Malaysia's top court has upheld opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's conviction for sodomy.

Mr Anwar was accused of having sex with a male aide in 2008. Sodomy is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia, but very few people are ever prosecuted.

The popular politician was sentenced to five years in jail in March 2014 after an earlier acquittal was overturned - a ruling against which he appealed.

He says the case is a bid by the ruling coalition to block him from politics.

Mr Anwar - who heads a three-party alliance - is widely seen as the only man who can break the governing coalition's dominance, correspondents say.

The Barisan Nasional has been in power since 1957, but suffered its worst-ever result in the most recent elections in May 2013.
(BBC)