East Timor turns out in force for mass with Pope Francis
Pope Francis has celebrated a mass for hundreds of thousands of faithful in East Timor, rallying nearly half the population of the world’s most Roman Catholic country outside the Vatican in stifling tropical heat. Pilgrims clamoured to catch a glimpse of the 87-year-old pontiff who appeared in good spirits on Tuesday, greeting him with a rapturous reception in a wide coastal area of the capital Dili. Approximately 600,000 people out of a population of 1.3 million attended the mass, the Vatican said in a statement, citing local authorities, in the biggest turnout for a papal event by population proportion outside the Holy See. “I am so happy for everyone in East Timor. Now I want to see Papa Francisco here and give my present to Papa Francisco. I am so emotional,” said Mary Michaela, 17, who attended the service. The mass was the main event of the third leg of Francis’s 12-day Asia Pacific tour, which has already taken in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, and will conclude in Singapore. Francis used it to hail East Timor’s birthrate. “How wonderful that here in Timor-Leste there are so many children. We can see every corner of your land teeming with life,” he said. He then went off-script once the mass ended, turning to the country’s rising rate of crocodile attacks to seemingly make a point about imposing values on other nations. “Be careful, because I was told that crocodiles are coming to some beaches,” he told the crowd. “Be attentive to those crocodiles that want to change your culture, your history. And stay away from those crocodiles because they bite, and they bite a lot.” As night fell, the elderly pontiff toured the crowd in his popemobile as the crowd shouted, “Viva Papa Francesco!”. Many pilgrims had arrived hours before his address to get a prime spot, waiting in the heat. They held white-and-yellow Vatican umbrellas to protect themselves from the glaring sun, while firefighters sprayed devotees with water. Adblock test (Why?)
Ukraine blames Russian air force commander for children’s hospital attack
Russia’s Sergei Kobylash is named as a suspect in the July 8 attack on Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv. A Russian air force commander is suspected of ordering a deadly missile strike on a Ukrainian children’s hospital in July, according to Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The Russian commander directed forces to fire an air-launched cruise missile on the morning of the July 8 strike, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said at a news conference on Tuesday. In a post on Telegram, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) named the commander as Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash. The attack on the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv killed two people and injured 16 while wrecking much of the facility, including collapsing the roof of its toxicology department, where children receive dialysis. After the attack, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko accused Russia of trying to wipe out Ukraine’s population. “Right now, the whole world can see how Russian missiles and kamikaze drones killed Ukrainian citizens in our peaceful city,” he said at the time. ‘Investigation continuing’ While Kostin did not directly identify the Russian commander suspected in the strike, the SBU named Kobylash, chief of Russia’s long-range aviation forces at the time of the attack. Kobylash is already wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes, including ordering strikes on Ukraine’s energy systems. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, who also attended Tuesday’s news conference, did not single out Kobylash but joined Kostin in saying a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile was the likely projectile used in the hospital attack. “It does seem from a number of sources and the work that’s been done that a missile, a Kh-101 cruise missile, has been identified,” Khan said. “A number of factors have to be looked into further.” Kostin added: “We are continuing the investigation to find other people responsible for the strike on Okhmatdyt.” Russia denies committing war crimes in Ukraine and says it does not target civilians. It has dismissed ICC war crime arrest warrants as part of a biased Western campaign to discredit Russia. The ICC has issued arrest warrants for six Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin. Adblock test (Why?)
