PREAH VIHEAR (Cambodia) - CAMBODIAN officials erected flags and signs near an ancient Khmer temple in a bid to protect the landmark, after accusing Thai troops of damaging it in a recent border gunfight.

In a ceremony at the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, which sits alongside the disputed border with Thailand, Cambodian officials raised a World Heritage flag and signs declaring it an international cultural property under special protection.

KUALA LUMPUR - NOMINATIONS to fill senior posts in Malaysia's dominant party (Umno) will close on Sunday and with the top job decided, attention is now on the fight for the deputy leadership, at a time of major economic challenges.

Who fills that post could define whether Najib Razak, who will become prime minister in March, pushes forward with reforms and reaches out to non-Malay voters or whether he hunkers down and appeals to the Malay majority, 60 per cent of the population.

KUALA LUMPUR - OPPOSITION leader Anwar Ibrahim won a bid on Friday to prevent Malaysia's government from transferring his sodomy trial to a higher court - a move he claimed could have caused him to face a biased judge.

Anwar was charged in August with sodomising a 23-year-old man - a former aide. The former deputy prime minister faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted but has dismissed the accusation as a political plot by the government, which denies any conspiracy against Anwar.