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  - Thailand's king on Wednesday approved the cabinet lineup submitted by new Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and the new ministers are scheduled to be sworn in Thursday, the government announced.

Under Thailand's constitutional monarchy the appointments must be approved by King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is head of state, and they are official only after they are sworn in by the king.

The 35-member cabinet includes Somchai also serving as defence minister, as had former prime minister Samak Sundaravej who resigned earlier this month.

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.

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.

Jakarta - Two-days of talks between the Thai government and representatives from Thailand's Muslim south hosted by Indonesia have achieved some progress in an attempt to end years of conflict that have claimed the lives of thousands of people, media reports said Monday.

The talks are being mediated by Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla as the presidential palace in Bogor, about 60 kilometres south of Jakarta, the presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said.