Ukraine: 'A Dictatorship Has Fallen'

It's a day of fast-moving developments in Ukraine: The parliament voted to oust President Viktor Yanukovich, while he fled Kiev but vowed to stay in office. Meanwhile, his main political rival has been freed from prison after two years, declaring that "a dictatorship has fallen." It's a jumbled mess, but one thing that's clear is that yesterday's concessions by the government won't be enough to appease protesters:

• Parliament boots Yanukovich: Lawmakers voted to remove him from office and set new elections for May 25, reports the New York Times. His spokesperson rejected the vote.
• Yanukovich vows to stay: In a recorded TV interview, Yanukovich declared that he will not leave office, reports the BBC. The president, who has fled Kiev but whose whereabouts are unknown, denounced what's happening in the capital as "vandalism, banditry, and a coup."

• Tymoshenko free: Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has been freed from prison after two years, reports AP. Earlier, parliament elected one of her allies as the new speaker.
• Protesters defiant: They seized control of the presidential headquarters in Kiev after factions rejected yesterday's deal because it left Yanukovich in power. "We will guard the building until the next president comes," one commander tells Reuters. "Yanukovich will never be back."

(More Ukraine stories.)