Ukrainian parliament fires interior minister

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.