Thailand and Cambodia agree to ‘immediate' ceasefire, Malaysian PM says
Anwar, who chaired the talks as head of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional bloc, said both sides have reached a common understanding to take steps to return to normalcy following what he called frank discussions.
AP
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Perth Now
6 hours ago
- Perth Now
Bangkok protests demand resignation of suspended PM
Protesters have rallied in the Thai capital to demand the resignation of court-suspended prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, following a recent violent border dispute with Cambodia that killed more than three dozen people and displaced thousands. Gathered at Bangkok's Victory Monument despite soaring temperatures on Saturday, many sang patriotic songs and listened to speeches denouncing Paetongtarn and her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, also a former prime minister. The demonstrators voiced their support for the country's army, which has always retained substantial power in the Southeast Asian nation. Police estimated there were about 2000 protesters by mid-afternoon, though more had been expected to join as the temperature cooled. Some locals accuse Paetongtarn and her family of allowing the conflict to escalate due to their close ties with Cambodia's former prime minister, Hun Sen. A court suspended Paetongtarn last month after Hun Sen, still a major power in his own country, leaked a phone call in which she called him "uncle" and appeared to denigrate a Thai general, angering many. The most recent clashes ended with an uneasy Malaysian-brokered ceasefire late last month. Some 260,000 people were displaced during the fighting. "Ung Ing, you need to leave," said one well-known conservative columnist and protester, Jittakorn Bussaba, using Paetongtarn 's nickname. "Because there's blood on your hands. People have died because of you." Thaksin and his family should not run or command this country anymore, another protester declared. "Ung Ing has damaged the country," said 58-year-old Ammorn Khunthong. There were many familiar faces from a conservative, pro-royalist group once known as the Yellow Shirts, longtime foes of Paetongtarn's father, who was toppled in a military coup in 2006. Thaksin, a billionaire tycoon, entered politics by founding his own political party and buying the loyalty of local political bosses nationwide. He was often accused of bullying critics and not separating his business dealings from those of the government. Yellow Shirts rallies also helped oust the elected government of Thaksin's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, in a 2014 coup. The army in Thailand plays a major role in politics and has staged 13 successful coups since the country became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.
Sydney Morning Herald
21 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Luxury prison': Epstein accomplice Maxwell quietly moved to low-security camp
The assignment to the Bryan camp was a big lifestyle upgrade for Maxwell, he said. The family of Virginia Giuffre – the American-Australian woman who was among Epstein's most well-known sex-trafficking accusers – said in a statement that Maxwell's transfer reflected 'the justice system failing victims right before our eyes'. Giuffre died by suicide on April 25 this year at her farm in Neergabby, north of Perth, aged 41. 'It is with horror and outrage that we object to the preferential treatment convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell has received,' her family said in a statement – reported by The Washington Post – that was also signed by other women who said they were victims of Epstein and Maxwell. 'Ghislaine Maxwell is a sexual predator who physically assaulted minor children on multiple occasions, and she should never be shown any leniency. Yet, without any notification to the Maxwell victims, the government overnight has moved Maxwell to a minimum-security luxury prison in Texas.' Loading The prison camp is about 150 kilometres north-west of Houston on about 15 hectares of land. It held about 650 women, AP reported in 2023. According to a 2016 FPC Bryan inmate handbook, those eligible to work could earn up to $US1.15 ($1.78) an hour in their job assignments, which include food service roles and factory employment operated by Federal Prison Industries. There, Maxwell will be surrounded by women serving shorter sentences and considered less likely to be violent or have gang affiliations. Camp inmates are assigned to dormitory-style housing and have considerable freedom to move around within the facility, according to Paperny, who said he had advised Shah. Giuffre, who had accused Britain's Prince Andrew and other influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by Epstein, has been a central figure in conspiracy theories tied to the case. Andrew has always denied those claims; the two reached an out-of-court settlement in 2022, and he was stripped of royal duties. Loading Earlier this week, her family had expressed shock at hearing US President Donald Trump say that Epstein 'stole' Giuffre and other young women from the spa at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida – and urged that Maxwell remain in prison. 'It was shocking to hear President Trump invoke our sister and say that he was aware that Virginia had been 'stolen' from Mar-a-Lago,' the family's earlier statement said. 'We and the public are asking for answers; survivors deserve this.' Prosecutors have said Epstein's sex crimes could not have been done without Maxwell, but her lawyers have maintained that she was wrongly prosecuted and denied a fair trial, and have floated the idea of a presidential pardon. They have also asked the US Supreme Court to take up her case. Trump said on Friday night Washington time (Saturday AEST) that no one had asked him about clemency for Maxwell. 'I'm allowed to do it but nobody's asked me to do it,' he told Newsmax in an interview. 