Andrew Watson: The 'most influential' black footballer for decades lost to history

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  By Andrew Aloia BBC Sport Last updated on 11 October 2021 11 October 2021 . From the section Football Watson was a trailblazer who helped transform how football was played There are two murals of black footballers facing one another across an alleyway in Glasgow. One helped shape football as we know it, the other is Pele. Andrew Watson captained Scotland to a 6-1 win over England on his debut in 1881. He was a pioneer, the world's first black international, but for more than a century the significance of his achievements went unrecognised. Research conducted over the past three decades has left us with some biographical details: a man descended of slaves and of those who enslaved them, born in Guyana, raised to become an English gentleman and famed as one of Scottish football's first icons. And yet today, 100 years on from his death aged 64, Watson remains something of an enigma, the picture built around him a fractured one. His grainy, faded, sepia image evokes many differen...

EU RENEWS ARMS EMBARGO ON ZIMBABWE

 The EU said that a lack of political and economic reforms were allowing the humanitarian, economic and social situation to deteriorate in the country.

FILE: Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Picture: Abigail Javier/EWN.

HARARE - The European Union (EU) has renewed its arms embargo on Zimbabwe, and a targeted asset freeze against the state munitions firm.

In a statement the EU said Zimbabwe’s crisis had deepened since this time last year.

It added that a lack of political and economic reforms were allowing the humanitarian, economic and social situation to deteriorate in Zimbabwe and that human rights violations were continuing.

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The EU said it was especially concerned about the recent arrests of journalists, opposition officials and government critics. It also accused some unnamed officials of using speech that could promote violence.

The renewal of these restrictive measures will be seen as another setback to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s desire to re-engage with the West.

Earlier this month the UK imposed targeted sanctions on four top defence and security officials for their alleged role in rights abuses.

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