More news in brief

Clinton foundation to get honour

NEW YORK (AP):

BILL CLINTON made major changes to his diet after heart trouble, and now his foundation is getting an honour for helping in the battle against heart disease.

Woman's Day is holding its Red Dress Awards to promote heart health on February 11, and the magazine will give The Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation an award for helping fight childhood obesity.

The group works with schools nationwide to help students get better access to healthy food and exercise.

Azarov resigns, government offers concessions

KIEV, Ukraine (AP):

In back-to-back moves aimed at defusing Ukraine's political crisis, the prime minister resigned Tuesday and parliament repealed anti-protest laws that had set off violent clashes between protesters and police.

The two developments were significant concessions to the anti-government protesters who have fought sporadically with police for the last 10 days after two months of peaceful around-the-clock demonstrations.

The protests erupted after President Viktor Yanukovych turned towards Russia for a bailout loan instead of signing a deal with the European Union and have since morphed into a general plea for more human rights, less corruption and more democracy in this nation of 45 million.

The departure of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov removes one of the officials most disliked by the opposition forces whose protests have turned parts of Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, into a barricaded maze.

However, Azarov's spokesman told the Interfax news agency that another staunch Yanukovych ally, deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov, will assume temporary leadership of the Cabinet, a move that is unlikely to please the opposition.

Ukraine's parliament considering protester amnesty, but with conditions

KIEV, Ukraine (AP):

Ukraine's parliament is considering measures to grant amnesty to those arrested during weeks of protests in the crisis-torn country, but possibly with conditions attached that would be unacceptable to the opposition.

Two amnesty proposals are up for a parliamentary vote Wednesday, one of which says amnesty would be granted only if demonstrators leave the streets and vacate buildings that they occupy.

Over the course of two months, anti-government protesters have established a large tent camp in the main square of Kiev and seized three buildings that they use as operations centre's and sleeping quarters. They have also erected large barricades of ice, wood and other material.

Group aims to fight obesity

PHILADELPHIA (AP):

From the outside, Carmen Medina's convenience store appears to be an oasis in the food desert of gritty north Philadelphia, from its bright yellow-and-white striped awnings to the fake palm tree sculptures on the sidewalk.

A glimpse inside proves the image is no mirage. The Indiana Food Market is part of the Healthy Corner Stores Network, which aims to teach residents about nutritious eating through grocery promotions and outreach efforts like cooking demonstrations.

Customers were recently offered slices of pizza made on site with store-bought ingredients: wholewheat tortillas, tomato sauce, part-skim mozzarella cheese and diced green peppers and onions.