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Federal judge rules Trump’s $100,000 fee for H-1B visas unlawful

President dramatically raised cost of visa for highly skilled workers in executive order last year

A US judge has invalidated Donald Trump’s $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications, ruling it an unlawful tax that violated federal administrative law and the constitution.

US district judge Leo Sorokin in Boston issued the 42-page ruling in a lawsuit filed by 20 Democratic state attorneys general challenging a fee Trump announced in September that dramatically raised the cost of obtaining H-1B visas.. The ruling vacated the sweeping fee, which was a 20-to-50 fold increase on existing rates, and the Trump administration is widely expected to appeal.

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© Photograph: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

© Photograph: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

© Photograph: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

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Israel and Iran step back from renewed conflict after Trump calls for halt

Netanyahu acknowledges pause in fighting in TV speech but vows forceful response to future attacks

Fears of a return to a full-scale regional war in the Middle East eased on Monday as Israel and Iran said they had halted attacks on each other after an appeal from Donald Trump to “immediately stop shooting”.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, acknowledged the halt in fighting with Iran in a televised speech, but vowed to respond “with force” to future attacks.

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© Photograph: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images

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‘Wasn’t even good’: US tourist says she was charged €44 for two ice creams in Rome

Post on Facebook received more than 900 comments, with one Italian writing that they were ‘ashamed’

A US tourist has warned visitors to Rome after paying €44 (£38) for two ice-creams in the Italian capital.

Nicole Ann, from Florida, advised fellow tourists to “avoid Don Nino”, an ice-cream parlour on a street off Piazza Navona. She claimed she had ordered two small cups of ice-cream but instead was charged for two large cones topped with trimmings that were allegedly not requested, including macarons, cannoli and panna (whipped cream).

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© Photograph: maroznc/Getty Images/iStockphoto

© Photograph: maroznc/Getty Images/iStockphoto

© Photograph: maroznc/Getty Images/iStockphoto

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France and Germany abandon joint project to build European fighter jet

Paris and Berlin conclude firms involved unable to agree on way forward in blow to Europe’s common defence push

France and Germany have concluded that the companies involved in building a joint fighter jet will not be able to reach an agreement and have abandoned the project, officials in Berlin have said in a blow to Europe’s common defence efforts.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, had “reached the shared assessment that the companies will not be able to come together”, an official told Agence France-Presse. “They acknowledge this reality.”

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© Photograph: Charles Platiau/Reuters

© Photograph: Charles Platiau/Reuters

© Photograph: Charles Platiau/Reuters

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Advanced Alzheimer’s successfully treated with psilocybin, a recent case study says

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring compound found in over 200 species of fungi collectively known as “magic mushrooms.” It functions as a prodrug, meaning it is biologically inactive until ingested, at which […]

The post Advanced Alzheimer’s successfully treated with psilocybin, a recent case study says first appeared on The Expose.

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Iran war: who is fighting and why?

Arch-enemies Israel and Iran have returned to active confrontation while Donald Trump tries to present himself as mediator

Israel and Iran have returned to active war for the first time since a ceasefire was agreed two months ago in an exchange of rocket fire that threatened efforts to end the conflict.

Donald Trump, who started the war in February alongside Israel but has since attempted to present himself as a mediator, told the two sides to stop shooting and said “final negotiations” on peace were proceeding. By late afternoon on Monday, the attacks had stopped.

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© Photograph: Hussein Malla/AP

© Photograph: Hussein Malla/AP

© Photograph: Hussein Malla/AP

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“Pressione enorme, ma non mi fermo qui”: il ventiduenne Reece Chadfield mangia 162 Oreo in 5 minuti – IL VIDEO

C’è chi mangia qualche biscotto davanti alla televisione e chi, invece, ne divora oltre 160 in appena cinque minuti entrando nella storia. È quanto accaduto a Reece Chadfield, personal trainer inglese di 22 anni, che ha stabilito un nuovo record mondiale nel competitive eating consumando 162 biscotti Oreo durante una gara ufficiale. L’impresa è andata in scena il 24 maggio allo Stockton Cricket Club, nel nord-est dell’Inghilterra, in occasione di un evento organizzato dalla British Eating League. Con la sua prestazione, Chadfield ha superato il precedente primato di 141 Oreo mangiati in cinque minuti, record che apparteneva dal 2020 a Max Stanford.

