Ukrainian parliament fires interior minister
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's newly empowered parliament has voted to remove the interior minister, widely blamed for ordering police violence against protesters.
Legislators in the Verhovna Rada fired Vitali Zakharchenko on Friday evening after a fast-moving day of efforts to defuse months of political crisis.
The vote came shortly after the parliament restored new powers to itself by reinstating a 10-year-old constitution that limits presidential authority.
Zakharchenko is deeply despised by the protesters, whom he calls extremists.
Scores of people have been killed in clashes this week.
