Toll rises from Yemen crackdown on protests

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ADEN, Feb 26: Police gunfire killed four people as the biggest protests yet swept impoverished Yemen, demanding that President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down after three decades in power. At least 19 people have now been killed in almost daily clashes at anti-regime protests since February 16, according to an AFP tally based on reports by medics and witnesses as calls gather steam for Saleh quit. Inspired by similar revolts that toppled the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt, the latest killings came just one day after Saleh ordered his forces to offer "full protection" to protesters and loyalists alike. - AFP