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US President Joe Biden on Sunday said deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad should be "held accountable" but called the nation's political upheaval a "historic opportunity" for Syrians to rebuild their country. In the first full US reaction to Assad's overthrow by an Islamist-led coalition of rebel factions, Biden also warned that Washington will "remain vigilant" against the emergence of terrorist groups, announcing that US forces had just conducted fresh strikes against militants from the Islamic State organization. "The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice," Biden said, speaking from the White House. "It's a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria." Asked by reporters what should happen to the deposed president, who reportedly has fled to Moscow, Biden said that "Assad should be held accountable." Biden -- set to step down in January and make way for Republican Donald Trump's return to power -- said Washington will assist Syrians in rebuilding. "We will engage with all Syrian groups, including within the process led by the United Nations, to establish a transition away from the Assad regime toward independent, sovereign" Syria "with a new constitution," he said. However, Biden cautioned that hardline Islamist groups within the victorious rebel alliance will be under scrutiny. "Some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human right abuses," Biden said. The United States had "taken note" of recent statements by rebels suggesting they had since moderated, he said, but cautioned: "We will assess not just their words, but their actions." Biden said Washington is "clear eyed" that the Islamic State extremist group, often known as ISIS, "will try to take advantage of any vacuum to reestablish" itself in Syria. "We will not let that happen," he said, adding that on Sunday alone, US forces had conducted strikes against ISIS inside Syria. The US military said the strikes were conducted by warplanes against Islamic State operatives and camps. Strikes were carried out against "over 75 targets using multiple US Air Force assets, including B-52s, F-15s, and A-10s," the US Central Command said on social media. Earlier, Biden met with his national security team at the White House to discuss the crisis. Assad's reported departure comes less than two weeks after the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group challenged more than five decades of Assad family rule with a lightning rebel offensive that broke long-frozen frontlines in Syria's civil war. They announced Sunday they had taken the capital Damascus and that Assad had fled, prompting celebrations nationwide and a ransacking of Assad's luxurious home. A Kremlin source told Russian news agencies that the deposed leader was now in Moscow, along with his family. The US military has around 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq as part of the international coalition established in 2014 to help combat the Islamic State jihadist group. It has regularly struck targets in the country including those linked to Iranian-backed militias. Tehran was a major backer of Assad's government. Biden also confirmed US authorities believe the American journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted in Syria in 2012, still lives. "We believe he's alive," Biden said, but the US has yet "to identify where he is." bur-sms/mlmNoneQatar tribune United Nations “What is important is that we are able to find a situation where there is a political way out of this,” Geir Pedersen, UN envoy to Syria, said. “And that political way needs to be very different from what it has been before, it needs to be a process that is inclusive of everyone, and where we really focus on the need for unity, stability, where Syria is able to restore its sovereignty and its territory. There are lots of wounds that need to be healed.” European Union “The end of al-Assad’s dictatorship is a positive and long-awaited development. It also shows the weakness of al-Assad’s backers, Russia and Iran,” the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said in a post on X. She added that the bloc’s priority was to “ensure security” in the region and pledged to work with “all the constructive partners” in Syria and more broadly across the area. “The process of rebuilding Syria will be long and complicated and all parties must be ready to engage constructively,” she said. United States “President [Joe] Biden and his team are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and staying in constant touch with regional partners,” the White House said in a statement.Meanwhile, in a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, President-elect Donald Trump said al-Assad had “fled his country” after losing the backing of Russia. “Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer. Russia The Russian Foreign Ministry said al-Assad had resigned from the presidency after talks with the sides involved in the conflict and had left the country, without saying where he has gone. “As a result of talks between B. Assad and a range of participants of the conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he took the decision to resign from his presidential post and leave the country, giving instructions to proceed with the peaceful transfer of power,” the ministry said. “Russia did not take part in these talks.” France French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the fall of al-Assad’s “barbaric state” in Syria and sent wishes of peace to the people in the country. “The barbaric state has fallen. At last,” Macron wrote on X. “I pay tribute to the Syrian people, to their courage, to their patience. In this moment of uncertainty, I send them my wishes for peace, freedom, and unity.” Germany German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the fall of al-Assad as “good news” and urged a political solution to stabilise for the war-stricken country.