Thousands flee homes in Vietnam as Typhoon Yagi death toll climbs to 127
Fifty-four people are still missing, authorities say, as the typhoon threatens to bring destruction to the capital Hanoi. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes as floods inundated northern Vietnam in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, while the death toll from Asia’s worst storm this year reached 127. Landslides and floods triggered by the typhoon have killed at least 127 people in northern Vietnam and 54 others were missing, the disaster management agency said on Tuesday in its latest update on the situation. Most of the victims were killed in landslides and flash floods, the agency said, adding that 764 people have been injured. The typhoon made landfall on Saturday on Vietnam’s northeastern coast, devastating a swath of industrial and residential areas. It had previously hit the Philippines and the southern Chinese island of Hainan. More than 59,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes in Yen Bai province, local authorities said, after the floodwaters engulfed almost 18,000 homes. Floodwaters in the capital, Hanoi have reached levels not seen since 2008, state media reported, citing a senior local official, and forecasters have warned more is expected in the city’s historic centre. “I have to leave everything behind as the water is rising too fast,” said Nguyen Thi Tham, a 60-year-old resident living in the flood-prone area near the Red River in Hanoi, by phone. She had only been able to take her dog with her. She was among a number of people evacuated by boat to a safe shelter early on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear how many Hanoi residents needed to be evacuated. Several rivers in northern Vietnam have risen to alarming levels, leaving villages and residential areas inundated, according to the disaster agency and state media. A 30-year-old bridge over the Red River in the northern province of Phu Tho collapsed on Monday, leaving eight people missing. Authorities across the north on Tuesday subsequently banned or limited traffic on other bridges across the river, including Chuong Duong Bridge, one of the largest in Hanoi, according to state media reports. “Water levels on the Red River are rising rapidly,” the government said on Tuesday in a post on its Facebook account. Warning from loudspeakers Using loudspeakers that broadcast Communist propaganda in the past, officials warned residents of the capital’s riverside Long Bien district to be on alert for possible flooding, and to be ready to evacuate the area. Other northern areas, including the industrial hubs of Bac Giang and Thai Nguyen, were also facing severe flooding, state media reported. It was not immediately clear if Samsung Electronics and Apple supplier Foxconn, based in Thai Nguyen and Bac Giang, respectively, were affected. Evacuations were also taking place from flood-prone areas in Bac Giang province, the government said, where the typhoon and floods have caused damage estimated for now to be worth 300 billion dong ($12.1m). A man checks boats damaged after Super Typhoon Yagi hit Ha Long Bay, in Quang Ninh Province [Nhac Nguyen/AFP] More than 4,600 soldiers have been deployed in the province to support the evacuation and support flood victims. Vietnam’s foreign ministry asked China to notify it in advance of any release of dam water upstream. Lao Cai province has reported at least 19 people killed and 36 missing, mostly in landslides, according to the disaster management agency. The government has yet not provided estimates of the cost of the damage caused by the typhoon, but residents in the coastal cities of Haiphong and Quang Ninh, where the storm first hit Vietnam, said they “lost everything”. Floods have also inundated 162,828 hectares (402,357 acres) and 29,543 hectares (73,002 acres) of cash crops and damaged nearly 50,000 houses in northern Vietnam, according to the agency. Adblock test (Why?)
One killed in Moscow as dozens of Ukrainian drones target Russia
Official says woman died when debris from destroyed drone hit an apartment block starting a fire. A woman has been killed in Moscow after the remnants of a downed Ukrainian drone hit the apartment block where she was living and started a fire, according to Russian officials. Moscow regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov said debris from the drone damaged at least two high-rise apartment buildings in the Ramenskoye district in the early hours of Tuesday, setting several flats on fire. City mayor Sergei Sobyanin said emergency teams had been sent to a number of locations across the region as well as to the area near the Zhukovo airport and around the Domodedovo district – the site of one of Moscow’s largest airports. More than 30 flights were suspended. Russia said its air defences shot down more than 70 Ukrainian drones during the night with at least 15 intercepted in and around Moscow. The Ramenskoye district, some 50km (31 miles) southeast of the Kremlin, has a population of about 250,000 people, according to official data. Russia’s SHOT and Baza Telegram channels, which are close to Russia’s security services, posted videos with flames billowing from a multistorey residential building, saying that five flats had been destroyed. In the region of Bryansk, which borders Ukraine, “59 enemy aircraft-type UAVs have been intercepted and destroyed”, Governor Aleksander Bogomaz said on Telegram. He described the attack as “massive” but said there were no casualties or damage. Two more Ukrainian drones were intercepted in the Tula region, south of Moscow, Russian official news agency TASS reported. More than two and a half years since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine has fast-tracked the development of its domestic drone industry to enable it to attack Russia’s energy, military and transport infrastructure. Ukraine did not comment on the attack, which came as air raid warnings sounded in Kyiv amid another Russian drone assault on the Ukrainian capital. Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli attack on Gaza displacement camp kills dozens
NewsFeed Israel’s military has bombed the al-Mawasi camp in southern Gaza near Khan Younis, killing more than 40 people as it continues its attacks on the territory. Israel’s army said it targeted a Hamas command centre. Published On 10 Sep 202410 Sep 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Jordan elections: How will electoral reforms impact the September 10 polls?
