Anwar arrested for sodomy

Malaysian opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim has been arrested for sodomy, his lawyer said yesterday, setting the stage for a political showdown that could further rattle the country's financial markets.

The former deputy premier had agreed to meet police yesterday in connection with a sodomy complaint lodged by a former aide, and police had warned they would arrest him if he did not show up for questioning.

Anwar's lawyers had said he would go to the police at 0600 GMT, but the arrest came about an hour before that.