Come riportato dalla rivista People, per il giovane atleta il successo ha avuto un sapore ancora più speciale, essendo arrivato nella sua città natale, Stockton-on-Tees, davanti ad amici e familiari che hanno assistito alla sfida: “Ci si allena per queste competizioni per tantissimo tempo. Dopo tutta la pratica e gli sforzi fatti, avere amici e familiari lì a guardarti aggiunge una pressione enorme” ha raccontato Chadfield. Una volta tagliato il traguardo e certificato il nuovo record, l’emozione ha preso il sopravvento. Il 22enne ha descritto quel momento come “incredibile”: “Mi è sembrato di essermi tolto un peso dalle spalle. Finalmente la pressione era sparita e adesso posso mangiare tranquillamente gli Oreo che mi sono rimasti in casa senza doverli ingoiare a tutta velocità”, ha scherzato.

Ma per Chadfield il nuovo record non rappresenta un punto d’arrivo. Al contrario, è soltanto l’inizio di una nuova sfida. Il giovane, che sui social racconta le sue imprese alimentari con il profilo ReeceVsFood, ha già fissato il prossimo obiettivo: “Voglio il prossimo. Voglio il prossimo record”, ha dichiarato senza mezzi termini.

Un risultato “semplicemente fenomenale”

Craig Harker, fondatore della British Eating League, ha definito il risultato ottenuto dal 22enne “semplicemente fenomenale”. “Mangiare 162 Oreo in soli cinque minuti e stabilire un nuovo record mondiale è una dimostrazione straordinaria di velocità, determinazione e abilità nel competitive eating”, ha spiegato Harker. “I record esistono per essere battuti, ma prestazioni di questo livello non si vedono spesso”. Secondo il fondatore della lega britannica, il percorso di crescita di Chadfield è sotto gli occhi di tutti. Negli ultimi anni il giovane avrebbe migliorato costantemente le proprie prestazioni, fino a diventare “uno dei talenti più entusiasmanti del competitive eating britannico”.

Il podio

Alle spalle del nuovo recordman si sono classificati JJ Da Lion, secondo con 151 Oreo consumati, e Stef2hungry, terzo con 126 biscotti. Numeri impressionanti che, tuttavia, non sono bastati per tenere il passo di Chadfield, protagonista di una prova destinata a entrare negli annali di questa particolare disciplina.

L'articolo “Pressione enorme, ma non mi fermo qui”: il ventiduenne Reece Chadfield mangia 162 Oreo in 5 minuti – IL VIDEO proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.

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‘Senior lieutenant’ in Kinahan criminal cartel jailed for 24 years by Dublin court

Sean McGovern pleaded guilty to two charges relating to a deadly feud after being extradited from the UAE

A leader of the notorious Kinahan criminal cartel has been sentenced to 24 years in prison at a Dublin court.

Sean McGovern, 40, who has been described as a senior lieutenant in the group, pleaded guilty to two charges of directing the activities of a criminal organisation relating to a deadly feud between the Kinahan and Hutch criminal gangs.

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© Photograph: Interpol

© Photograph: Interpol

© Photograph: Interpol

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Swedish police assault independent journalists at NATO summit

On 21 May, during the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, two independent journalists from Frihetsnytt (Freedom News) who were carrying officially registered press credentials were assaulted by police in a […]

The post Swedish police assault independent journalists at NATO summit first appeared on The Expose.

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Will Iran give up on ceasefire talks as strait of Hormuz blockade continues?

Chokehold on shipping route draws Houthis in Yemen back into conflict as commenters see ‘no turning back’

Iran’s reversion to large-scale military exchanges with Israel broadened the conflict that began in February not only by making the Israeli attacks on Hezbollah a direct casus belli for Iran for the first time, but also by drawing the Houthis in Yemen back into the conflict with as yet incalculable consequences.

Some in Tehran, buoyed up by past perceived military success and emboldened by the chokehold of the strait of Hormuz, would like to turn this moment into the point of no return in the conflagration with Israel. A minority would welcome the abandonment of ceasefire talks with the US, an outcome for which they have been agitating for weeks.

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© Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA

© Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA

© Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA

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Pope uses Spain speech to warn of global ‘spiritual and cultural crisis’

Addressing lawmakers, Leo XIV also highlights migration at a time when Madrid is bucking European trends

Pope Leo XIV has used an address to the Spanish parliament to warn the world is undergoing “a deep spiritual and cultural crisis” and to urge the international community to tackle the causes and consequences of what he termed “the tragic drama of migration”.

In a wide-ranging speech delivered to lawmakers in Madrid, the pontiff also touched on conflict, artificial intelligence, the climate emergency, and the issues of abortion and euthanasia.

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© Photograph: Ciro De Luca/Reuters

© Photograph: Ciro De Luca/Reuters

© Photograph: Ciro De Luca/Reuters

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Barry Young has been persecuted by the state for blowing the whistle on death by covid injection in New Zealand

For two and a half years, Barry Young has been persecuted by the state.  He has lost his job, been arrested, spent two nights in jail, had his home ransacked and endured […]

The post Barry Young has been persecuted by the state for blowing the whistle on death by covid injection in New Zealand first appeared on The Expose.

