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24,000 evacuated, two dead in Indonesian floods

AFP

About 24,000 people have been evacuated and two children killed in floods on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, officials said Tuesday, with environmental campaigners blaming deforestation for worsening the disaster. 

Torrential rains have hammered the island for days, causing rivers to burst their banks and sending water levels surging in residential areas, the national disaster agency said. 

“We experience flooding at least five to eight times a year — but (this) is one of the most severe,” said Muzakkir, from Pirak Timur in hard-hit Aceh province, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. 

Syarifuddin, from the village of Lhok Sukon in Aceh, said the “floodwaters just kept rising — at my house, they are up to my chest”.

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The province is where the evacuations and deaths have occurred, as well as some buildings been destroyed by fast-moving floodwaters and agricultural land damaged.  

Jambi province on Sumatra was also hard hit, with many homes flooded. 

Environmental NGO Walhi said the flooding was worsened by deforestation to make way for Sumatra’s expansive palm oil plantations. 

Trees act as natural defences against floods, slowing the rate at which water runs down hills and into rivers.

Logging on higher ground was having a particularly damaging impact in Aceh, said Ahmad Shalihin from Walhi.

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Neighbouring Malaysia has also been hard hit by flooding since last month, and thousands more people have been forced to flee their homes in recent days amid new downpours. 

The number of people evacuated to government shelters stood at around 13,000 on Tuesday, with the states of Johor, Malacca and Sabah the worst affected. 

But the numbers have fallen considerably from a peak of around 70,000 in mid-December, when Malaysia saw its worst floods for years.

About 50 people have been killed so far in the floods nationwide, according to police. 

Flooding and landslides are common in both Southeast Asian countries during the months-long rainy season.

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International

U.S. Proposes Higher Citizenship Fees and Limits on Immigration Fee Waivers

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed increasing fees related to citizenship applications, while also seeking changes to programs that reduce or waive immigration-related costs for certain applicants.

The proposal would eliminate fee waivers and reduced-fee programs for immigrants whose household incomes are at or below 400% of the federal poverty level.

However, the changes would not take effect immediately. Before receiving final approval, the proposal must go through a 60-day public comment period, allowing individuals and organizations to submit feedback.

DHS justified the proposed increases by stating that the goal is to fully cover the costs associated with processing citizenship and naturalization applications.

“Although the Department of Homeland Security has historically limited form fees to promote naturalization, the agency no longer considers that these applications should have lower costs at the expense of other immigration benefits,” the department said in the proposal document.

If approved, the reform would modify the current immigration fee structure and could impact thousands of applicants who rely on financial assistance programs to complete their citizenship process.

U.S. authorities said the measure is part of a broader review of immigration service fees and the mechanisms used to fund the administration of these programs.

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Cristiano Ronaldo Makes History as First Player to Score in Six World Cups

Cristiano Ronaldo made football history on Tuesday by becoming the first player ever to score in six different editions of the FIFA World Cup.

The Portuguese forward opened the scoring in Portugal’s Group K match against Uzbekistan in Houston. Just six minutes into the game, Ronaldo found the back of the net with a right-footed strike from inside the box, sending the Portuguese fans into celebration.

The “Commander” sparked excitement throughout the stadium with his iconic celebration, as supporters joined in with his famous “Siuuu!” chant to honor another milestone in the career of one of football’s greatest stars.

At 41 years old, Ronaldo has now scored in Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, Qatar 2022, and North America 2026. With his two goals in this tournament, he has surpassed Lionel Messi’s record, as the Argentine has scored in every World Cup he played except South Africa 2010.

The Portuguese captain has also reached nine World Cup goals, matching Eusébio as Portugal’s all-time top scorer in the history of the tournament.

Ronaldo’s achievement came just one day after Messi also made history by becoming the outright leading scorer in World Cup history, reaching 18 goals after scoring twice in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria.

With his appearance at the 2026 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo has also extended another remarkable record by becoming the first player to participate in six consecutive editions of the tournament, further cementing his legacy as one of the most influential players in football history.

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Mbappé Ties Klose on All-Time World Cup Scoring List After Brace Against Iraq

Kylian Mbappé moved another step closer to World Cup history on Monday, scoring twice against Iraq to reach 16 career goals in the tournament and draw level with German legend Miroslav Klose on the all-time scoring chart.

The French forward found the net in the 14th and 54th minutes of France’s Group I clash in Philadelphia, registering his second consecutive brace of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Mbappé’s achievement came on the same day that Argentina captain Lionel Messi set a new all-time World Cup scoring record. The Argentine star scored twice against Austria to raise his career total to 18 goals, surpassing the previous mark of 16 held by Klose.

Klose established his record on July 8, 2014, during Germany’s historic 7-1 victory over Brazil in the World Cup semifinals in Belo Horizonte.

Before facing Iraq, Mbappé was tied with German striker Gerd Müller on 14 World Cup goals. His first goal of the match lifted him to 15, drawing level with Brazilian great Ronaldo Nazário.

The second strike moved the Real Madrid forward to 16 goals, allowing him to surpass Ronaldo, match Klose’s tally, and position himself just two goals behind Messi in the race for World Cup immortality.

The match also marked a personal milestone for Mbappé, as he made his 100th appearance for the French national team.

At 27 years old, the French superstar remains firmly in pursuit of Messi’s newly established record and continues to strengthen his legacy as one of the most prolific scorers in World Cup history.

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