Volunteer divers have recorded what researchers believe is the first footage of a great white shark filmed underwater in the Mediterranean, captured during a ghost net removal dive near a shipwreck in the Strait of Sicily.

Derk Remmers, a technical diver with Ghost Diving, was about 40 meters (131 feet) below the surface between Sicily and Tunisia when the shark appeared. He filmed the encounter. The footage and photographs were released on June 8 to mark World Oceans Day.

Remmers said that the odds of meeting such an animal underwater are far lower than winning the lottery, and that his hands were shaking as he filmed.

The shark circled the group, then turned and moved back toward the divers. Remmers said that its behavior appeared calm and curious, not aggressive. When the team released air from their regulators, the shark picked up speed and disappeared from view.

First great white shark sighting in the Mediterranean stuns researchers

Marine biologists who reviewed the footage called the sighting rare and scientifically significant.

Dr. Carlo Cattano, a researcher at the Sicily Marine Centre of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, said that most knowledge of great white sharks in the region has come from dead animals caught accidentally in fishing nets, and that direct observations help researchers better understand the species.

A great white shark circled divers in the Mediterranean as they worked to pull deadly ghost nets from a shipwreck in the Strait of Sicily. pic.twitter.com/tdJKJ37TMY

— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) June 9, 2026

He said that prior research had already identified the area as a key location for threatened species and that this sighting reinforces its conservation value. Researchers cautioned that broader conclusions would require further study.

The mission was organized by the Healthy Seas Foundation, along with Ghost Diving and the Society for the Documentation of Submerged Sites. The wreck’s location is being kept confidential.

Ghost nets, fishing gear lost or abandoned at sea, continue killing marine life long after leaving a vessel. Previous dives at the site documented loggerhead sea turtles and large fish species caught in the gear.

Shipwrecks attract marine life, and when ghost nets settle on them, those structures become underwater traps.

Ghost nets turn shipwreck ecosystems into ongoing ocean traps

Veronika Mikos, director of Healthy Seas, said that the sighting is a reminder of how much marine life still exists in offshore Mediterranean waters and how much is at risk from discarded gear and overfishing.

Remmers said that between 1% and 10% of all fishing gear worldwide is lost each year, possibly adding more than 500,000 metric tons of abandoned nets to the ocean annually.

He said that the shark’s presence near the wreck signals an abundance of prey, and that those same animals face entanglement risk. Volunteer cleanups alone cannot resolve the problem, he said, and stronger action against industrial and illegal fishing is needed.

The mission also included environmental DNA sampling and underwater monitoring. Healthy Seas said that it plans to release additional footage and scientific material in the coming weeks.

A federal judge ruled on Monday that the $100,000 fee Trump imposed on H-1B visa applications was unlawful, striking down one of the administration’s key immigration measures targeting skilled foreign workers.

U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin of Boston found the payment was a tax, not a penalty, and that the president lacked authority to impose it without congressional approval. His 42-page ruling also barred the State Department and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services from enforcing the requirement.

Sorokin, appointed by former President Barack Obama, applied reasoning from a February Supreme Court decision that struck down Trump’s tariffs issued under emergency authority. He concluded that immigration law, like the emergency statute in that case, does not permit the president to levy taxes.

Inside Trump’s case for the $100,000 H-1B visa fee

The H-1B program allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers for specialized roles. Applicants must hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Visas are approved for three years with a possible three-year extension.

Each year, the program makes 65,000 visa slots available, along with a separate pool of 20,000 set aside for applicants holding advanced degrees.

Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee has been blocked by a judge.

Judge Leo Sorokin ruled the new fee for highly skilled foreign workers is unlawful and that it amounts to an unauthorised tax. pic.twitter.com/v1J9Np5qyV

— Pubity (@pubity) June 9, 2026

Employers typically paid $2,000 to $5,000 in fees before the order. Economists say the program helps American companies stay competitive and creates domestic jobs.

Trump announced the $100,000 H-1B visa requirement in September, saying the program had been misused to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor.

The fee did not apply to foreign nationals already in the country on student visas, who represent a significant portion of new applicants.

