Dempo take on Yemen's Al Tilal in AFC Cup opener

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PUNE: I-League champions Dempo will hope to put together their four-season AFC Cup experience to good use when they take on Al Tilal of Yemen in their Group A match of Asia's second-tier club competition on Tuesday.

Dempo recently lost to Qatari giants Al Saad 0-2 in their AFC Champions League play-off and Armando Colaco's side would look to pick up from that experience when they open their AFC Cup campaign at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex at Balewadi.

"Playing in Qatar has given us a great deal of experience and we will try to make the best use of that in this AFC Cup," Colaco said today at the pre-match press conference.

"It will be a good match although we are playing away from home in Pune. My boys are geared up for the first game under floodlights," he said, alluding to his side having to play their 'home' match here due to unavailability of Nehru Stadium in Margao.

Colaco also made it a point to say that the team has been enduring a tough schedule doing the balancing act between their I-League commitments ahead of the AFC Cup opener.

"Yes the schedule has been taxing. But this is part and parcel of professional football and we are prepared to put our best foot forward and dish out a good game," he said.

On featuring in the AFC Cup for fourth time, including reaching the semifinals in 2008, Colaco said, "We have reached one benchmark in the Cup. Yes the experience of playing several times holds us in good stead."

"This time we will try to raise the bar," he said. Meanwhile, skipper Ranty Martins was unperturbed by the fact that they are playing their 'home' match here.

"The situation could not be avoided and let's face the reality. I don't think the venue will make a big difference as we have played here before. We will try to make the best use of the conditions and emerge victor," said the Nigerian.

Al Tilal head coach Seyoum Kebede Eshetu said that this was the first time that he ever led the Yemen side at the AFC Cup.

"It will be a new experience. It will be a tough match considering the fact that Dempo are playing at 'home'. Dempo are a good side," he said, adding that he had watched the footage of the game Dempo played against Al Saad.

Source: The Time of India

Interior Minister: 3 soldiers killed, 10 injured in securing marches

SANA'A- Feb 28, 2011- Interior Minister Mutahar Al-Masri has revealed that three policemen were killed and ten others wounded during securing mass marches over the past few days.

The Interior Ministry cannot achieve security successes without positive and distinct relationship between the police and society, Al-Masri said.

He confirmed the neutrality of the security services regarding the demonstrations and marches, whether in support or opposition.

In a seminar organized by the Center of Security Studies and Research, Al-Masri pointed out that the security services have experienced loss of life and injuries during securing those marches.

The participants in the seminar recommended the need to enhance the confidence between the police and the society as well as promoting the living standard and professional level of policemen.

Source: (Saba)

Three Anti-Regime Protesters Injured in Clashes in South Yemen

Sana'a- Feb 28, 2011- At least three anti-regime protesters were wounded when anti-riot police attempted to disperse hundreds of protesters by batons in Yemen's southeast province of Hadramout on Sunday, Xinhua News Agency informs.

"Three protesters were injured by batons of policemen after they refused to move back from the gate of police station in Mukalla, the provincial capital of Hadramout," the official told Xinhua by phone on condition of anonymity.

"Police did not open fire, but used batons in breaking up the protest demanding the overthrow of the regime," he added without elaborating further.

Inspired by the Egyptian popular uprising, thousands of Yemenis have staged daily protest rallies in the streets of major cities across the country since Feb. 11, demanding an end to the 33-year rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Saleh pledged earlier this month to stand down from office after his presidential term expires in 2013 and promised not to hand power over to his son.

He vowed on Saturday that the army forces will take "full responsibility" to protect the unity of his nation, blaming conspiracies for seeking to ignite unrest and split the country.

"There were conspiracies against the national unity of Yemen, and we, in the armed forces, have sworn allegiance to preserve the republican regime of Yemen, its unity and territorial integrity until the last drop of our blood," Saleh said, cited by official news agency Saba.

President Receives Yemeni Islamic Scholars

SANA'A, Feb 28, 2011- President Ali Abdullah Saleh received here on Monday members of the Yemeni Islamic Scholars Society.

During the meeting, the Islamic scholars reviewed the role they have done to fill the gap among the Yemeni people. They reviewed points of the initiative the president asked the Islamic scholars to convoy to the Joint Meeting Parties which in includes the following:

-Withdrawal of elections and referendum law to be returned to the Parliament for approval.

- Withdrawal of the constitutional amendments draft currently studied by the Parliament and forming a government of national unity to conduct the constitutional amendments.

- Forming a government of national unity.

- Referring corrupts to justice and to quickly study corruption issues raised to judges.

- Releasing any prisoner whose accusation was not proved.

- Selection of five judges each party has the right to select two out of them and the 5th to be selected by the Committee of Islamic Scholars, or in agreement between the 4 judges, in order to solve the current dispute among the political parties.

- Ending media campaigns and incitement in order to prepare the way for a successful national dialogue.

- Stopping protests and sit-ins in order to ensure termination of all chaos and destruction acts.

They affirmed the importance of bearing in mind interest of the nation, specially under the current condition in which there are many challenges threatening security, stability, unity and achievements of the country.

In his speech, Saleh said that the whole Arab world is going through a dangerous stage and Yemen is part of this Arab nation and is going through the same crisis, noting that all of this is just copying others and affirmed that there is a solution for each problem.

He noted that there are conflicts in many Arab and foreign regions and at the end the rivals sit on the negotiation table after bloodshed and economic losses. "We call our brothers for the negotiation table so that we are judged based on the Islamic sharia,'' Saleh said.

He referred to the 8 points agreed on with the Islamic scholars, putting responsibility on them in case of chaos and killing took place.

President warned against separation of the country, noting that the opposition will not be able to run the country for even a week.

"Yemen will be divided to not two parts only but to four parts if chaos erupted," Saleh warned, calling on the Yemeni Islamic scholars to say the truth as the opposition are just making use of the current situation.

Source: (Saba)

President is ready to Form National Unity Government, Opposition Rejects

By Fatik Al-Rodaini

Sana'a- Feb 28, 2011- The Yemeni opposition coalition, the Joint Meeting Parties, JMP, rejected calls from President Ali Abdullah Saleh of forming a national unity government. They said President Saleh should listen to the voices of protesters and step down.

Mohammed Al-Qubati, spokesman for the Joint Meetings Parties, told media outlets that “We will not join a national unity government and we support demands of the people who went to the streets to demanded the president to leave.''

“He should respond to the demands of the people and leave power peacefully,'' he added.

Earlier today, President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced in a meeting held with Yemen's scholars that he is ready to form a unity government with the opposition within hours if they submit names for ministerial posts.

Yemen's opposition called for rallies, the Day of Rage, to be held on Tuesday across Yemen's provinces to mark the deaths of demonstrators.