Amman, Jordan – Citizens will vote in historic elections for the Parliament of Jordan’s 138-seat lower house on Tuesday. The parliamentary elections are the first since the 2022 constitutional amendments and the implementation of new laws governing elections and political parties aimed at democratisation and increasing the role of political parties in a country where tribal affiliations play a dominant political role. What are these laws? And will they make a difference in how Jordan is governed? Here’s what you need to know: When were the reforms approved? Jordan’s King Abdullah II formed the Royal Committee to Modernise the Political System in 2021. The committee’s recommendations were approved in March 2022. The new electoral law paved the way for a bigger role for political parties and also took measures to increase women’s representation in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Parliament. People directly elect representatives to the House every four years, but all 65 members of Parliament’s upper chamber are appointed by the king. Jordan’s King Abdullah II gives a speech in 2020 during the inauguration of the 19th Parliament’s non-ordinary session in Amman, Jordan [File: Yousef Allan/The Royal Hashemite Court/AP] What did they change? Candidates will compete in 18 local districts in an open-list proportional representation system (OLPR) – introduced in a 2016 reform – for 97 out of 138 parliamentary seats. The last parliamentary elections in 2020 divided voting into 23 electoral districts for 130 seats. An OLPR system allows voters to cast ballots for individual candidates on a party’s list. Seats reserved for women have increased to 18 from 15 in the past. The number of seats reserved for Christians has decreased from nine to seven since the last elections, and seats reserved for the Chechen and Circassian minorities have decreased from three to two. The key change will be that licenced political parties can now compete in a closed-list proportional representation system (CLPR) for the remaining 41 parliamentary seats allocated to the national district. In a CLPR system, voters can effectively only vote for a political party as a whole, not for an individual candidate. Why were reforms introduced? Jordan’s electoral system has been criticised by rights groups for favouring tribally affiliated independent candidates over political parties. Voting has also been stronger in rural and tribal areas, which the reform tried to address with its national district system. The reforms were an attempt to “de-tribalise Parliament” and “revamp political life in Jordan”, Merissa Khurma, director of the Middle East Program at the Wilson Center, told Al Jazeera. Turnout was just 29 percent in the November 2020 elections, down from 36 percent in 2016, a drop that Khaled Kalaldeh, the chief commissioner of the state-run Independent Election Commission at the time, attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. A man casts his ballot in the November 2020 elections in Jordan [Raad Adayleh/AP Photo] Sean Yom, an expert on Jordan at Temple University, thinks it is important to view these reforms in the context of economic and political crises unleashed by the Arab Spring. In addition, Jordan has suffered inefficiency, corruption and high unemployment – 21 percent in the first quarter of 2024 – that impact “almost all sectors of society, apart from a very narrow capitalist and political elite”, Yom said. Israel’s war on Gaza and regional tensions have also affected the tourism sector in Jordan, which amounts to around 14 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. The reforms signal an attempt by the state to show that it hears the public’s concerns and “that it does have a positive democratic vision for Jordan”, Yom said. He noted that the steps are also an attempt to show international allies – particularly the United States, the most important donor to Jordan – that it is “a liberal progressive state that is trying to make good on its promise to liberalise”. Who would they impact? Experts say it is unlikely that the reforms will create a completely new political landscape in these elections, but they could lead to incremental improvements. Khurma explained that Jordan does not have an open “political culture” yet, and many new political parties in these elections lack a clear programme. She said they will not greatly impact this election’s turnout, pointing out that it is still expected to be low. The elections come during the “highly tense political environment” created by Israel’s war on Gaza, she said, and Jordan is also in a “very challenging economic environment with very high unemployment”, issues that could dilute public interest in incremental changes to electoral laws. Jordan has attempted to walk a political tightrope during the war by maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel and even intervening in Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israel in April when Jordan shot down missiles as they flew over its territory. This stance has angered a significant portion of Jordan’s citizens, many of whom are descendants of the Palestinians forced out of their lands in both the Nakba and the 1967 war. The turnout among Jordanian citizens of Palestinian origin was particularly low in the 2020 elections, averaging just 10 percent in the country’s capital, Amman. Adblock test (Why?)
