Uzbekistan

▪️ Arsenal's quadruple trophy hunt was halved within a week, and their UEFA Champions League hopes were given a stern test by Sporting Lisbon, who only narrowly squeezed past Bodo/Glimt to reach the quarterfinals. Sporting, who had to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit against the Norwegian side, trail leaders Porto by seven points in the Portuguese top flight, but proved more than a match for the English Premier League leaders in Lisbon on Tuesday, with only a late Kai Havertz strike separating the teams.

Head of the Administration of the President of Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva, met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a business breakfast in Washington. The meeting continued the active diplomatic and economic dialogue between the two countries.

Kai Havertz scored a stoppage-time winner to give Arsenal a 1-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. Mikel Arteta's side arrived at the Jose Alvalade Stadium on Tuesday under pressure after consecutive defeats in the League Cup final and FA Cup quarterfinals, which had raised questions about their mental resilience.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick stated he would defend teenage star Lamine Yamal against criticism for his occasional "emotional" outbursts, ahead of Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Atletico Madrid. The 18-year-old winger did not celebrate Barca's late winner in the 2-1 victory at Atletico in La Liga last Saturday, which extended the Catalans' lead to seven points at the top of the table.

Head of the Administration of the President of Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva, held a business breakfast with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during her visit to Washington. The meeting discussed the outcomes of the first session of the US-Uzbek Business and Investment Council, with both sides noting growth in the portfolio of joint economic projects. Mirziyoyeva expressed gratitude to Rubio for his purported contribution to developing strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and the United States.

The Central Bank of Uzbekistan has officially responded to rumors circulating online and on social media regarding the design of a new 500,000 som banknote. The image, styled in the era of Mirzo Ulugbek, was purportedly planned for introduction into circulation in the near future.

A sharp surge in fuel prices has been recorded on the Uzbek Republican Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange. Following trading on April 6, the price of AI-92 automobile gasoline increased by 3.4%, reaching a new absolute record of 13.46 million soums per ton. Since the beginning of the current month, this type of fuel has risen in price by more than 5.7%, amounting to 727 thousand soums in monetary terms.

On April 7, prominent Uzbek statesman and public figure Vyacheslav Arkadevich Golishev passed away at the age of 75. He had served for many years as a state advisor to the president. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and other high-ranking officials expressed condolences to the family and close ones of the deceased.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a detailed discussion on the development of sports, focusing on the state of football and athletics in the country. The head of state emphasized: "Sport should become not only a guarantee of people's health and high achievements but also a profitable industry." To achieve this goal, he criticized the practice of holding national championship matches during working hours, which has led to empty stadiums.

Street retail is a format of retail outlets located on the ground floors of buildings, with storefronts and separate street access. In Tashkent, as in many cities, it is situated along main streets and highways. Specialists from the consulting company Commonwealth Partnership Uzbekistan (CMWP) studied this sector and identified a characteristic feature of its development in the capital. Their new review notes a trend of trade clusters forming around public attraction points and emphasizes that urbanism is practically transforming street economies.

The State Security Service has released video footage of the detention of Isomiddin Ismanov, the deputy governor of Andijan Region. The video shows Ismanov counting $50,000 at his home and insisting that the money be referred to as a 'debt'.

At the prestigious Grenke Chess Open festival in Germany, Uzbek representative Muhammadzohid Suyarov secured a decisive victory in the classical format. He played 9 games without a single defeat, recording 7 wins and 2 draws, which earned him 8 points and first place. This achievement brought him a prize of 20,000 euros.