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Weather tracker: Monsoon season brings vital rainfall to parts of Asia

India declares onset as up to 280mm of rain falls in 72 hours in Kerala, while downpours hit south-west Thailand

The monsoon season has officially begun in parts of Asia, marking the start of a period of enhanced rainfall vital to the region’s economy.

The south-west monsoon begins each year as a consequence of a growing temperature difference between the Asian land mass and the Indian Ocean. Through spring, the land heats up more rapidly than the surrounding sea, creating a pressure difference that draws moisture-laden ocean air inland. Once this contrast reaches a critical point, the humid air pushed over the continent rises, condenses into cloud and unleashes intense rainfall across the region.

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© Photograph: Debajyoti Chakraborty/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Debajyoti Chakraborty/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Debajyoti Chakraborty/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

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‘I’m tired of getting kicked in the teeth’: firefighting union leader seeks to shake up Congress

Pennsylvania’s Bob Brooks one of a slew of working-class Democrats on the ballot – can he beat a Koch-backed rival?

Bob Brooks has worked a lot of jobs, sometimes several at once to make ends meet.

He was a paper boy at age 10, and then a dishwasher, prep cook, pizza deliverer, bartender and truck driver. Even after he became a firefighter in 2005, Brooks managed to start a snow-removal and lawn-care business and coach baseball.

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© Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

© Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

© Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

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Maine voters head to polls on Tuesday for closely watched primary election

All eyes on US Senate race as Graham Platner, embroiled in controversy, is set to advance as Democratic nominee

Voters in Maine head to the polls on Tuesday for one of the most closely watched primary elections in the country. The US Senate race has become a national fixation as Democrats try to unseat a longtime Republican with a political newcomer who has spent months under fire.

Graham Platner, 41, is set to advance as the Democratic nominee for the Senate, after his primary rival – the state’s two-term governor, Janet Mills – suspended her campaign in April. The primary result will likely set up a months-long run-up between Platner, an oysterman and marine veteran with a groundswell of popularity and a mounting list of scandals, and Susan Collins, a 73-year-old Republican senator who has held the seat for nearly three decades.

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© Photograph: Amanda Sabga/Reuters

© Photograph: Amanda Sabga/Reuters

© Photograph: Amanda Sabga/Reuters

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‘Extreme fear’ among immigrants as backlash sweeps South Africa

African migrants say legal status offers little protection as rallies against illegal immigration gain momentum

African migrants in South Africa say they are living in fear after a series of marches calling for illegal immigrants to leave reignited long-held xenophobic sentiment in the country.

March & March, a campaign group at the forefront of recent protests, has given people living illegally in the country until 30 June to leave, without specifying what will happen to those who do not.

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© Photograph: Ihsaan Haffejee/Reuters

© Photograph: Ihsaan Haffejee/Reuters

© Photograph: Ihsaan Haffejee/Reuters

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“Bevevo acqua nera, mi sentivo in bilico tra la vita e la morte”: si avventura per un trekking, escursionista trovata viva dopo 14 giorni

Dispersa per 14 giorni nella fitta vegetazione della Malesia, costretta a dissetarsi con la rugiada e l’acqua intrappolata nelle piante carnivore, sopravvissuta a cadute di cinque metri e a tre giorni di totale disidratazione. La vicenda della quarantanovenne Jaslinda Saludin si è conclusa con un ritrovamento che i compagni di escursione hanno definito senza mezzi termini un miracolo. “Mi sentivo in bilico tra la vita e la morte“, ha confessato la donna, ritrovata in stato di estremo deperimento, ma viva, dai pescatori di un villaggio locale alla base del massiccio montuoso.

La lotta per la sopravvivenza: “Non ho mangiato per due settimane”

“Non avevo davvero cibo. Non ho mangiato per due settimane. Ho mangiato solo oggi”, ha dichiarato Jaslinda in un video diffuso in rete, registrato mentre riceveva i primissimi soccorsi. La sua sopravvivenza sul Gunung Batu Putih (nello stato del Perak) è stata garantita unicamente da ciò che la foresta le offriva. La donna ha spiegato le sue estreme difficoltà nel reperire liquidi potabili durante il suo vagare: “Bevevo solo acqua nera, acqua marrone e l’acqua delle piante carnivore… mi sentivo in bilico tra la vita e la morte”. Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad, vicedirettore delle operazioni del Dipartimento dei vigili del fuoco e del soccorso del Perak, ha confermato che l’escursionista ha attraversato “un periodo di circa tre giorni in cui non ha avuto accesso all’acqua“, riuscendo a dissetarsi solo con la rugiada e nutrendosi di bacche e prodotti della giungla. “Sentivo di morire andando su e giù, su e giù. Il terreno era troppo morbido”, ha aggiunto la superstite ricordando i tentativi di ritrovare il sentiero.