Filipino fugitive preacher appears in court after weeks on the run
NewsFeed Filipino preacher and self-proclaimed ‘son of God’ Apollo Quiboloy appeared in court after a weeks-long manhunt that ended with his arrest on sexual abuse and human trafficking charges. Published On 9 Sep 20249 Sep 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Republican-led probe blames Biden for chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal
Washington, DC – In a new report, Republicans in the United States House of Representatives have placed the blame for the chaotic 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan on the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden. The assessment by the majority on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released late on Sunday, said the Biden administration chose “optics over security” as it oversaw a withdrawal agreement reached by former President Donald Trump and the Taliban in 2020. Democrats, meanwhile, released their own minority report on the 18-month investigation on Monday, accusing Republicans of shutting them out of the probe and choosing partisan politics over the pursuit of truth The Republican report said the Biden administration “had the information and opportunity to take necessary steps to plan for the inevitable collapse of the Afghan government”. Such planning would have allowed Washington to “safely evacuate US personnel, American citizens, green card holders, and our brave Afghan allies”, said the more than 350-page report, titled Willful Blindness. It added that Biden and his vice president, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, “misled and, in some instances, directly lied to the American people at every stage of the withdrawal” in what amounted to a White House-led “misinformation campaign”. The assessment came just before Harris and Trump are to face off on Tuesday in their first presidential debate. Republicans have increasingly criticised the Democratic administration over its foreign policy record, especially the Afghanistan withdrawal. Democrats on the committee swiftly condemned the Republicans’ framing, saying in their own report: “The American people deserve the truth.” “We owe it to them to highlight the facts elicited in this investigation without undue spin and with respect for the seriousness of the subject and the witnesses who have voluntarily testified to us about it,” the Democrats’ report said. “We must continue to wrestle with these matters not to rewrite the past or assign partisan blame, but to identify lessons that can help us better fight and end wars in the future.” Chaotic exit The two reports are only the latest evaluations of the end of the US involvement in the two-decade war in Afghanistan. Several government agencies, including the independent Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), have conducted their own probes. US involvement in Afghanistan began with coalition troops toppling the Taliban from power in 2001 in the wake of the September 11 attacks. It ended with the Taliban’s lightning offensive in 2021 as American troops withdrew and the US-backed Afghan government crumbled. The Taliban took control of Kabul on August 15, 2021, just days before the last US soldiers left the country. While the Biden administration had pushed back an earlier withdrawal date agreed to by the Trump administration, the final days of the withdrawal devolved into chaos. The disarray turned particularly deadly on August 26, 2021, when an attack by ISIL (ISIS) outside the Kabul airport – where tens of thousands of Afghans had gathered in hopes of boarding a Western evacuation flight – killed at least 170 Afghans and 13 US military personnel. The withdrawal also left hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Afghans – many of whom had worked directly with US forces – in the lurch, prompting an ongoing refugee crisis. In February 2023, a report by SIGAR said actions by both the the Trump and Biden administrations “ultimately accelerated the collapse” of the Western-backed Afghan military and government. Biden administration responds For its part, the Biden administration has broadly defended its decision to go forward with the withdrawal. It has given only muted acknowledgement to shortcomings in its execution. Instead, the administration has largely emphasised Trump’s role in reaching the initial deal with the Taliban, which White House officials have criticised for imposing an unrealistic timeline while sidelining the Afghan government. On Monday, White House spokesperson Sharon Yang said the Republican report was based on “cherry-picked facts, inaccurate characterisations and pre-existing biases”, according to The Associated Press news agency. In a lengthy statement responding to the Republican report, the Department of State also said the Trump deal “was, and remains a flawed agreement that hampered efforts to end the war through negotiations among Afghans” and that Biden entered office to find a “complete lack of planning for a withdrawal”. The State Department also pushed back on claims in the Republican report that the Biden administration relied on “severely limited” input from officials on the ground in Afghanistan before the withdrawal as well as claims that US officials rewrote reports to water down security warnings. The Republican report cited witness testimony and records collected throughout the probe. In its statement, the State Department said “it stands ready to work alongside any member [of Congress] who expresses serious interest in finding legislative and administrative solutions”. “However, we will not stand by silently as the department and its workforce are used to further partisan agendas.” Republican Congressman Michael McCaul, who led the investigation, has denied the report’s release was timed to impact the November 5 presidential election. Its release comes as Republican candidate Trump has sharpened attacks seeking to tie Harris to the Afghanistan withdrawal. The former president has regularly featured family members of US soldiers killed during the evacuation at his campaign events. “This is not about politics to me – it never has been,” McCaul said in a statement. “It’s about getting to the bottom of what happened so we can make sure it never happens again. And it’s about finding who was responsible for this catastrophe so they can finally, after three long years, be held accountable.” Adblock test (Why?)
