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speech at a security conference in Moscow organized by the Russian Defense Ministry. • Speaking at the same conference, the head of the General Staff of the Russian military, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, blamed the West for encouraging massive protests that chased Ukraine's pro-Russian president from power in February. • Russia annexed Ukraine's region of Crimea in March, triggering the worst crisis in relations with the West since the Cold War. Pro-Russian insurgents also have seized government buildings in eastern Ukraine and fought government troops for more than a month. • ___
'Neo-Andean' architecture booms among newly rich in Bolivian city
• EL ALTO, Bolivia (AP) -- Brash, baroque and steeped in native Andean symbols, the mini-mansions are a striking sight on the caked-dirt streets of El Alto, the inexorably expanding sister city of Bolivia's capital. • They attest to a new class of indigenous nouveau riche, many of them merchants who converted street stalls into fortunes. Owners often sink a million dollars into the opulent edifices, lavishing funds on brilliantly colored ballrooms. • "They are a new Aymara bourgeoisie that migrated from the countryside and made it big," said Xavier Albo, a Jesuit anthropologist, referring to Bolivia's dominant indigenous group. • The mini-mansions mesh modern and traditional architecture and flaunt, above all, two things: their owners' wealth and their Aymara heritage. About 120 such buildings exist across Bolivia, most in El Alto, says architecture historian Elisabetta Andreoli, who calls their style "neo-Andean." And many more are under construction. • Most have been built since President Evo Morales, the country's first indigenous leader and himself an Aymara, took office in 2006. Their emergence coincides with a modest economic boom coupled with a rise in Aymara pride. Bolivia's construction industry grew by 8.6 percent last year, double the economy's overall growth rate. • ___
Police in southern Oregon hold unlikely suspect: adorable 12-pound black bear cub
• PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Police in southern Oregon held an unlikely suspect (Continued on page 36)
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