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Biden makes late-night TV debut as president

AFP

Joe Biden on Friday used his first late-night television talk show appearance as US president to highlight his infrastructure bill — and laugh off his flagging approval ratings.

Biden’s appearance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” is the first by a sitting president since Barack Obama, and comes as the White House seeks to highlight the recently passed bill for upgrading the nation’s tattered transport networks.

Despite its passage, Biden’s approval ratings have sunk to the low 40 percent area, in part due to the spike in inflation.

Asked by host Jimmy Fallon if he pays attention to approval ratings, Biden dead-panned: “Well, not anymore.” 

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“I’m joking. I was paying attention when it was in the mid-60s, but when it’s in the mid-40s I don’t pay attention,” said the president, to laughter from the studio audience.

Biden’s appearance by remote video comes after his predecessor President Donald Trump declined invitations for any late-night talk shows as president.

Obama frequently used programs hosted by Fallon and rivals such as Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert to speak to the wider US public.

Fallon opened the show by joking the pair would “discuss the economy, the infrastructure bill, and break down the first two episodes of the ‘Sex and the City’ reboot.”

Fallon managed one barb about inflation figures, claiming he had earlier asked the president how excited he was to appear on the show on a scale of one to ten.

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“He said ten. But six without inflation.”

But during the interview, Fallon allowed Biden to set out policies including his landmark $1.8 trillion Build Back Better plan to improve social services and fight climate change, which faces a tough road in Congress.

Wearing a suit and tie, and seated in front of a festively decorated mantlepiece, Biden also urged Americans to get booster shots and highlighted steady declines in the unemployment rate.

“We do have inflation on things that in fact matter in people’s lives” such as gas prices, said Biden.

“It’s going to come down,” he promised.

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The interview — in which Fallon praised Biden for “bringing class back to the office” of the president and asked “does anyone really understand how hard your job is?” — ended with the talk host being invited over to the White House for dinner.

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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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International

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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International

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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