Government supporters, foes clash again in Yemen

For at least the fourth day in a row, clashes broke out between pro- and anti-government protesters in Yemen's capital Monday morning.

About 200 anti-government protesters were rallying outside Sanaa University calling for regime change as they have since the weekend, when about 300 counter-demonstrators carrying pictures of President Ali Abdullah Saleh confronted them.

The anti-government protesters included at least 150 members of a lawyers' syndicate, who were marching through the streets on their own shouting anti-government and anti-corruption chants, before meeting up with students from Sanaa University.

The two sides threw rocks at each other, and later brandished daggers and knives. Eyewitnesses said the pro-government demonstrators had the weapons, while the anti-government demonstrators were armed with sticks.

Some security forces at the scene tried to separate the two sides, while others stood on the sidelines.

The anti-government protesters accused the counter-protesters of being plainclothes policemen, a charge denied by a government spokesman.

Several protesters were arrested by security forces, said human rights activist Abdulrahman Barman.

Asthma girl dies outside hospital

A STUDENT died of an asthma attack yards from a hospital - after the receptionist told her friend she had to call 999 to get treatment.

Melody Davis, 20, was rushed to hospital in her pal's car after suffering difficulty breathing.

But the friend got stuck in a car park nearby. She dashed into the reception, but was told she had to call an ambulance.

By the time her friend got back, US-born Melody had collapsed. She later died at the Royal Liverpool Hospital.

Last night Liverpool University tutors paid tribute to the "inspirational" literature student. Dad Roy wrote on the internet: "I will forever miss you."

A coroner has asked police to look into the incident, last October. Staff at the hospital have been interviewed. An inquest is being set for this year.

House seen blocking healthcare funds

The U.S. House of Representatives is likely to vote to block funding for President Barack Obama's signature healthcare overhaul when it takes up a budget plan next week, House Republican Leader Eric Cantor said on Tuesday.

"I expect to see one way or other the product coming out of the House to speak to that and to preclude any funding to be used for that," Cantor said at a news conference, referring to an effort to block implementation of the health-care law.

House Republicans aim to pass a spending measure next week that would immediately cut at least $32 billion from the government's $3.7 trillion budget in an effort to trim budget deficits that could hit an estimated $1.5 trillion this year.

Details of the Republican spending-cut package will be made public on Thursday ahead of a wide-ranging debate on the House floor next week.

Cantor's office said the language blocking funding for the healthcare law is expected to be offered as an amendment during the House debate next week. Republicans, trying to make good on a campaign pledge for a more open legislative process, plan to debate a number of amendments to the spending bill.

What You Need to Know About Obama’s Budget: Energy

President Obama unveiled his proposed budget Monday, which calls for boosting funding to the Department of Energy by nearly 12 percent. The spending plan, which still has to be approved by Congress, focuses on research and deployment of technologies he’s championed repeatedly: renewable energy, electric cars, biofuel, energy efficiency and nuclear.

The $29.5 billion proposed budget includes $550 million for the ARPA-E program, which funds early-stage clean energy projects. The budget also contains $3.2 billion for renewable energy and energy efficiency programs; $5.4 billion for the Office of Science, which oversees research at national labs; $300 million in credit subsidies (fees borrowers have to pay to get the government to back their loans) to provide $3 to 4 billion in loan guarantees for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects; and the authority to provide $36 billion in loan guarantees for nuclear.

Obama and his Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, have outlined some clean energy goals they want to achieve, though some of the timelines they have set will go beyond Obama’s current term and even the second term, if he’s re-elected. One goal is to cut the cost of solar electricity by about 75 percent to roughly $0.06 per kilowatt-hour, or $1 per watt. At $0.06 per kilowatt-hour, solar electricity will be cost competitive against power from fossil fuel sources without needing government subsidies.

The DOE recently came up with the SunShot initiative to demonstrate its focus on reducing solar electricity costs. SunShot more or less incorporates existing programs, while also adding an emphasis on developing projects. (The DOE has historically focused on developing new materials and more efficiency solar cells.) The DOE estimates SunShot will make use of $425 million of the proposed budgets for various divisions within the DOE, such as the Office of Science and ARPA-E.

Ages of Chinese skaters in question

China is facing new questions about the ages of some of its athletes after discrepancies were found in the birthdates of eight figure skaters.

According to a list of birthdates published on the Chinese Skating Association's website and found by The Associated Press, the skaters violated the sport's age limits by competing when they were either too young or too old. The birthdates on the federation's websites differ from those listed on the athletes' International Skating Union bios.

Among the skaters whose eligibility is in question are Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao, the 2006 Olympic pairs silver medalists, and Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, the reigning junior world champions and China's top up-and-coming pairs team.

The discovery comes less than a year after the IOC stripped China of its 2000 Olympic bronze medal in women's team gymnastics for using an underage girl. That violation was uncovered during an investigation into age fraud by China's team that won the gold medal at the Beijing Games. The 2008 team later was cleared after Chinese officials provided original passports, ID cards and family registers showing all the gymnasts were old enough to compete.

According to ISU rules, skaters must be 15 by the preceding July 1 to compete at an Olympics or senior world championships, and 14 for other senior-level international competitions, such as the Grand Prix final. Junior skaters must be at least 13 the previous July 1 but cannot have turned 19 (singles) or 21 (pairs and ice dancers).