Il ritrovamento e le scuse pubbliche: “Piangeva ed era debole”

A ritrovarla, sabato 6 giugno intorno alle ore 15:00, sono stati i pescatori dell’insediamento indigeno degli Orang Asli di Lubuk Gaharu. Nazri Bah Eng, uno degli abitanti che l’ha soccorsa nei pressi di un fiume, ha descritto i primi istanti dell’incontro: “Eravamo andati a pescare nel fiume quando all’improvviso uno di noi ha notato Jaslinda in uno stato di debolezza e piangeva. Portava con sé anche un sacchetto di plastica pieno di funghi“. Trasportata alla casa del capo villaggio (Tok Batin), la donna ha ricevuto cibo, in particolare dei noodles istantanei, prima di essere affidata alle autorità mediche e trasferita all’ospedale di Tapah. Di fronte ai soccorritori e ai media locali, Jaslinda ha voluto rivolgere un pensiero alla nazione che ha seguito la massiccia operazione di ricerca: “Mi dispiace per aver causato problemi ai malesiani”.

I traumi fisici e l’asprezza di un terreno estremo

Nonostante i 14 giorni di isolamento, Jaslinda ha riportato conseguenze fisiche che le autorità hanno valutato come contenute. Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad ha riferito di “ferite lievi, tra cui punture di insetti e alcune ferite alla testa“. La gravità del contesto ambientale è però testimoniata dai traumi subiti durante il cammino: “Siamo stati informati che è caduta diverse volte, comprese cadute di circa cinque e tre metri mentre attraversava fiumi e terreni difficili”. Muzafar Mohamad, coordinatore delle guide alpine forestali del Perak, ha sottolineato la severità dell’area: “Il terreno è estremamente impegnativo, pieno di valli, cascate e suolo difficile. Anche per le guide alpine esperte, raggiungere alcune sezioni non è facile”. L’escursionista ha inavvertitamente camminato in tondo, attraversando zone che le squadre di ricerca avevano già perlustrato, seppur senza riuscire a udire il rumore degli elicotteri impiegati sopra la zona di ricerca.

Il sollievo dei familiari: “Sapevo che era forte”

L’operazione di salvataggio ha coinvolto per settimane la polizia, i vigili del fuoco, varie ONG e le popolazioni indigene locali. Fuori dal pronto soccorso dell’ospedale di Tapah, il marito della donna, il sessantunenne Haszman Othman, ha espresso profonda gratitudine verso i soccorritori, ribadendo la fiducia che ha sempre nutrito nella tempra della moglie: “Come ho detto prima, so che è forte“. Un sentimento condiviso dai compagni di cordata. Hishammuddin Ahmad, amico e amministratore del gruppo di trekking di Jaslinda, ha ricordato l’esperienza della donna nell’affrontare la spedizione “Trans Spencer Chapman”, un arduo percorso di 34 chilometri lungo l’insidiosa catena montuosa di Titiwangsa. “Eravamo tutti fiduciosi nella sua esperienza, conoscenza e competenza come escursionista. Quando abbiamo saputo che era stata trovata sana e salva, è stato come se le nostre preghiere fossero state esaudite. È davvero un miracolo”, ha concluso Ahmad.

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L'articolo “Bevevo acqua nera, mi sentivo in bilico tra la vita e la morte”: si avventura per un trekking, escursionista trovata viva dopo 14 giorni proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.

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Armenia’s pro-Europe party wins election and cements shift away from Russia

Result strengthens PM Nikol Pashinyan’s drive for deeper integration with Europe despite warnings from Moscow

Armenia’s ruling pro-Europe party has won parliamentary elections, confirming the country’s pivot towards Europe and away from its traditional ally, Russia.

Final results in the small South Caucasus country showed the prime minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party securing a slim majority, while the Strong Armenia alliance, led by the Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, won 25% of the seats in parliament.

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© Photograph: Anthony Pizzoferrato/AP

© Photograph: Anthony Pizzoferrato/AP

© Photograph: Anthony Pizzoferrato/AP

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Lebanon’s president refuses to meet Netanyahu until war ends – as it happened

This live blog is now closed. For the latest, read more of our coverage on the Middle East conflict here.

Iranian media is reporting that there were no immediate casualties following apparent Israeli strikes on the Karun petrochemical plant in Mahshahr, a city in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province.

According to the Fars news agency, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they responded to what they described as an American-Israeli strike on the Iranian petrochemical site by launching a missile attack on a similar plant in the northern Israeli city of Haifa.

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© Photograph: Naama Stern/Reuters

© Photograph: Naama Stern/Reuters

© Photograph: Naama Stern/Reuters

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