Court rejects Anwar sodomy appeal<\/p>\n
MALAYSIA: Malaysia's appeals court upheld Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy
\nconviction on Friday, condemning the former deputy prime minister
\nto more years behind bars while his old foe, Prime Minister
\nMahathir Mohamad, prepares to retire.<\/p>\n
After 22 years in charge, Mahathir will hand over the reins in
\nOctober to his deputy, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, regarded as the
\n\"Mr. Clean\" of Malaysian politics.<\/p>\n
\"We are unanimous in dismissing both appeals,\" judge Pajan
\nSingh Gill, who headed a three-member bench, said in reference to
\nappeals by Anwar and his adopted brother, Sukma Darmawan, who was
\nalso convicted of sodomy and sentenced to six years in prison and
\nfour strokes of the cane.<\/p>\n
Anwar, 56, wearing a neck brace for a chronic back injury,
\nreacted angrily to the rulings, calling the judges \"stupid\" and
\naccusing them of being hand-picked for the job.<\/p>\n
The judges also rejected an oral plea for bail, saying a
\nwritten plea was needed. Defense lawyers said they would submit
\nthe plea next week.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Embassy issued a statement saying it was \"deeply
\ndisappointed\" that the conviction had been upheld. -- Reuters<\/p>\n
;AP;ANJ;
\nANPAu..r..
\nCambodia-NKorea
\nCambodia FM scraps planned trip to North Korea
\nJP\/11\/ASEAN<\/p>\n
Cambodia FM scraps trip to N. Korea<\/p>\n
CAMBODIA: Cambodia's Foreign Minister Hor Namhong has canceled a
\nplanned trip to North Korea, citing a \"positive development\" in
\nthe efforts to defuse a crisis over the communist nation's
\nnuclear program.<\/p>\n
The trip's purpose was to explore ways the regional security
\ngrouping of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
\ncould play a role in facilitating dialog between all parties
\ninvolved in the standoff on the Korean Peninsula.<\/p>\n
But the April 22 trip now \"has become meaningless due to a
\nnew, positive development,\" Hor Namhong said on Friday.<\/p>\n
North Korea recently agreed to enter into tripartite talks
\nwith the United States and China in Beijing, expected to take
\nplace as early as next week. North Korea had earlier insisted on
\ndirect negotiations with the United States.<\/p>\n
\"It's happy news, and I welcome ... it,\" Hor Namhong said. --
\nAP<\/p>\n
;REUTERS;
\nANPAi..r..
\nVIETNAM-SEX-ENGLISH
\nVietnam prostitutes brush up their chat-up lines
\nJP\/11\/ASEAN<\/p>\n
Sex workers brush up their chat-up lines<\/p>\n
VIETNAM: Vietnamese prostitutes trying to lure customers in the
\nresort town of China Beach have been taking English classes to
\nimprove their chances, a state-run media said on Friday.<\/p>\n
At least three English classes have been opened unofficially
\nin the city, with teachers who provide instruction on sentences
\nlike: \"One hundred dollars\", \"I want to be your wife\" and \"Give
\nme your watch\", the Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourer) newspaper reported.<\/p>\n
Officials in the town, a former playground for American
\nsoldiers during the Vietnam War, could not be reached for
\ncomment.<\/p>\n
The paper said one unidentified teacher was paid US$52 a month
\nby her students.<\/p>\n
A woman from one of the classes said many in her profession
\nhad long wanted to study English.<\/p>\n
\"Many times we would have a client, a foreigner, but we were
\nso embarrassed as we did not know what to say to lure him,\" the
\nnewspaper quoted her as saying. -- Reuters<\/p>\n
;AFP;ANJ;
\nANPAi..r..
\nHealth-pneumonia
\nSingapore scientists join in breaking genetic code of SARS virus
\nJP\/11\/ASEAN<\/p>\n
Scientists break SARS genetic code<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE: Scientists in Singapore have joined their U.S. and
\nCanadian counterparts in breaking the genetic code of the deadly
\nSevere Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus, raising hopes of
\ngetting closer to developing a cure.<\/p>\n
\"The road to finding a solution to SARS may be a long one, but
\nthe findings have edged us a step closer,\" said Larry Stanton,
\nsenior group leader at the Genome Institute of Singapore on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
U.S. health officials announced on Monday that American
\nscientists had mapped the genome of the SARS virus. Scientists in
\nCanada also announced that they had broken the genetic code of
\nthe virus, the first step toward developing a test for doctors to
\ndiagnose victims and a possible vaccine in the future.<\/p>\n
The genetic code is the raw material needed by scientists
\ntrying to develop a diagnostic test.<\/p>\n
Currently, doctors worldwide diagnose SARS patients by a
\ncombination of unusual symptoms, including high fever, difficulty
\nbreathing, a dry cough and contact with someone else suspected of
\nhaving SARS. -- AFP<\/p>",
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