Ukraine: At least 31 pro-Russians died in a fire in a trade union building in Odessa on the Black Sea yesterday, making it the single most violent day in the Ukraine/Russia standoff so far. Ten other people were reported killed and 123 injured in street clashes.

Facing Ukrainian loyalists, the demonstrators retreated into the union building, which was then set on fire. A mob was reported to be shouting“Glory to Ukraine” and “Death to enemies” as the building burned.

Ukrainian forces continue to press assaults on militiamen occupying Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. While the fighting rages, seven European observers held prisoner in Sloviansk were released.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine is no longer able to protect its citizens and can no longer advise pro-Russians not take up arms. He said, “The authorities in Kiev are not only directly responsible, they are direct accomplices in these criminal actions.”

World: A landslide triggered by heavy rain in Afghanistan has killed as many as 2,100 people and left 4,000 homeless. Authorities have given up a search for survivors. It happened in a remote village in the northeastern part of the country. Roughly 300 homes, about a third of the houses in the area, were buried in mud and debris. A second landslide killed some of the initial rescuers.

National: After a botched execution in Oklahoma that left the condemned man struggling on the table, President Obama yesterday ordered the Justice Department to conduct a review of how the death penalty is carried out in the US. Obama called the incident “deeply troubling.” The president said there’s been uneven application and racial bias in application of the death penalty, but he’s not opposed to it. He said, “The individual who was subject to the death penalty had committed heinous crimes, terrible crimes.”

Hangup: A federal jury yesterday ordered Samsung to pay $120 million to Apple for infringing on its smartphone patents, a fraction of the $2.2 billion Apple had demanded. The jury upheld some complaints and dismissed others. Samsung accused Apple of trying to defend its market share for the iPhone in court rather than at the cellphone store. The case demonstrates that patent infringement is a hard case to make.

Turn Down Service: Celebrities and civil rights groups are calling for a boycott of the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Bel-Air, which are both owned by the Sultan of Brunei, who just instituted Muslim Sharia law in his home country. An event sponsored by Jay Leno and his wife has already been cancelled.

Sharia law calls for cutting off limbs as punishment for some crimes and the death penalty for gay sex and adultery. Brunei is the first East Asian country to adopt Sharia.

The Obit Page: Efrem Zimbalist Jr., the actor who starred in the early television series “77 Sunset Strip” and “The FBI”, has died at age 95. Zimbalist in his prime was the essence of Hollywood handsome and cool.

Bad Hand: Actor Ben Affleck has been banned from playing blackjack at the Hard Rock casino in Las Vegas after being caught counting cards. Card counters are able to keep mental track of what cards have been played and then consider that odds of what players might have in their hand. It’s not illegal but casinos don’t like players who are too good at the game.

Sidetracked: American sprinter Tyson Gay has been given a one-year suspension and stripped of all medals he won after he was caught using performance-enhancing drugs. He’s already returned the silver medal he won in the 2012 Olympics in London.

Where the Buffalo Roam: The annual self-celebration known as the White House Correspondents dinner is tonight; As legal weed spreads across the country, Washington has its first marijuana lobbyist. He claims he doesn’t inhale; Republicans are calling for more investigation into the 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi. Maybe they do inhale.

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