Ukraine: A brief truce was broken by gunfire today and at least 20 people were killed in Ukraine’s capital city Kiev. Police had moved in using stun grenades and were repulsed by gunfire. Shots came from both sides during the melee.

 President Viktor Yanukovych had agreed to a truce with the opposition earlier during a second night of fiery violence.

Before the truce announcement Secy. of State John Kerry said in Paris that the US and its allies were considering sanctions to bring the Ukrainian government to negotiations. President Obama in Mexico City threatened “consequences” saying, “We expect the Ukrainian government to show restraint, to not resort to violence in dealing with peaceful protesters. We’ve said that we also expect protesters to remain peaceful.”

World: A half dozen members of the Russian protest group Pussy Riot were attacked yesterday in Sochi by Cossack guards with horse whips and pepper spray. The group including five women and one man had set up in the street to make a video of their new song, “Putin Will Teach You How to Love Your Motherland.” Russian President Vladimir Putin is the prime target for the group trying to attract world attention during Putin’s showpiece Olympics. Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, one of the Riot’s more public faces, later showed off bruises and said her husband went to the hospital suffering the effects of pepper spray.

>Two former Navy Seals working as security officers aboard the “Captain Phillips” ship Maersk Alabama were found dead in their cabin as the ship was moored in the Seychelles. The cause of death has not been revealed.

Nation: Homeland Security issued an alert warning travellers of possible threats to US bound aircraft with shoe bombs.

>Sixty-five year old rock-and-roll gun nut Ted Nugent raised a ruckus in the Texas governor’s race by making a campaign appearance for Republican Greg Abbott. Last month the verbal scattergun called President Obama a “subhuman mongrel” and a “gangster.” Democrat Wendy Davis, famous for filibustering an anti-abortion law, skewered her family values opponent for associating with Nugent, saying in a statement, “If this is Greg Abbott’s idea of values, it’s repulsive.”

> A ticket sold in Milpitas, Calif. is the single winner of the $425 million Powerball Lottery.

Sochi: All the following results have already appeared on television.

–Ted Ligety won the men’s giant slalom, taking America’s first gold in alpine skiing at Sochi. Having won gold in 2006, he’s now the first American alpine skier to win two Olympic gold medals.

–America’s most decorated Olympic skier, Bode Miller, said he will not compete in Saturday’s slalom race after tweaking a knee in the giant slalom. He said he plans to complete the World Cup season, but at 36 his Olympic career is likely over.

–The US men’s hockey team beat the Czechs and faces Canada Friday in the quarter-finals. Sweden plays Finland.

Tech Bubble: Facebook agreed to buy the Internet messaging startup WhatsApp for $16 billion, in what may signal a new tech frenzy. WhatsApp has 450 million users around the world, but is less known in the US. It’s been described as “the next Facebook,” so Facebook bought it rather than fight it. The NY Times reports that Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and WhatsApp’s Jan Koum sealed the deal Friday night at Zuckerberg’s house while polishing off a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries the social networker had bought for his wife … for Valentine’s Day.

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