Bangkok - A Thai appeals court upheld a libel conviction against former prime minister Samak Sundaravej Thursday and sentenced him to two years in jail but then released him on bail.

The verdict came after Samak lost his post as prime minister on September 9 when the Constitution Court found him guilty of illegal moonlighting by hosting television cooking shows while he was in office. It is illegal for sitting prime ministers to earn income from a second job.

Bangkok - Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat submitted his proposed cabinet lineup for royal approval Tuesday and expects to hold his first cabinet meeting as early as late this week.

Under Thailand's constitutional monarchy the appointments are not official until approved by King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is head of state. Somchai said he would not identify who is in his cabinet until they are approved.

After they are endorsed they can be sworn in and get to work, he said.

Bangkok  - Thailand's new Prime Minister, Somchai Wongsawat, kept the country guessing Monday, not yet making an expected cabinet announcement.

Somchai said the cabinet line-up was complete, but he would not name ministers until the secretariat of the cabinet examined all the proposed minister's qualifications.

Only then would the list be submitted to King Bhumibol Adulyadej for royal approval.

Under Thailand's constitutional monarchy the appointments are not official until approved by King Bhumibol, who is head of state.

Bangkok  - Thailand's new Prime Minister, Somchai Wongsawat, kept the country guessing Monday, not yet making an expected cabinet announcement.

The hang up concerning appointments was within the coalition ruling People Power party (PPP), local media reported. PPP officials had said over the weekend that the cabinet would be named by Monday.

Other political parties in the coalition were satisfied with their allotments of posts with Chart Thai party leader Banharn Silpa-archa, telling the local media Monday that there were no major changes with the post his party would have, so making for an easier transition.

Bangkok - Thai authorities illegally detained suspected arms' smuggler Viktor Bout and a US extradition request should be quashed, his lawyer argued in court Monday.

The United States is seeking Bout's extradition to face four charges of terrorism and judges in the Thai Criminal Court, who on Monday began hearing the case, said they would consider the move quash later.

The 41-year-old former Soviet army major was arrested in Bangkok on March 6 in a US-led sting operation that allegedly caught him making a deal with Colombian rebels.

Bangkok - Floods across much of Thailand have left 1