The requirement saw little uptake. USCIS recorded only 85 payments as of Feb. 15, according to a March court filing.

Attorneys General celebrate as administration vows to appeal

Twenty Democratic attorneys general filed the lawsuit in December. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who led the group, said that the ruling protects the country’s ability to attract skilled workers, on which the economy depends.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said that it blocked what she called an unlawful effort to undermine the program and the jobs it supports.

The administration defended the policy as a lawful use of presidential authority over immigration. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said that the ruling would be appealed, adding that the president has the authority to restrict the entry of foreign nationals deemed harmful to American interests.

Justice Department spokeswoman Natalie Baldassarre said that the department would continue holding companies accountable for misusing the program.

At least three lawsuits have targeted the fee. A federal judge in Washington ruled in December in favor of the administration in a separate case brought by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is appealing that outcome.

The administration has also called for stricter applicant screening and put forward a revised selection process designed to give priority to foreign workers with higher qualifications and better pay.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) on Tuesday announced an investigation into FIFA over allegations that some World Cup ticket holders were misled about the locations and quality of seats they purchased for upcoming matches. The probe comes days before World Cup matches are set to begin in Houston and Arlington on Sunday.  Fans who…

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) on Tuesday announced an investigation into FIFA over allegations that some World Cup ticket holders were misled about the locations and quality of seats they purchased for upcoming matches. The probe comes days before World Cup matches are set to begin in Houston and Arlington on Sunday.  Fans who…

The federation's claims come amid heightened tensions between Iran, the U.S. and Israel, all of which are currently adhering to a fragile ceasefire.

The federation's claims come amid heightened tensions between Iran, the U.S. and Israel, all of which are currently adhering to a fragile ceasefire.

A gestora estatal de capital de risco de Abu Dhabi está interessada em comprar uma cadeia de hambúrgueres em Portugal.

A Mubadala está a preparar uma oferta pela empresa que detém a cadeia Burger King em Portugal e Espanha, detida pelo fundo britânico Cinven.

O “Expansion” revela que a Mubadala já contratou assessores para apresentar a oferta pela Restaurant Brand Europeu (RBE), que gere também as cadeias Popeyes e Tim Horton na Ibéria.

Outros interessados são os fundos americanos Meritage Group e Apollo Global Management, segundo o jornal espanhol, que preparam as ofertas não-vinculativas para apresentar nas próximas semanas.

A Mubadala chegou a ser acionista da EDP e é atualmente acionista da petrolífera espanhola Moeve.

A Burger King ibérica era detida pela Ibersol, mas foi vendida no final de 2022 por 260 milhões de euros à RBI, num total de 158 restaurantes.

A painting found in a German family home has revealed how Nazi-era imagery may have been hidden beneath a more acceptable postwar scene. The work is linked to Erich Mercker, a Munich painter who lived from 1891 to 1973. Mercker had a successful career and painted several works during the Nazi period. Some included hidden Nazi symbols and political themes.

One of his known works, “Die Stätte des 9. November,” showed the Feldherrnhalle in Munich. The site carried strong meaning for the Nazi Party. It was tied to Adolf Hitler’s failed 1923 coup, also known as the Beer Hall Putsch.

Postwar versions removed Nazi symbols

After World War II, Mercker continued to paint the same Munich scene. But later versions appeared different. He removed soldiers, wreaths, and Nazi symbols. He also replaced the Nazi flag with the blue-and-white flag of Bavaria.

The works appeared under less politically charged titles, including “Feldherrnhalle” and “München am Odeonsplatz.”

Filmmaker and producer Dr. Thomas Schuhbauer found one version in his parents’ home. They had received it as a wedding gift in 1966.

At first, the painting looked like a postwar version of the scene. It showed the Bavarian flag and no clear Nazi symbols. But some details raised questions. The Nazi memorial at the Feldherrnhalle was still partly visible. That memorial was destroyed after Germany’s surrender in 1945. Reddish paint traces also appeared near the flag.

X-ray scans reveal hidden image

Schuhbauer contacted Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, known as HZB. He began working with Dr. Ioanna Mantouvalou, a physicist at TU Berlin and HZB. Mantouvalou specializes in X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, or XRF.

