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ByVladimirIsachenkov TheAssociatedPress SEVASTOPOL, CRIMEA Sailing into this Black Sea port Friday amid a jubilant spectacle of fighter jets and warships, President Vlad- imir Putin celebrated the return of Crimea to Russia as "historic jus- tice" during a Victory Day display of military pomp and patriotism. The gravity of the crisis grip- ping the rest of Ukraine was un- derscored by deadly clashes in the east, where fighting left bodies in the streets of the seaside city of Mariupol and the police station a smoldering ruin. At least seven people were killed and dozens injured in the city, one of at least a dozen where pro-Rus- sian insurgents are agitating to fol- low Crimea's lead in seceding from Ukraine. Speaking before a cheering crowd of thousands on a trium- phant first visit to Crimea since its annexation into Russia, Putin hailed the incorporation of its 2 million people as a "return to the Motherland" and a tribute to the "historical justice and the memory of our ancestors." The Russian leader's visit to the Crimean port of Sevastopol, where Russia's Black Sea Fleet is based, came on Victory Day, which commemorates the defeat of Nazi Germany and is Russia's most important holiday. The trip was strongly criticized by the United States, NATO and Ukraine's For- eign Ministry, which said it tram- pled on Ukraine's sovereignty and international law. Putin's two Victory Day celebra- tions — a massive show of military muscle in the annual Red Square parade in Moscow, followed by the extravaganza in Sevastopol — rubbed salt in the wounds of Ukraine's interim government in Kiev without ever once mention- ing its name. In Sevastopol, Putin rode a cabin cruiser-type boat past hulk- ing warships, issuing greetings to their crews, as warplanes and heli- copters swooped over the vast har- bor. He then stepped onto land for a short address to the tens of thou- sands on the shore who came to watch the spectacle. He expanded on the theme of righting a historic wrong with Crimea's return to Russia in a later address at a commemora- tive concert, saying Moscow re- spected other countries' interests and "we ask that all of them show regard for our legal interests, in- cluding the restoration of histori- cal justice and the right to self-de- termination." Conquered by Russia in the 18th century under Catherine the Great, Crimea only became part of Ukraine in 1954 when Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev trans- ferred jurisdiction from Russia. The move was a formality until the 1991 Soviet collapse meant Crimea landed in an independent Ukraine. It remained under Ukrainian con- trol until its annexation by Russia in March, following a hastily ar- ranged referendum — moves con- demned by the West and Kiev. The violence in the strate- gic port of Mariupol on the Azov Sea — along the main road be- tween the Russian border and the Crimean Peninsula — was a clear sign of increasing unrest in east- ern Ukraine. The Donetsk region, which in- cludes Mariupol, and the neigh- boring Luhansk region are to hold a hastily organized referendum Sunday on declaring sovereignty, a move likely to deepen the crisis between supporters of Ukraine's fledgling government and pro-Rus- sia insurgents who claim the au- thorities in Kiev are a fascist junta. There were varying accounts of Friday's violence in the city of a half-million people that also was hit by unrest last month. Ukrainian Interior Minister Ar- sen Avakov said about 60 gunmen attacked the Mariupol police sta- tion and were repulsed in an op- eration that killed one policeman and about 20 people he called "ter- rorists." Meanwhile, the Obama adminis- tration and NATO Secretary Gen- eral Anders Fogh Rasmussen con- demned Putin's visit to Crimea. "We still consider Crimea as Ukrainian territory and from my knowledge the Ukrainian author- ities haven't invited Putin to visit Crimea, so from that point of view his visit to Crimea is inappropri- ate," Fogh Rasmussen told report- ers in Tallinn, Estonia. UKRAINE Putinhails'return'of Crimea; fighting kills 7 PAVELGOLOVKIN—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Russian troops ride an APC with a Crimean flag during the Victory Day Parade, which commemorates the 1945defeat of Nazi Germany in Moscow, Russia, on Friday. News feed WASHINGTON The House on Friday passed a bill boosting support for charter schools as part of a GOP-led push to pro- mote school choice. The bipartisan measure would provide $300 million annually to expand charter schools and consolidate two programs. It would provide state grants to expand and replicate high-quality char- ter schools and help fund the acquisition of buildings for the schools. The measure passed 360 to 45. "Clearly, these institu- tions are a valuable part of a successful education sys- tem," said Rep. John Kline, R-Minn, the chairman of the House Education Committee. He said the federal charter school program is "in need of key reforms to enhance ac- cess and ensure continued educational quality." Therearemorethan2.5mil- lionstudentsattendingmore than6,400publiccharter schools,accordingtotheNa- tionalAllianceforPublicChar- terSchools.Thealliancesays 1in20studentsinAmericaat- tendssuchaschool,mostfre- quentlyinNewOrleans,Detroit andtheDistrictofColumbia. —TheAssociatedPress WASHINGTON Housebillinsupportof charter schools passed LITTLE ROCK, ARK. An Ar- kansas judge on Friday struck down the state's ban on gay marriage, opening the door for gay couples to wed. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza said the 2004 amendment's definition of marriage as allowable only between a man and a woman is unconstitutional and vio- lates the rights of same-sex couples. The ruling came nearly a week after state Attorney General Dustin McDaniel announced that he will con- tinue to defend the constitu- tional ban in court. The 2004 constitutional amendment was passed with the overwhelming support of Arkansas voters. The U.S. Supreme Court last year ruled that a law forbidding the federal gov- ernment from recognizing same-sex marriages was un- constitutional. Since then, lower-court judges have re- peatedly cited the Supreme Court decision when strik- ing down some of the same- sex marriage bans that were enacted after Massachu- setts started recognizing gay marriages in 2004. — The Associated Press COURT Arkansas judge strikes down gay marriage ban WASHINGTON A federal ap- peals court on Friday re- jected an industry challenge to stronger health standards for soot. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit says the Clean Air Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency substan- tial discretion in setting air quality standards. The revisions followed a determination by the EPA that existing standards for fine particulate matter did not sufficiently protect pub- lic health. Fine particles can lodge deeply into lungs and cause serious health prob- lems. The appeals court ruled 3-0 that the industry simply had not identified any way in which the EPA acted unrea- sonably. The National Association of Manufacturers argued that the EPA's revision to the standard was unreasonable. Last month, the Supreme Court backed federally im- posed limits on smokestack emissions that cross state lines and burden downwind areas with bad air from power plants they can't control. — The Associated Press ENVIRONMENT Appeals court upholds stronger soot standard SANAA, YEMEN Yemen's de- fense minister escaped an as- sassination attempt Friday when alleged al-Qaida mili- tants ambushed his motor- cade as he was visiting stra- tegic areas in the south and a sprawling al-Qaida base re- captured by the army, secu- rity and military officials said. Officials said Mohammed Nasser Ahmed was on his way to check up on forces in the Mahfad region when gunmen opened fire on the convoy. The attack came as gov- ernment forces pushed back militants in fighting atop a hill overlooking the re- gion's main road, they added. Troops killed three militants and captured two wounded ones, while sustaining three wounded themselves. The officials also said troops in an army post in Meyfaa town in Shabwa province killed Friday an al- Qaida militant as he was at- tempting a suicide attack in an explosive-laden car. The army has started to es- tablish fixed military posts and checkpoints in areas re- captured from the militants in Mahfad, Azzan and Meyfaa. — The Associated Press TERRORISM Yemen leader escapes Al-Qaida ambush WASHINGTON A former Blackwater Worldwide secu- rity guard accused of taking part in a 2007 shooting of Iraqi civilians at a Baghdad traffic circle has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge, prosecutors said Friday. The federal grand jury in- dictment of Nicholas Slat- ten came just weeks after a judge dismissed all charges against him because of stat- ute-of-limitation concerns. Also Friday, the U.S. At- torney's office in Washing- ton, D.C., asked that Slat- ten go on trial with the other three defendants in the inci- dent, a move that the defense may seek to avoid. A joint trial is often viewed as an ad- vantage for prosecutors. In court papers, the pros- ecution said a joint trial is es- pecially appropriate because the criminal conduct charged in the indictments at issue was part of a single incident. In addition, says the court fil- ing, it would be grossly inef- ficient to try the case twice, inasmuch as the trial will in- volve 70 to 80 witnesses, many of whom live overseas. The trial is projected to last about five months. — The Associated Press CRIME Ex-Blackwater guard indicted in killing By John-Thor Dahlburg The Associated Press BRUSSELS Russia's ongoing confrontation with the West has ignited debate inside and outside the U.S.-led NATO al- liance about what its respon- sibilities are, and how much of its time and effort should be spent to prepare for and if nec- essary counter Russian Presi- dent Vladimir Putin's military ambitions. Ian Lesser, senior director for foreign and security policy at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, said NATO must remain mind- ful of other modern security challenges, including cyber- terrorism, threats to energy supplies and armed Islamic extremism. But he predicted the trans- Atlantic alliance's focus will shift dramatically because of what he termed the biggest game changer in European security and defense envi- ronment in 20 years: Russia's armed aggression in Crimea and the Kremlin's continuing military pressure on Ukraine. "Today we have a situa- tion in which Russia and es- pecially the Russian leader- ship is highly unpredictable," Lesser said. "There is some- thing about the current crisis that suggests Russia is a rogue state, with all that would im- ply for deterrence and reassur- ance of allies." As the alliance ponders how to react in Europe after years of fielding operations in the Middle East, Africa and Af- ghanistan, one of NATO's top commanders told The Associ- ated Press that Russia's dem- onstrated ability to swiftly mobilize large numbers of troops in so-called snap ex- ercises and Moscow's uncer- tain intentions have forced a rethink of NATO's capacity to respond and the deployment of its forces. "What I am thinking about now is, is NATO correctly po- sitioned and is it at the right state of responsiveness?" U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breed- love, NATO's supreme com- mander in Europe, said in a recent interview. "If we ex- pect that Mr. Putin is going to be in charge of Russia for many years, if we are going to see this kind of exercise behavior in the future, are we prepared to react to the next snap exercise that goes across a border to impose its will on another sovereign nation in a different part of Europe? That's what I've been doing a lot of thinking about." EUROPE NATO ponders what to do NEWS » redbluffdailynews.com Saturday, May 10, 2014 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B6