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Jose Mourinho blamed the referee and VAR for AS Roma’s 3-2 defeat to rivals Lazio in Serie A on Sunday, saying his side were dominant in spite of the result. It was the Portuguese manager’s second loss since taking charge of the Italian side in the summer and Lazio led from the 10th minute until the final whistle. However, Mourinho was unhappy about a potential foul in the build-up to Lazio’s second goal, scored by former Roma winger Pedro after 19 minutes.   He felt Lucas Leiva should have received a second booking after seeing Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini sent off against Udinese on Thursday. “Italian football has improved a lot. But unfortunately, the referee and VAR were not at the right level for this fantastic match,” Mourinho told reporters. “On the 2-0 goal it could have been 1-1, the referee and VAR made a mistake. This is too much. “The lack of a second yellow for Leiva is also important. It was a similar situation to Pellegrini, he got a red but today ...

  Britain will issue up to 10,500 temporary work visas to lorry drivers and poultry workers to ease chronic staff shortages, the government announced Saturday, in a U-turn on post-Brexit immigration policy. The short-term visas, to run from next month until late December, come as ministers grapple with a huge shortfall in drivers and some other key workers that has hit fuel supplies and additional industries. The decision to expand the critical worker visa scheme is a reversal by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose government had tightened post-Brexit immigration rules insisting that Britain’s reliance on foreign labour must end.   It had resisted the move for months, despite an estimated shortage of around 100,000 heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers and warnings from various sectors that supplies would run short. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps nevertheless insisted he was taking action “at the earliest opportunity” and that a broader package of measures announce...

Eleven Nigerians have been indicted by the United States authorities for allegedly defrauding elderly Americans in romance scams.   According to the court document, the defendants preyed on elderly victims, many of whom were widowed or divorced. They assumed fake names and used dating sites like Match.com, ChistianMingle, JSwipe, and PlentyofFish, searching for targets.   The 11 persons were arrested in an operation on Wednesday morning, September 22, and have been charged for a number of financial crimes, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.   They were among the 35 persons arrested for fraud by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who allegedly carried out scams worth $17 million.   "The majority of the defendants charged in this investigation have ties to a transnational organised crime syndicate originating in Nigeria, law enforcement revealed Friday," the United States De...

China’s central bank has announced that all transactions of crypto-currencies are illegal, effectively banning digital tokens such as Bitcoin. “Virtual currency-related business activities are illegal financial activities,” the People’s Bank of China said, warning it “seriously endangers the safety of people’s assets”. China is one of the world’s largest crypto-currency markets. Fluctuations there often impact the global price of crypto-currencies. The price of Bitcoin fell by more than $2,000 (£1,460) in the wake of the Chinese announcement. It is the latest in China’s national crackdown on what it sees as a volatile, speculative investment at best – and a way to launder money at worst.   However, there has been a significant crackdown this year. In May, Chinese state intuitions warned buyers they would have no protection for continuing to trade Bitcoin and other currencies online, as government officials vowed to increase pressure on the industry. In June, it told ...

Anthony Joshua’s reign as world heavyweight champion ended in London on Saturday after he was defeated by Oleksandr Usyk. Oleksandr Usyk is crowned as the new unified world heavyweight champion after a unanimous decision win over Anthony Joshua with scores of 117-112, 116-112, 115-113. Usyk has become the third boxer after Evander Holyfield and David Haye to win world titles at cruiserweight and heavyweight. The 34-year-old won heavyweight gold at the London 2012 Olympics while Joshua triumphed in the super-heavyweight division. Anthony Joshua earlier said he had no intention of vacating any of his heavyweight belts. The British boxer had put his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight belts on the line against the WBO mandatory challenger from Ukraine. Before the fight, Joshua weighed in 19 pounds heavier than Usyk.   Britain’s Joshua, 31, tipped the scales at 240 pounds (109 kilograms), with the Ukrainian challenger coming in at a career-high 221.25 pounds. The two combatants had ...

Wire actor, Michael K. Williams died inside his luxury Brooklyn penthouse after ingesting fentanyl-laced heroin and cocaine, an autopsy revealed.  The American actor, 54, was found dead at his home in Brooklyn on 6 September. The death was ruled an accident.   The New York Coroner's office ruled the 54-year-old's death accidental today, naming the cause as 'acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.'   Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It can cause death when taken in high doses or when combined with other substances.    Williams was discovered unconscious and facedown in the living room of his Williamsburg apartment by his nephew on September 6.   A doorman subsequently called 911 claiming Williams was 'unresponsive' and 'felt cold'. Medics rushed to the scene, but declared the actor dead at 2:12pm.   Over the years, Williams spo...

Three women have been elected Mayors in Morocco's leading cities, following a nationwide parliamentary, regional and municipal polls on September 8. On Friday September 24, Rabat - Asmaa Rhlalou, a member of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) became the first woman mayor of Morocco’s capital Rabat. The new mayor of Rabat defeated two other candidates. Hassan Lachgar from the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), and Badia Bennani from the Justice and Development Party (PJD).   Speaking after her election, Rhlalou said;    “It’s a historical day for the city of lights."   On Monday September 20, Nabila Rmili who is also another RNI member, was elected as mayor of Casablanca, Morocco’s commercial capital and biggest city with 3.5 million residents.   Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) candidate, Fatima Zahra Mansouri also returned as the mayor of tourist hotspot Marrakech, a position she occupied from...