Yemeni president declares emergencyDUBAI: A showdown between Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the opposition escalated Wednesday as the countrys parliament approved a sweeping state of emergency,giving him new powers to quash a popular uprising. The month-long emergency law suspended the strife torn nations constitution,allows media censorship,bars street protests and gives security agencies overriding powers to arrests and detain suspects without judicial process. The opposition lawmakers as well as dozens of members of Salehs party stayed away from the stormy session. Later,officials said that 164 members present had voted for emergency. The move came as rival factions of the army have deployed tanks in capital Sanaa to confront Salehs ultra-loyal Republican Guards led by his son Ahmed. Six Killed in fresh protests in SyriaDAMASCUS: At least six people were killed Wednesday when Syrian security forces attacked protesters who had taken refuge in a mosque in the southern city of Daraa,AP reported. Syrian state television,however,showed footage of guns,grenades and ammunition that it claimed was taken from inside the mosque. The TV report acknowledged four dead,but claimed they had been killed when an armed gang attacked an ambulance,the AP said. Why the accounts of violence and of the number killed differed was not known. On Tuesday,protests had continued for a fifth day in Daraa,before hundreds of demonstrators sought protection from the army in Omari mosque.
