Yemeni troops are reported to have shot dead five protesters this morning during a demonstration in the capital Sanaa against the rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Witnesses said security forces attacked the protesters as they tried to enter Zubayri Street, which lies between two areas controlled by government forces and the powerful tribal leader Sadeq al-Ahmar.
Security forces fear that protesters could block off the street, a major throughway for traffic, according to residents.
Security forces killed a 52-year-old woman during protests in the southern city of Taiz, medical officials said.
Yemenis have been waiting for UN Security Council members to agree to a resolution expected to urge Saleh to hand over power under a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) peace plan.
President Saleh says he is ready to step down but wants to ensure that control of the country is transferred to safe hands.
