Yemeni President given emergency powers

• Yemen's Parliament enacted sweeping emergency laws on Wednesday after the country's embattled President asked for new powers of arrest, detention and censorship to quash a popular uprising demanding his ouster.
• The move escalates the showdown between Ali Abdullah Saleh and the movement that has unified military commanders, religious leaders and protesting youth in demands for his immediate departure. The state of emergency suspends the Constitution, allows media censorship, bars street protests and gives security forces 30 days of far-reaching powers to arrest and detain without judicial process.