'I know nothing about it. I don't know anything about the case, but I know I have the right to do it. I have the right to give pardons, I've given pardons to people before, but nobody's even asked me to do it.' Maxwell's case has been the subject of heightened public focus since an outcry over the Justice Department's statement last month saying that it would not be releasing any additional documents from the Epstein sex-trafficking investigation. Loading The decision infuriated online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and elements of Trump's base who had hoped to see proof of a government cover-up. Since then, administration officials have tried to cast themselves as promoting transparency in the case, including by requesting from courts the unsealing of grand jury transcripts. Maxwell was interviewed at a Florida courthouse over two days last week by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The House Oversight Committee had also said that it wanted to speak with her. Maxwell's lawyers have said they would be open to an interview, but only if the panel were to ensure immunity from prosecution. In a letter on Friday to Maxwell's lawyers, Representative James Comer, the committee chair, wrote that the committee was willing to delay the deposition until after the resolution of Maxwell's appeal to the Supreme Court. That appeal is expected to be resolved in late September. Loading Comer wrote that while Maxwell's testimony was 'vital' to the Republican-led investigation into Epstein, the committee would not provide immunity or any questions in advance. AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
The Age
21 hours ago
- The Age
‘Luxury prison': Epstein accomplice Maxwell quietly moved to low-security camp
The assignment to the Bryan camp was a big lifestyle upgrade for Maxwell, he said. The family of Virginia Giuffre – the American-Australian woman who was among Epstein's most well-known sex-trafficking accusers – said in a statement that Maxwell's transfer reflected 'the justice system failing victims right before our eyes'. Giuffre died by suicide on April 25 this year at her farm in Neergabby, north of Perth, aged 41. 'It is with horror and outrage that we object to the preferential treatment convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell has received,' her family said in a statement – reported by The Washington Post – that was also signed by other women who said they were victims of Epstein and Maxwell. 'Ghislaine Maxwell is a sexual predator who physically assaulted minor children on multiple occasions, and she should never be shown any leniency. Yet, without any notification to the Maxwell victims, the government overnight has moved Maxwell to a minimum-security luxury prison in Texas.' Loading The prison camp is about 150 kilometres north-west of Houston on about 15 hectares of land. It held about 650 women, AP reported in 2023. According to a 2016 FPC Bryan inmate handbook, those eligible to work could earn up to $US1.15 ($1.78) an hour in their job assignments, which include food service roles and factory employment operated by Federal Prison Industries. There, Maxwell will be surrounded by women serving shorter sentences and considered less likely to be violent or have gang affiliations. Camp inmates are assigned to dormitory-style housing and have considerable freedom to move around within the facility, according to Paperny, who said he had advised Shah. Giuffre, who had accused Britain's Prince Andrew and other influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by Epstein, has been a central figure in conspiracy theories tied to the case. Andrew has always denied those claims; the two reached an out-of-court settlement in 2022, and he was stripped of royal duties. Loading Earlier this week, her family had expressed shock at hearing US President Donald Trump say that Epstein 'stole' Giuffre and other young women from the spa at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida – and urged that Maxwell remain in prison. 'It was shocking to hear President Trump invoke our sister and say that he was aware that Virginia had been 'stolen' from Mar-a-Lago,' the family's earlier statement said. 'We and the public are asking for answers; survivors deserve this.' Prosecutors have said Epstein's sex crimes could not have been done without Maxwell, but her lawyers have maintained that she was wrongly prosecuted and denied a fair trial, and have floated the idea of a presidential pardon. They have also asked the US Supreme Court to take up her case. Trump said on Friday night Washington time (Saturday AEST) that no one had asked him about clemency for Maxwell. 'I'm allowed to do it but nobody's asked me to do it,' he told Newsmax in an interview. 'I know nothing about it. I don't know anything about the case, but I know I have the right to do it. I have the right to give pardons, I've given pardons to people before, but nobody's even asked me to do it.' Maxwell's case has been the subject of heightened public focus since an outcry over the Justice Department's statement last month saying that it would not be releasing any additional documents from the Epstein sex-trafficking investigation. Loading The decision infuriated online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and elements of Trump's base who had hoped to see proof of a government cover-up. Since then, administration officials have tried to cast themselves as promoting transparency in the case, including by requesting from courts the unsealing of grand jury transcripts. Maxwell was interviewed at a Florida courthouse over two days last week by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The House Oversight Committee had also said that it wanted to speak with her. Maxwell's lawyers have said they would be open to an interview, but only if the panel were to ensure immunity from prosecution. In a letter on Friday to Maxwell's lawyers, Representative James Comer, the committee chair, wrote that the committee was willing to delay the deposition until after the resolution of Maxwell's appeal to the Supreme Court. That appeal is expected to be resolved in late September. Loading Comer wrote that while Maxwell's testimony was 'vital' to the Republican-led investigation into Epstein, the committee would not provide immunity or any questions in advance. AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
