Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/264976
3B Saturday, February 22, 2014 – Daily News HUGE Discounts! E X T E N D E D ! Ukraine buckles to protests KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — In a fast-moving day that aimed to reshape Ukraine's political des- tiny, protest leaders and the beleaguered presi- dent agreed Friday to form a new government and hold an early elec- tion. Parliament slashed the powers of President Viktor Yanukovych and voted to free his rival, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, from prison. It was a crucial shift in Ukraine's months- long standoff between Yanukovych and pro- testers angry that he abandoned closer ties with Europe in favor of a bailout deal with long- time ruler Russia. If it holds, the ambi- tious, European-mediat- ed agreement could be a major breakthrough in a months-long crisis over Ukraine's identity. The standoff worsened sharply this week and left scores dead and hundreds wounded in the worst violence the country has seen since it became independent in 1991. But not all sides embraced the deal. A Russian mediator refused to sign it, and a senior Russian lawmak- er criticized it as being crafted for the West. And at the sprawling protest encampment in central Kiev, anger per- colated among the thou- sands massed Friday night. Hardened Ukrain- ian protesters angry over police violence said they were deter- mined to stand their ground until Yanukovych steps down. Targeted Internet blockages highlight battles in Venezuela SAN CRISTOBAL, Venezuela (AP) — The battle for Venezuela is being fought as vigorous- ly online as in the streets, with authorities cutting off Internet service to a strife-torn university city and blocking selected websites and a ''walkie- talkie'' service widely used by protesters. Internet connectivity was gradually restored to San Cristobal, capital of the western border state of Tachira, on Friday morning after an outage of more than 30 hours that also affected smart- phones. Soldiers patrolled the streets after another night in which police firing tear gas broke up protests just as they had the night before, when Internet ser- vice was cut. A local TV journalist, Beatriz Font, reported hearing gun- shots. ''It's an abuse!'' Jef- frey Guerrero, a flour wholesaler, complained just before service was restored. ''We've had to find out what's happening in our city from others.'' He held up his iPhone to show how his Twitter ser- vice had halted. The current wave of anti-government demon- strations, the fiercest unrest since President Hugo Chavez died last March, began in early February in San Cristobal, home to one private and three public universities. Fed struggled to grasp financial crisis WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve agonized in 2008 over how far to go to stop a financial crisis that threat- ened to cause a recession and at times struggled to recognize its speed and magnitude. ''We're crossing cer- tain lines. We're doing things we haven't done before,'' Chairman Ben Bernanke said as Fed offi- cials met in an emergency session March 10 and launched never-before- taken steps to lend to tee- tering Wall Street firms, among a series of unorthodox moves that year to calm investors and aid the economy. ''On the other hand, this financial crisis is now in its eighth month, and the economic outlook has worsened quite signifi- cantly.'' The Fed on Friday released hundreds of pages of transcripts cover- ing its 14 meetings during 2008 — eight regularly scheduled meetings and six emergency sessions. The Fed releases full tran- scripts of each year's pol- icy meetings after a five- year lag. The 2008 transcripts cover the most tumul- tuous period of the crisis, including the collapse and rescue of investment bank Bear Stearns, the govern- ment takeover of mort- gage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the fate- ful decision to let invest- ment bank Lehman Brothers fold in the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history and the bailout of insurer American Interna- tional Group. US regulators at odds over cellphones on planes WASHINGTON (AP) — It looks like the gov- ernment is more conflict- ed about cellphones on planes than most travel- ers. Even as one federal agency considers allow- ing the calls, another now wants to make sure that doesn't happen. Passengers — particu- larly those who fly often — oppose allowing calls in flight, polls show. In line with that sentiment, the Department of Trans- portation signaled in a notice posted online Fri- day that it wants to retain the 23-year-old ban on the calls. But the notice comes just two months after the Federal Commu- nications Commission voted to pursue lifting the ban. The Transportation Department regulates avi- ation consumer issues. The FCC has responsibil- ity over whether the use of cellphones in flight would interfere with cel- lular networks on the ground. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has said he wants to repeal the current ban, calling it restrictive and outdated. He also wants the airlines, not the gov- ernment, to have final say on in-flight calling. He declined to comment Fri- day on the department's notice. Echoing some travel- ers' concerns, the Trans- portation Department said it believes allowing pas- sengers to make cell- phone calls ''may be harmful or injurious'' to other passengers. Business groups push Arizona governor to veto bill PHOENIX (AP) — Four years after igniting a national uproar over immi- gration, the Arizona Legis- lature has jumped into the battle over gay rights with a piece of legislation that had opponents on Friday predicting business boy- cotts against the state. The legislation allows business owners with strongly held religious beliefs to refuse service to gays, and all eyes are on Republican Gov. Jan Brewer as she decides whether to sign the bill. A decision is likely next week. The conservative gov- ernor is already feeling pressure from the business community to veto the bill passed late Thursday. A prominent Phoenix group believes it would be anoth- er black eye for the state that saw a national back- lash over its 2010 immi- gration crackdown law, SB1070. Opponents also pointed out that the legis- lation would serve as a major distraction as Ari- zona prepares to host the Super Bowl next year. But Brewer also will be heavily pressured to sign the bill by social conserva- tives who backed it as a religious-rights bill. Brewer, who is deeply religious but also pro-busi- ness, is caught somewhere in the middle. She hasn't taken a public position on this bill. Renzi forms Italy's new coalition government ROME (AP) — Matteo Renzi will be sworn in as Italy's youngest prime minister ever Saturday after he cobbled together a government he says will change the face of the country's politics and economy. Renzi, the 39-year-old leader of the center-left Democratic Party, unveiled his government Friday and said the broad coalition will bring hope to the economically stag- nant country. After formally accept- ing the mandate to form the government, Renzi said he will waste no time in enacting reform. WORLD BRIEFING