Court rejects Anwar sodomy appeal

Court rejects Anwar sodomy appeal

MALAYSIA: Malaysia's appeals court upheld Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy
conviction on Friday, condemning the former deputy prime minister
to more years behind bars while his old foe, Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad, prepares to retire.

After 22 years in charge, Mahathir will hand over the reins in
October to his deputy, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, regarded as the
"Mr. Clean" of Malaysian politics.

"We are unanimous in dismissing both appeals," judge Pajan
Singh Gill, who headed a three-member bench, said in reference to
appeals by Anwar and his adopted brother, Sukma Darmawan, who was
also convicted of sodomy and sentenced to six years in prison and
four strokes of the cane.

Anwar, 56, wearing a neck brace for a chronic back injury,
reacted angrily to the rulings, calling the judges "stupid" and
accusing them of being hand-picked for the job.

The judges also rejected an oral plea for bail, saying a
written plea was needed. Defense lawyers said they would submit
the plea next week.

The U.S. Embassy issued a statement saying it was "deeply
disappointed" that the conviction had been upheld. -- Reuters

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Cambodia-NKorea
Cambodia FM scraps planned trip to North Korea
JP/11/ASEAN

Cambodia FM scraps trip to N. Korea

CAMBODIA: Cambodia's Foreign Minister Hor Namhong has canceled a
planned trip to North Korea, citing a "positive development" in
the efforts to defuse a crisis over the communist nation's
nuclear program.

The trip's purpose was to explore ways the regional security
grouping of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
could play a role in facilitating dialog between all parties
involved in the standoff on the Korean Peninsula.

But the April 22 trip now "has become meaningless due to a
new, positive development," Hor Namhong said on Friday.

North Korea recently agreed to enter into tripartite talks
with the United States and China in Beijing, expected to take
place as early as next week. North Korea had earlier insisted on
direct negotiations with the United States.

"It's happy news, and I welcome ... it," Hor Namhong said. --
AP

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VIETNAM-SEX-ENGLISH
Vietnam prostitutes brush up their chat-up lines
JP/11/ASEAN

Sex workers brush up their chat-up lines

VIETNAM: Vietnamese prostitutes trying to lure customers in the
resort town of China Beach have been taking English classes to
improve their chances, a state-run media said on Friday.

At least three English classes have been opened unofficially
in the city, with teachers who provide instruction on sentences
like: "One hundred dollars", "I want to be your wife" and "Give
me your watch", the Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourer) newspaper reported.

Officials in the town, a former playground for American
soldiers during the Vietnam War, could not be reached for
comment.

The paper said one unidentified teacher was paid US$52 a month
by her students.

A woman from one of the classes said many in her profession
had long wanted to study English.

"Many times we would have a client, a foreigner, but we were
so embarrassed as we did not know what to say to lure him," the
newspaper quoted her as saying. -- Reuters

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Health-pneumonia
Singapore scientists join in breaking genetic code of SARS virus
JP/11/ASEAN

Scientists break SARS genetic code

SINGAPORE: Scientists in Singapore have joined their U.S. and
Canadian counterparts in breaking the genetic code of the deadly
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus, raising hopes of
getting closer to developing a cure.

"The road to finding a solution to SARS may be a long one, but
the findings have edged us a step closer," said Larry Stanton,
senior group leader at the Genome Institute of Singapore on
Thursday.

U.S. health officials announced on Monday that American
scientists had mapped the genome of the SARS virus. Scientists in
Canada also announced that they had broken the genetic code of
the virus, the first step toward developing a test for doctors to
diagnose victims and a possible vaccine in the future.

The genetic code is the raw material needed by scientists
trying to develop a diagnostic test.

Currently, doctors worldwide diagnose SARS patients by a
combination of unusual symptoms, including high fever, difficulty
breathing, a dry cough and contact with someone else suspected of
having SARS. -- AFP