Lamar emerging as the biggest winner for the second year in a row. The rapper took home five awards, including record of the year for his duet with SZA, “Luther”, and best rap album for “GNX”. He became the most awarded hip-hop artist in Grammy history.

Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny claimed album of the year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos. Other winners across genres reflected a diverse year in music.

Major Winners:

In 2025, Uzbekistan imported 510,000 tons of Russian petrol, becoming one of the largest recipients of fuel shipments by rail, Kommersant reports.

Other significant importers included Kyrgyzstan with 526,000 tons, Mongolia at 820,000 tons, and Tajikistan with 406,000 tons. Overall, Russia exported 2.6 mln tons of petrol abroad.

Rail shipments declined in December to 209,000 tons, down 22% from November and 36% year-on-year, as experts attributed the drop to Central Asian countries reaching their annual duty-free import quotas.

Maritime exports of Russian petrol also fell by 40% compared with 2024, reaching 2.1 mln tons, following several months of an...

Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny used his first televised acceptance speech at the 2026 Grammy Awards to deliver a sharp rebuke of U.S. immigration authorities, declaring «ICE out» in protest against federal enforcement actions.

After winning best music urbana album for Debí Tirar Más Fotos, the artist told the audience:

«We’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.»

Often dubbed the King of Trap, Bad Bunny said love was stronger than hate and urged people to respond to cruelty with compassion, stressing the importance of family and community.

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Uzbek grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov claimed victory at the 2026 Tata Steel Chess Tournament, held in Wijk aan Zee.

Abdusattorov finished clear on top with nine points from 13 rounds, delivering the strongest overall performance of the event. His tournament performance rating reached 2862, the highest recorded at this year’s competition.

Throughout the tournament, he displayed consistent play, handling his games against the main title contenders with confidence.

The 2026 triumph marks Abdusattorov’s first win at Tata Steel Chess after several near misses in previous years. He finished second in 2023 and took third place in both 2024 and 2025.

Widely...

Kendrick Lamar has officially become the most-awarded hip-hop artist in Grammy history after adding four more trophies to his collection.

The rapper won best rap album for GNX, best rap song for TV Off, melodic rap performance for Luther and best rap performance for his feature on Clipse’s Chains & Whips. The wins lifted his career total to 26 Grammys, moving him ahead of Jay-Z on 25 and Kanye West on 24.

Lamar could yet extend his lead, with major categories including album of the year, song of the year and record of the year still to be announced.

Church authorities and cultural heritage officials in Italy have opened separate investigations following controversy around a restored fresco in central Rome.

The case concerns the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, where a cherub depicted on a wall painting was found to bear a striking resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The similarity became noticeable after recent restoration works were completed.

The Vicarate of Rome confirmed that Cardinal Baldassare Reina ordered an internal review. Church officials said they intend to establish how the image appeared and who may be responsible for the alteration.

Italy’s Superintendency for...

Gold markets saw a sharp correction this week after reaching historic highs. On January 29, April futures initially climbed to $5,626.8 per ounce before falling to $5,126.

The decline continued on Friday, with spot gold dropping 6.9% from the previous close to $5,001 per ounce. Analysts link the pullback to profit-taking and stronger dollar movements.

Despite the recent correction, gold has gained roughly 20% for January, marking its sixth consecutive month of growth. This increase comes amid persistent economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, and could be the largest monthly jump since 1982.

Market watchers also pointed to U.S...

The U.S. government announced it will suspend immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 nations starting January 21. The decision comes as part of an intensified effort to tighten immigration controls, a State Department spokesperson said.

Affected countries span Latin America, the Balkans, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Nations such as Brazil, Colombia, Albania, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan are included on the list. The pause will remain in place while policies and procedures are reviewed.

According to officials, the review aims to ensure applicants are fully screened and financially self-sufficient. The State Department cited...

The European Union is reportedly preparing sanctions against Kyrgyzstan for its role in facilitating trade that bypasses existing EU measures on Russia, Bloomberg reports.

The proposed measures could include restrictions on exporting machinery and certain radio equipment to Kyrgyzstan. This would mark the first use of the EU’s anti-circumvention mechanism against a third country.

In addition, the EU plans to tighten restrictions on Russian banks and oil firms. Services linked to cryptocurrencies and other financial entities that help Moscow avoid sanctions may also face limits.

The package may also introduce broader trade curbs, targeting companies and products used...

Air pollution levels in Uzbekistan worsened on January 29–30 due to unfavorable meteorological conditions, the Ecology Committee reported. Experts pointed to calm winds and the formation of a temperature inversion as key factors.

During the night and early morning, a cold air layer settled near the ground while warmer air remained above. This inversion trapped fine particulate matter close to the surface, keeping pollution concentrated in urban areas for hours.

Morning fog further aggravated the situation. High humidity during foggy conditions slows the dispersion of PM2.5 particles, increasing their concentration in the air and elevating pollution levels.

The...