20 dead in strike on Mykolaiv govt building

    Kyiv, Mar 31 (AP) The Ukrainian emergency services say the death toll after a Russian missile strike Tuesday on the regional government headquarters in the southern city of Mykolaiv has risen to 20.
    The emergency services said rescuers had now found 19 bodies in the ruins since the strike devastated the government building Tuesday morning. One other person died in hospital.
    The regional governor accused Russia of waiting until people arrived for work before striking the building.
    Emergency services said they are still working at the scene.
    
    
     Helsinki: Greenpeace says its activists from the Nordic countries and Russia have blocked a the transfer of Russian oil between two large tankers sailing in northern Denmark.
    Greenpeace said swimmers and activists in kayaks and boats from Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia placed themselves between two supertankers to block the transfer of 100,000 tonnes of Russian oil in waters in northern Denmark.
    The environmental organization called for an embargo of Russian fuels to stop the funding of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
     It said in a statement Thursday that “every time Russian oil or gas are purchased, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's war chest grows, and so far at least 299 supertankers with fossil fuels have left Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine.”
     Despite some countries declaring a ban on the arrival of Russian vessels to their ports, Russian coal, oil and gas is still arriving via ships registered in other countries, Greenpeace said.
    
    
     Rome: Italian Premier Mario Draghi says Europe is pushing for a cap on gas prices with Russia because its payments are financing the war in Ukraine.
    Draghi told foreign reporters Thursday that the prices that Europe is paying are out of line with the global market.
    “We, Germany and Italy, along with other countries that are importers of gas, coal, grains, corn ... are financing the war. There is no doubt,'' Draghi said.
     “For this reason, Italy along with other countries are pushing for a cap on the price of gas. There is no substantial reason that the price of gas is so high for Europeans.”
     Draghi noted that Russia has no other marketfor its gas, giving Europe room to maneuver. Asked about the risk that Russia would simply respond by turning off the taps, Draghi said, “no there is no danger.” (AP) VM    
    
     VM

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)