“Bashar al-Assad oppressed his people brutally. He has countless lives on his conscience and has driven numerous people to flee, many of whom have arrived in Germany,” Scholz said in a statement. China Beijing “is closely following the development of the situation in Syria and hopes that Syria returns to stability as soon as possible”, the foreign ministry said in a statement. “The Chinese government has actively assisted Chinese citizens who are willing to leave Syria in a safe and orderly way, and has maintained contact with ... Chinese citizens who remain in Syria,” the ministry said. “We urge the relevant Syrian parties to take practical measures to ensure the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Syria,” it added. Egypt Egypt has called on all parties in Syria to preserve the capabilities of the state and national institutions, the Egyptian foreign ministry said. The country’s foreign ministry said it was following the situation with great care, affirming its support for the Syrian people and the country’s sovereignty and unity. Iran The foreign ministry said in statement Iran respects Syria’s unity and national sovereignty and called for “the swift end of military conflicts, the prevention of terrorist actions, and the commencement of national dialogue” with all sectors of Syrian society. Tehran said it would continue to support international mechanisms for pursuing the political process, adding that longstanding and friendly relations between the Iranian and Syrian nations are expected to continue. Italy “I am following with concerned attention the evolution of the situation in Syria,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on X. “I am in constant contact with our embassy in Damascus and with the office of the prime minister. I have called an emergency meeting,” he added. Lebanon The Lebanese army said it was reinforcing its presence on the border with neighbouring Syria. “In light of rapid developments and delicate circumstances that the region is going through... units tasked with monitoring and controlling the northern and eastern borders have been reinforced, in conjunction with tightening surveillance measures,” the army said in a statement. Copy 09/12/2024 10
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KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — Loan sharks have traded posters on trees and lamp posts for flashy advertisements on social media platforms like TikTok, targeting school students in a worrying new trend. The illegal lenders are luring students, particularly those hooked on online gambling or frequent travel, with offers of “emergency loans” or “quick loans” that appear easy and hassle-free. The shift came to light when a 15-year-old boy from Selangor recently revealed he had racked up RM13,000 in debt to 12 loan sharks. The teenager said he borrowed the money to indulge his girlfriend’s craving for siakap tiga rasa — barramundi cooked in a spicy, sweet, and sour sauce. While students may seem like unlikely targets due to their limited pocket money, loan sharks are finding the strategy profitable, thanks to the reach and influence of social media. Isaac, a loan shark agent who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that TikTok and other platforms have become lucrative avenues for illegal moneylenders. “They hire agents to scout for influencers with a large following, offering them advertisement deals to promote loan services,” he said. This new tactic highlights how loan sharks are evolving to exploit digital platforms, raising concerns about the risks posed to vulnerable young users. He said some social media influencers can earn up to RM2,000 by pinning loan shark advertisements on their pages for just two days. If their followers show interest in borrowing money, the influencers connect them to an agent, who then refers them to the loan sharks. “If you just type ‘loans’ on TikTok or Facebook, you’ll see many ‘ah long’ advertisements using phrases like ‘emergency loans’, ‘fast loans’, or ‘loans for those not working’. “No ‘ah long’ will openly admit they are one. “School students usually borrow from loan sharks because they want to go on vacations or cover expenses that their pocket money can’t accommodate. “Loan sharks typically lend between RM2,000 and RM5,000 to school students, charging interest rates of 10 to 20 per cent per week. “They conduct background checks on the students, and the wealthier their parents are, the higher the loan amounts they approve. “If a student introduces another friend to the loan shark, they receive a commission of about RM100 to RM200. While it’s not a significant amount, students looking to make quick cash often fall for this,” Isaac told Malay Mail . When students fail to repay their debts on time — which is almost always the case — their parents are often forced to step in and negotiate with the loan sharks for a lump sum settlement. According to Isaac, the loan sharks typically demand that parents settle only the accumulated interest, which is still significantly higher than the amount initially borrowed by the student. If parents refuse to pay, loan sharks resort to public shaming by putting up posters in the student’s neighbourhood, declaring that they owe money to ‘ah longs’. To avoid such embarrassment, most parents end up paying. Some parents, however, fall into deeper trouble by turning to middlemen who claim they can make the loan sharks go away. Isaac explained that these intermediaries often present themselves as champions fighting against illegal moneylenders on social media. While they negotiate settlements on behalf of the victims, these middlemen secretly take a cut from the payment without the victim or the loan shark realising it. “The victim believes they’ve fully settled the loan, but the loan shark continues to chase them, thinking there’s still an outstanding balance,” he said.
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