The World in Brief

Newly elected President of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, center, poses with his two deputies Surachai Liengboonlertchai, right, and Peerasak Porchit, left, after they were voted for the positions at the meeting of the NLA at the Parliament in Bangkok, Thailand Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. In their inaugural meeting, they voted unanimously to elect former Harvard-educated Supreme Court Judge Pornpetch Wichitcholchai as the assembly president. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)

Newly elected President of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, center, poses with his two deputies Surachai Liengboonlertchai, right, and Peerasak Porchit, left, after they were voted for the positions at the meeting of the NLA at the Parliament in Bangkok, Thailand Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. In their inaugural meeting, they voted unanimously to elect former Harvard-educated Supreme Court Judge Pornpetch Wichitcholchai as the assembly president. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Junta-heavy Thai legislature starts up

BANGKOK -- Thailand's military-dominated interim legislature on Friday held its first meeting since it was appointed by the junta after a coup more than two months ago.

The 197-member National Legislative Assembly will enact laws and nominate the interim prime minister, who will then choose Cabinet members. Its appointment last month was part of the junta's plan to return Thailand to elected democracy, expected to take place by October 2015.

The junta, officially called the National Council for Peace and Order, has granted itself what amounts to supreme power over political developments in the interim constitution it drafted. The junta is to appoint another council in October to work with a constitution drafting committee for a permanent charter by July next year.

In their inaugural meeting, the assembly members, including more than 100 with military and police ranks, voted unanimously to elect former Harvard-educated Supreme Court Judge Pornpetch Wichitcholchai as their president.

Junta leader Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha said the May 22 coup was necessary to restore order after six months of anti-government protests and political turmoil left at least 28 people dead and paralyzed state institutions.

Group: U.N. camp in S. Sudan appalling

NAIROBI, Kenya -- South Sudan residents in a United Nations camp are living in knee-deep, sewage-contaminated floodwater, forcing some families to sleep standing up so they can hold their children out of the water, an aid group said Friday.

Doctors Without Borders said the conditions in the camp in Bentiu are "an affront to human dignity," and demanded that dry land within the camp be immediately made available for living space. The residents can't leave the camp because of fear that they could be killed outside.

The U.N. is housing nearly 100,000 people in South Sudan in bases that were not intended to house internally displaced persons. Ethnically targeted violence broke out last December, forcing more than 1 million people to flee their homes.

Human Rights Watch on Friday released a report documenting the killings of thousands of civilians since the conflict began in what the group called "extraordinary acts of cruelty that amount to war crimes." The group called on the U.N. to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan and place targeted sanctions on individuals "responsible for serious violations of international law."

Cambodia opposition leaders end boycott

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Opposition lawmakers in Cambodia on Friday ended a 10-month boycott of Parliament, joining the assembly for the first time after reaching a breakthrough political deal with the country's ruling party.

Legislators from the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party had refused to take their seats after alleging results of last year's general election were rigged.

The opposition reached a deal with Prime Minister Hun Sen and his ruling party two weeks ago for political changes and the sharing of leadership positions in National Assembly committees.

On Friday, all 55 opposition lawmakers attended the session. Hun Sen's party holds the other 68 seats in the National Assembly.

Hun Sen's authoritarian government has been in power for almost three decades and is known for intimidating its opponents. The opposition's strong showing in the July 2013 vote had one of the biggest challenges to Hun Sen's rule in years.

Egypt tycoon freed on $21 million bond

CAIRO -- An Egyptian steel tycoon close to the family of ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak was released on bond after spending three years in detention on corruption allegations, his lawyers said Friday.

Wearing a neck brace and a business suit without a jacket, Ahmed Ezz emerged from a police station late Thursday after posting $21.2 million bond the lawyers said.

Ezz is facing three different trials on corruption charges -- including money laundering, graft and illicit gains -- all of which he has appealed after being found guilty by lower courts and granted retrials, lawyer Mohammed Tanweer said.

He also has been forced to pay $1.5 million as a first installment on $14 million worth of fines connected to a fourth monopoly case. An appeals court is set to hear that case in November.

Ezz was the chairman of EzzSteel, the largest steel producer in the Middle East. He was close to Mubarak's son Gamal, who was widely believed to have been groomed to succeed his father.

The steel magnate was a senior member of Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party.

-- COMPILED BY DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS

A Section on 08/09/2014