Diego Maradona trial judge stands down amid scandal
(Reuters) - One of three judges in Diego Maradona's closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorized documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.

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Business Insider
27 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Trump refugee plan prioritises white South Africans while others face stricter US entry rules
The Trump administration is weighing a refugee admissions cap of 40,000 for the coming fiscal year, with 30,000 spaces reserved for Afrikaners, a Dutch-descended minority in South Africa, according to U.S. officials and internal government communications reviewed by Reuters. The Trump administration is considering setting a refugee admissions cap of 40,000 for the upcoming fiscal year This proposal which focuses on resettling Afrikaners from South Africa signifies a shift in U.S. refugee policy Analysts express concern that this policy adjustment may imply racial bias and overlook the pressing needs of other refugees globally. The plan marks a sharp departure from decades of U.S. refugee policy, which traditionally had bipartisan support and prioritised vulnerable groups fleeing war, persecution, and famine. By contrast, the Trump initiative focuses heavily on resettling white South Africans, a group the president has argued faces 'racial discrimination and violence' - claims the South African government has repeatedly rejected. Angie Salazar, a top refugee program official in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), told state-level refugee workers that she expected the cap to be 40,000, according to a summary of an August 1 meeting reviewed by Reuters. Two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that of this number, about 30,000 slots would be devoted to Afrikaners. A separate source familiar with the discussions said a cap as low as 12,000 had also been floated. In addition to Afrikaners, the administration is weighing limited resettlement for Afghans who aided U.S. forces in the Middle-East conflicts and possibly Ukrainians, leaving only a small number of slots unallocated for other nationalities. A break with precedent The 40,000-person cap represents a sharp drop from the 100,000 refugees admitted under President Joe Biden in 2024, with the highest number of entrants coming from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (18,145). During the Obama era, the U.S. admitted roughly 2,500–3,500 refugees annually from the DRC and 3,000–4,500 from Sudan/South Sudan, according to the U.S. Refugee Council. However, the proposed cap is still higher than the record-low 15,000 ceiling set by Trump in fiscal year 2021 before leaving office. The current plan prioritizes 30,000 of these spaces for Afrikaners, a white minority group from South Africa, marking a significant shift in U.S. refugee policy. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly defended the process, insisting that 'no decisions were final' until Trump decides in October. 'President Trump has a humanitarian heart, which is why he has welcomed these courageous individuals to the United States,' Kelly said. 'Refugee admission caps will be determined next month, and any numbers discussed at this point are pure speculation.' She added. So far, refugee resettlement in the US has been limited. The first group of 59 South Africans arrived in May, with only 34 more admitted as of early August, according to a White House official. Concerns of racial bias Analysts warn that the heavy allocation for Afrikaners could reinforce perceptions of racial bias in U.S. refugee policy, especially given that 37 million people worldwide are currently displaced and that African nations host some of the largest refugee populations globally. Gaza freeze and visa costs deepen access gap The refugee plan comes alongside a U.S. decision to suspend all visitor visas for Gazans, a measure that aid agencies say will block patients in urgent need of medical evacuation. At the same time, Washington has introduced a controversial $250 visa integrity fee that applies to most African nations but not to European or Asian countries included in the Visa Waiver Program. Tourism and business leaders across Africa have warned that the new fee risks shutting out thousands of students, entrepreneurs, and travellers, while deepening perceptions of unfair treatment. Africa sidelined Taken together, the refugee allocation, the Gaza visa freeze, and the new visa surcharge point to a widening gap in U.S.–Africa engagement. While white South Africans may benefit from new resettlement pathways, millions of Black Africans remain effectively excluded, either by financial hurdles or by limited refugee quotas.


Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
ESPN shelves Colin Kaepernick docuseries over 'certain creative differences'
A Spike Lee-directed docuseries featuring Colin Kaepernick that was set to air on ESPN is no longer happening, the network and filmmaker said in a statement on Sunday. ESPN said the issue was due to "creative differences." "ESPN, Colin Kaepernick and Spike Lee have collectively decided to no longer proceed with this project as a result of certain creative differences," ESPN told Reuters in a statement. "Despite not reaching finality, we appreciate all the hard work and collaboration that went into this film." Lee told Reuters on Friday that the documentary was not coming out and that's all he could say. He later added that he signed a nondisclosure about it. Reuters reported that a Kaepernick rep had no comment. It was nearly a decade ago when Kaepernick, then of the San Francisco 49ers, protested against racial injustice in the U.S. when he knelt during the national anthem before a preseason game. The demonstrated kickstarted a firestorm around the league, prompting NFL players and President Donald Trump to clash at one point. Kaepernick protested throughout the 2016 season and left the 49ers before the start of the 2017 season. He has not played in the NFL since then. He filed a collusion lawsuit against the NFL, which was settled in 2019. Production on the docuseries began in 2022, but the film reportedly faced delays and issues over the direction of the film.


Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Ukraine Responds to Putin's Reported Demands to Trump
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. It would be "totally unacceptable" for Kyiv to give up its eastern regions for a peace deal, a senior Ukrainian politician has said, as Ukrainian officials prepare to meet President Donald Trump and European leaders in Washington on Monday. Reuters reported on Sunday that Russia had said it would offer slivers of land it currently controls in Ukraine in exchange for Kyiv ceding chunks of land in the east that Russia does not currently control, citing sources briefed on the Kremlin's thinking. Under the proposal, Ukraine would fully withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk, with the current front lines in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions to the south frozen in place, according to the report. For Ukraine, it is politically and militarily off the table to consent to losing the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Oleksandr Merezhko, the chair of Ukraine's parliamentary foreign affairs committee and a member of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's party, previously told Newsweek. President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin as he arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin as he arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Kremlin declared in fall 2022 that Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions were now part of Russia after referendums widely condemned as a sham. Russia had seized Crimea, to the south of the mainland, from Ukraine in 2014. Moscow does not control all of the four mainland Ukrainian regions, but has long focused on asserting its grip on Donetsk and Luhansk. They are collectively known as the Donbas, and form much of Ukraine's industrial heartland. The current proposal is a "provocation" from the Kremlin chief, and one to which Ukraine can never agree, Merezhko said. Kyiv has repeatedly said it is against the country's constitution to give land away to Moscow. The Russian and Ukrainian positions on what the Kremlin would control in any ceasefire agreement or peace deal have always been far apart, and there is little hint that this has changed on either side. But what may have shifted is President Donald Trump's patience to entertain steadfast Russian demands. The Republican had in recent months expressed increasing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but said off the back of the two leaders' first meeting of Trump's second term that the summit was "useful." No deal was announced, and Trump pivoted his position on a ceasefire, saying he would move straight to a permanent peace deal. Zelensky said on Saturday Russia's refusal to sign a ceasefire "complicates the situation." Russia is not in a position to seize Donetsk through military means, and, for Ukraine, the region has huge strategic importance, Merezhko said. Close to three-and-years of full-scale war has seen Russia gain control of large areas of Luhansk and Donetsk, but much of the latter still remains in Ukrainian control. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a U.S.-based think tank that tracks the daily changes to the front lines in the conflict, said earlier this month Ukraine still controls roughly 6,500 square kilometers of territory in Donetsk—equivalent to a quarter of the region. Russia's slow but steady gains, concentrated in Donetsk, have come at an eyewatering human cost, according to Ukrainian and Western assessments. Crucially, west of the front lines, in Ukrainian-held Donetsk, are several cities known as "fortress settlements" that are vital to Ukraine's defenses. The region is a "bulwark" for Ukraine to shield its other regions, Merezhko said. After the Anchorage summit, Trump told European leaders that he backed a plan in which Ukraine would cede territory it still controlled to Russia, The New York Times reported, citing two senior European officials. Several European leaders will travel to participate in Zelensky's meeting at the White House on Monday, including British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer.