Death toll in Ukraine's fresh violence rises to 35

At least seven people were killed in clashes in central Kiev on Thursday morning, bringing the death toll of the three-day violence to 35, said the Ukrainian Health Ministry. "On Thursday, a total of 60 people sought medical assistance from the ambulance crews, five of whom were hospitalized in serious condition," the press service of the ministry said on its website. The ministry did not specify the number of deaths on each side of the conflict. Meanwhile, local media, citing data from the opposition medic camp, put the death toll on Thursday at 13 demonstrators, saying that most people died from bullet wounds. The renewed clashes between the anti-government protesters and police officers erupted in Kiev earlier in the day despite efforts between President Viktor Yanukovych and the opposition leaders to stop violence and end the standoff. On Wednesday, Yanukovych and opposition leaders announced a truce in central Kiev to prevent further bloodshed after the outburst of violence earlier on Wednesday. Protests began in November in the country when the government backtracked on a trade deal with the European Union and tilted toward Russia instead.