New prime minister named in Turkey
ANKARA, Turkey -- Recep Tayyip Erdogan named Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu his successor as prime minister on Thursday, with expectations high that the man who has dominated Turkish politics for more than a decade will stay in charge once he is president.
Erdogan has indicated that he plans to maintain tight control of the government and wants to transform the largely ceremonial presidency. He has said he intends to employ its seldom-used powers, such as summoning and presiding over Cabinet meetings. As Turkey's first popularly elected president, Erdogan takes office Aug. 28.
Erdogan announced after a meeting of his ruling Justice and Development Party that party leaders had chosen Davutoglu to replace him as the new chairman and prime minister. Davutoglu, who has steered Turkish foreign policy both as foreign minister and as Erdogan's adviser since 2003, is expected to be confirmed as party chairman at the party's congress next week.
Davutoglu, a former professor of international relations, is considered a strong Erdogan loyalist and was long reported to be Erdogan's top choice as his successor.
Kuwait questions 2 on terror-money ties
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Kuwaiti police briefly detained and questioned two men designated by the U.S. Treasury Department as financiers of terror groups operating in Iraq and Syria, a lawyer and a security official said Thursday.
David Cohen, U.S. undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, has described Kuwait as the "epicenter" of fundraising for terrorist groups in Syria and earlier this month called on the Kuwaiti government to do more to disrupt such financing.
A Kuwaiti police officer said Shafi al-Ajmi was detained Sunday for about seven hours and Hajaj al-Ajmi was detained late Wednesday for about 10 hours after returning from trips to neighboring Persian Gulf countries. He said the two were detained as a precautionary measure and questioned about the U.S. Treasury Department's accusations. He said they may be banned from traveling.
He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.
Their lawyer, Mohammed al-Jumia, said his clients only raised charitable donations for Syrians. He said that when his clients traveled to Syria they met with members of the Western-backed Free Syrian Army, the mainstream rebel group fighting to overthrow President Bashar Assad.
Indonesian court tosses election appeal
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesia's top court Thursday rejected an appeal by the losing candidate in last month's presidential election over purported voting irregularities, removing any uncertainty around the victory of Jakarta Gov. Joko Widodo.
Prabowo Subianto, a former general with links to the regime of ex-dictator Suharto, had alleged fraud in the July 9 polls and filed a complaint in the Constitutional Court. He presented evidence and witness testimony for his claim, but all nine judges at the court ruled it was groundless.
"The ruling is final and binding, but does not necessarily reflect truth or justice," said Tantowi Yahya, a spokesman for a coalition of political parties supporting Subianto.
The verdict means that Widodo, a former furniture exporter who stands out among Indonesia's political elite for his humble upbringing and lifestyle, can press ahead with preparing to take over the government of the world's fourth most-populous nation, a regional economic powerhouse. He will be sworn in Oct. 20.
Hiroshima mudslide deaths rise to 39
TOKYO -- Japanese police said the death toll from rain-triggered landslides on the outskirts of Hiroshima city rose to 39 on Thursday, with 51 people still missing as the search continued in the devastated area.
Hillsides caved in or were swept down into residential areas in at least five valleys in the suburbs of the western Japanese city Wednesday, crushing dozens of houses after heavy rains.
Hiroshima prefectural police said 39 people were confirmed dead and 51 others were missing as of midday Thursday. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 23 people were injured, 13 seriously. A police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with official policy, said there was a possibility of some inaccuracies in the tally.
-- COMPILED BY DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS
A Section on 08/22/2014