X-ray scans have revealed Nazi symbols hidden beneath a postwar painting linked to Munich artist Erich Mercker.

Researchers found a red Nazi flag, wreaths, soldiers and raised arms painted over beneath a later Bavarian scene. pic.twitter.com/qrkIfazLhm

— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) June 9, 2026

The method lets researchers identify chemical elements in materials without damaging them. It can also reveal paint layers beneath the surface.

The XRF scans showed that Nazi imagery had been painted over. A red Nazi flag lay beneath the Bavarian flag. Researchers also found covered wreaths on the monument, soldiers in the scene, and raised arms of passersby.

The overpainted areas contained high levels of titanium white. That pigment did not appear elsewhere in the painting. A tube of oil paint labeled “Titanium White 10103 Schmincke” was later found among Mercker’s paint tubes.

Evidence points to later alteration

Researchers said the evidence suggests that Mercker may have altered the painting himself. Some changes appeared rushed or careless.

The study, published in npj Heritage Science, also situates the painting within a broader postwar context. The authors noted that many artists faced little public criticism for their Nazi-era collaboration until well into the 1960s.

The painting now belongs to the Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism. The case shows how science, art history, and family memory can work together. It also shows how political symbols can disappear from view without fully leaving the historical record.

Os leões confirmaram a chegada do quarto reforço de verão – que é também a quarta novidade para o meio-campo. Silas Andersen tem 21 anos, custou 7,25 milhões fixos e estava no BK Häcken da Suécia.

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Charlamagne Tha God on Tuesday said President Trump “sucked the joy” out of New York City by attending Game 3 of the NBA finals.  “One of the greatest things about this whole playoff run, this Finals run, is watching the joy that Knicks fans have. I’ve never seen anything like it in New York City…

Charlamagne Tha God on Tuesday said President Trump “sucked the joy” out of New York City by attending Game 3 of the NBA finals.  “One of the greatest things about this whole playoff run, this Finals run, is watching the joy that Knicks fans have. I’ve never seen anything like it in New York City…

Swimming 900 miles won’t be “the worst way to spend four months,” Catherine Breed says — as long as the great whites, jellyfish and elephant seals leave her alone.

The Clearwater Police Department released a 72-page report on Friday summarizing an exhaustive review of statements, medical records, surveillance footage and a visual inspection of the body.

Tech company says it ‘caught and disrupted’ NSO Group’s attempts to access accounts in Jordan and Lebanon

A spyware firm has been targeting WhatsApp users with malicious links in contravention of a US court order forbidding it from doing so, Meta has said.

In a post, Meta said WhatsApp had “caught and disrupted spear phishing attempts” by NSO Group, which a spokesperson said targeted a handful of users in Jordan and Lebanon. It had also caught the group creating “test accounts and groups” on WhatsApp.

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© Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP

© Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP

© Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP

Former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday said the U.S. could reopen the Strait of Hormuz but should only undertake the effort with the support of international allies. “Certainly, the United States Navy could open the Strait of Hormuz,” Austin, who served under former President Biden, told Bloomberg during remarks at the HSBC Gulf Cooperation…

Former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday said the U.S. could reopen the Strait of Hormuz but should only undertake the effort with the support of international allies. “Certainly, the United States Navy could open the Strait of Hormuz,” Austin, who served under former President Biden, told Bloomberg during remarks at the HSBC Gulf Cooperation…

The “fake news” revolution is in full swing.

© Amina Gingold for The New York Times

Federal environment department says Black Mountain Energy has provided insufficient data as it seeks to drill 20 gas wells in the Kimberley region

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The federal government has repeatedly raised concerns about an American company’s bid to frack for gas in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, part of the world’s largest and most intact tropical savanna.

Texas-based Black Mountain Energy, through its subsidiary Bennett Resources, is seeking federal approval to drill 20 gas wells for its Valhalla project west of Fitzroy Crossing.

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© Photograph: Alex Westover/Environs Kimberley

© Photograph: Alex Westover/Environs Kimberley

© Photograph: Alex Westover/Environs Kimberley

We are celebrating that breakthrough at the precise moment Washington is taking apart the research base behind it.