Yemen's President has arrived in Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to sign a deal to transfer power to his deputy.

Rapidly escalating street battles between opponents of Yemen's regime and forces loyal to its embattled president spread to the home districts of senior government figures and other highly sensitive areas of the capital today.

THE Group of Eight leaders, meeting in France yesterday, piled pressure on Greece to sort out its debt crisis, saying the debts of some European governments were weighing down a labouring world economy.

Yemen’s president, clinging to power despite weeks of protests, has scrapped his offer to step down by the end of the year.

Tanks and armoured vehicles have deployed in the Yemeni capital after a top army commander and close aide to the country’s embattled leader announced he was defecting to the opposition.