Trump says he supports effort to legalise marijuana in Florida
Endorsement puts former US president at odds with social conservatives but in line with majority of American public. Former US President Donald Trump has said he will support a ballot measure in the southern state of Florida that would legalise marijuana for people over the age of 21. In a social media post on Monday, the Republican presidential nominee said that as president he would support state-level efforts to decriminalise and regulate marijuana, as well as research into the drug’s potential medical applications. “As I have previously stated, I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use,” Trump said. “We must also implement smart regulations, while providing access for adults, to safe, tested product. As a Floridian, I will be voting YES on Amendment 3 this November.” Trump also said he would work with the US Congress to pass “common sense” laws around the issue, including safe banking for state-authorised marijuana vendors. Efforts to ease restrictions on marijuana usage are widely popular in the United States. A 2024 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 57 percent of people in the US believe that the drug should be legal for medical and recreational purposes, with only 11 percent stating that it should not be legal at all. The announcement comes as Trump is locked in a tight race for the US presidency with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. The two candidates are set to hold their first debate on Tuesday. But in Florida, a Republican-leaning state with a long history of strict policies on criminal justice, the legalisation bid – known as Amendment 3 – has divided conservative lawmakers. The state’s right-wing Governor Ron DeSantis, who mounted an unsuccessful primary challenge against Trump for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, has expressed his opposition to the effort. Trump’s social media post came several hours after DeSantis told a group of Florida churchgoers that Amendment 3 was an effort to create a “drug cartel” using the state’s constitution. “Public use of this will be rampant,” DeSantis said. “You can’t point to a state that is better off for doing it.” Polls show the effort on track to win a sizable victory in the state, with a recent Emerson poll showing 64 percent in favour and 27 percent opposed. Recreational marijuana usage is legal in about two dozen US states. For decades, the US pursued a harsh approach to drug use that contributed to surging jail populations, disproportionately affecting people of colour and low-level drug offenders. Democrats have taken a more lenient approach to marijuana in recent years. In April, President Joe Biden said “nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed”, but his administration has stopped short of pushing to legalise the drug at the federal level. Adblock test (Why?)
In the Philippines, users of loan apps decry deception, threats and debt
Manila, the Philippines – From the early morning hours to late at night, Lance receives hundreds of threatening texts and dozens of missed calls each day. When he answers the phone, the person on the other end of the line often immediately hangs up. Other times, a threatening voice tells him that his days are numbered if he does not pay the debts he has racked up using online lending platforms. “They’re toying with me,” Lance, who asked to use a pseudonym, told Al Jazeera. His family’s breadwinner, Lance, 31, lost his job in sales twice during COVID-19 lockdowns in Manila. Unable to provide a good enough credit rating for a bank loan, he turned to loan apps. “It starts with one. Then somewhere along the line, you’re faced with even a small emergency. You don’t pay them back on time, which leads you to another app,” he said. Since 2021, Lance has accumulated close to one million pesos in debt on more than 20 different lending platforms. Now with a better credit rating, he has resorted to taking out bank loans to cover the fast-rising penalty fees. On social media, hundreds of thousands of anonymous accounts populate support groups for users of loan apps who, like Lance, feel they have been taken advantage of. They say that many apps are designed to trick users into taking on bigger and bigger debts, and that relentless verbal abuse and threats follow when they inevitably cannot pay up. Many of those who have been burned accuse the authorities of not doing enough to keep predatory lenders in check. Loan apps exploded in popularity during the pandemic, racking up millions of downloads. In 2023 alone, the number of new or unique users of such platforms soared by 64 percent to 47.5 million, according to digital lending company Digido. The Philippines’ Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued licences for 140 digital lending companies, many of which offer services through apps. So far, the licences of fewer than 40 platforms have been revoked for unfair debt collection practices. Robert Dan Roces, chief economist for Security Bank Philippines, said the platforms have been a “disruptor” in the world of finance. With minimal requirements, “they offer the unbanked and underbanked faster and easier access to credit”, Roces told Al Jazeera. While the convenience offered by the apps can be tempting for people in straitened circumstances, it “often comes at a steep price, with predatory practices”, he added. Kikay Bautista, the founder of the United OLA (Online Lending Apps) Victims Movement, said that exploitative online lending platforms are a growing problem in the Philippines. “It’s getting worse, and many are still being tricked,” Bautista, who founded her support group after she was forced to sell her furniture to pay off debts racked up using online lending platforms, told Al Jazeera. Users of loan apps such as MocaMoca say they have faced harassment after failing to make repayments on time [Michael Beltan/Al Jazeera] Bobbie, a 22-year-old university student in Manila, said he turned to loan app MocaMoca after being “bombarded” with advertisements promising ultra-quick processing, low interest rates and a 90-day repayment window. “Easy money. Who wouldn’t be interested?” Bobbie, who requested to use a pseudonym, told Al Jazeera. Bobbie said he borrowed 2,500 Philippine pesos ($42) but the app only transferred him 1,500 ($25), with the difference eaten up by processing fees. He said he was then suddenly informed that he had seven days to return 2,300 pesos ($39), and 90 days to pay back the remaining 200 pesos (USD3). “It only tells you this once they’ve lent you the money! I was able to pay at first. But eventually I took care of family expenses and missed a day of payment,” Bobbie said. Within hours, agents were threatening violence and to have him jailed, he said. Bobbie said that Mocamoca imposed a 400-peso ($6.90) penalty for late repayment the following day. Struggling to keep up with repayments, Bobbie said he resorted to borrowing from other apps, including MoreGold, and eventually amassed a debt of 200,000 pesos ($3,421), which he is still trying to repay. Although the SEC stripped MocaMoca operator Copperstone Lending of its licence to operate in April last year, the platform continues to operate pending an appeal. When contacted for comment, Mocamoca said that it follows the “legal process” without elaborating further. A visit by Al Jazeera to the address listed as Mocamoca’s office found that it belongs to a hotel in Manila. Staff at the hotel denied having any affiliation with any lending platform and said that they often have to explain to disgruntled customers that the hotel has no connection to the app. The listed address for the office of the lending app Mocamoca belongs to a hotel in Manila [Michael Beltan/Al Jazeera] A representative for MoreGold, which Bobbie said had also made threatening phone calls, told Al Jazeera that “our company maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding any form of harassment”. When Al Jazeera visited the address listed as MoreGold’s office, building security said there was no such company at that location. The platform did not respond to requests for comment about its address and location. Since 2022, the SEC has set the monthly interest rates and additional fees that most online platforms may charge their clients at 15 percent. Nonetheless, borrowers such as Bobbie have found that many platforms charge much higher rates in practice. The SEC told Al Jazeera that it is actively investigating fraudulent practices. The regulator said it had revoked the licences of three platforms since 2023, with another currently under investigation. Lending platforms have also come under fire for their lax approach to data collection and privacy. Many borrowers have complained of being inundated with spam calls and messages after using their services, often from people whose identity and company affiliation are unclear. In August 2021, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) ordered the immediate takedown of four platforms – which it did not name –