Why don't Alaska kids get sex ed?

Thunder Mountain High School in Juneau, Alaska, does teach students about healthy relationships.

• Alaska does not require school districts to teach sex ed


• John Sutter: Given high rates of violence against women, it should


• Sutter says the some districts implement progress curriculum, but many don't


• One effective program is only used by 22.2% of schools, for example

Editor's note: John D. Sutter is a columnist for CNN Opinion and head of CNN's Change the List project. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+. E-mail him at ctl@cnn.com.

(CNN) -- Let's start with some statistics: Alaska has the highest rate of reported rape in the country at three times the national average.

An estimated 59% of adult women there suffer from sexual or intimate partner violence, according to a statewide survey published in 2010. And 37% suffer from sexual violence.

There are many reasons why that's the case, as I detailed in a recent series on rape in Alaska for CNN's Change the List project. But here's a factor I didn't really consider until readers brought it to my attention: Alaska doesn't require sex education.

Given the rates of violence, that's puzzling and negligent -- especially since programs that teach kids about healthy relationships, child sex abuse and dating violence have been proved effective in evaluation studies.

A bill proposed by Alaska Rep. Geran Tarr, a Democrat from Anchorage, would be a good place to start changing these policies.

Called Erin's Law, after an Illinois victim of child sexual abuse, and based on a national movement, the bill would require school districts in Alaska to teach warning signs for child sexual abuse. "If we really want to change the outlook and the trajectory going ahead 10, 20, 30 years, we really need to be going in and working with the kids," Tarr told me in a phone interview.

Makes sense, right? The state also should consider broader legislation to include requirements for students to learn about sex, dating violence and safe relationships.

Sexual violence in some Alaska communities I visited is so common that it starts to be normalized. If young people grow up in a violent home, where women are valued less than men, then there's little reason to expect them to break the cycle.

"It's so normal to them," one student in southwest Alaska told me. "It could be their mother -- being ashamed (of being abused) -- and it's so normal to you that you just become that. You because the abused or the abuser. It can go back and forth."

Teachers and schools can and should intervene.

Some school districts in Alaska are doing a commendable job of bringing up these uncomfortable issues and preparing students to end the violence, but none of the programs is required. Alaska is part of a relatively small minority of states that does not require school districts to teach a form of sex or health education, said Megan Comlossy, a policy expert at the National Conference of State Legislatures.

State statutes say "each district in the state public school system shall be encouraged (emphasis mine) to initiate and conduct a program in health education for kindergarten through grade 12 ..." Encouraged but not required. School districts decide individually if and how they want to teach these sensitive subjects.

Many don't.

One effective program, called "The Fourth R" for "relationships," encourages students to participate in role-playing exercises and other forms of learning. The program, which was developed in Canada and includes about 20 lessons, has been shown to lead to "reductions in dating violence" and "significantly fewer violent acts towards peers," said Patricia Owen, an education specialist at the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development. But only 22.2% of schools in Alaska are using the voluntary program, said Lauree Morton, director of the Alaska Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. That's up from 9.7% in 2011, but it's still not enough.

A federal grant helps pay for the program, Owen said.

The Anchorage school district teaches sex education and healthy relationships, and some school districts, such as one in Kenai, have developed curriculum in collaboration with local women's rights advocates, according to Morton. There are also encouraging programs such as Teens Acting Against Violence in Bethel. It's an afterschool program to help young people connect with traditional culture and learn how to lead healthy and violence-free lives. I met some students in that program on my trip to the state in December, and they raved about its impact.

Most kids in that town aren't in the TAAV program, though.

It's Morton's view that Alaska's school districts should choose to teach these programs -- because they will be implemented more powerfully and wholeheartedly if they do. She wants to see this info taught, but she wants it to be voluntary.

Maybe there's something about Alaska's pioneer spirit that compels this opt-in approach. But it's clear rates of violence remain unacceptably high under the voluntary system.

Perhaps change should come in the form of a mandate that all school districts in Alaska teach about sex abuse and healthy relationships. Tarr's bill would be a good start. Or maybe there are other incentive structures to convince more schools that health and sex education aren't just optional, they're essential.

I asked some students who participate in the TAAV program in Bethel what they thought should be done to curb the state's high rates of violence against women.

The answer was obvious to them.

"People need to know about it," one person said.

And another: "Realize it's there."

I hope the legislature will uncover its ears.

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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John D. Sutter.

Were found gold coins stolen from mint?

• NEW: "We vetted this long time ago," says someone assisting the owners of the coins


• In 1901, gold coins worth some $30,000 were stolen from the U.S. Mint in San Francisco


• Last year, a California couple unearthed a stash of coins that had a similar face value


• "If this was U.S. government property we'd be going after it," a mint spokesman says

(CNN) -- Chief Clerk Walter Dimmick was convicted of stealing six bags of gold coins -- worth $30,000 -- from the U.S. Mint in San Francisco in 1901.

More than 100 years later, a California couple unearthed a secret stash of coins, with a combined face value of about $27,000. Most were minted in San Francisco.

Coincidence?

Sure is, said Adam Stump, spokesman for the U.S. Mint.

"We do not have any information linking the Saddle Ridge Hoard coins to any thefts at any United States Mint facility," he told CNN.

Eureka! Couple finds $10M in rare coins

The spokesman was responding to the latest wave of speculation that kicked off after The San Francisco Chronicle published a report Monday, suggesting a turn-of-the-century heist could explain the possible provenance of the coins.

Separately, Stump told the newspaper: "We've done quite a bit of research, and we've got a crack team of lawyers, and trust me, if this was U.S. government property we'd be going after it."

The coins from the 1901 heist were never found.

The so-called Saddle Ridge Hoard was discovered by a husband and wife in February 2013 on their property in Northern California.

Though the coins have a face value of approximately $28,000, experts believe they could fetch in excess of $10 million.

The treasure is known as the Saddle Ridge Hoard because it was discovered near a hill the couple called Saddle Ridge.

A golden mystery

The husband and wife were walking their dog when they spotted something metal on the ground. They dug and eventually discovered eight metal cans, containing more than 1,400 gold coins.

Restoring and cleaning the coins has taken months.

No one knows how they got there, or whom the coins might have belonged to.

Don Kagin, of Kagin's, Inc., is assisting the owners, who wish to remain anonymous.

"The best theory is that -- and this is collaborated somewhat with doing some research, title searches, etc. from back in 1800s -- that someone in the mining business, as he got his remuneration, his bonuses, whatever, he would take the gold from the banks and put it into the ground in these cans," he told CNN.

"Back then, they didn't always trust the banks."

Kagin dismissed the idea that the coins could be connected to the turn-of-the-century heist.

"If you had robbed the U.S. Mint in 1901, you'd have 1901, 1900, 1899 coins. But instead what you have here are coins from 1894 and before," he said.

"We vetted this long time ago. We know the story of Dimmick. The only thing that is remotely similar is the amount of value."

The coins, in $5, $10 and $20 denominations, date from 1847 to 1894. Many are in pristine condition, including at least 14 coins that are considered the finest known for their date and mint mark.

A highlight from the hoard is an 1866-S No Motto Double Eagle, valued at close to $1 million.

"Nothing resonates like buried treasure," Kagin said, as a smile broke across his face. "These are not just coins, but they are artifacts. They tell a story ... They speak to us. It's like holding history in your hands."

The couple is planning to sell most of the collection. Some will be sold on Kagin's website, but most on Amazon, probably in May.

"Unlike other hoards and treasures, this one includes a great variety of coins struck over many different years, and many of the coins are still in pristine condition," Kagin said.

"And add to that a wonderful human interest story: this family literally found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."

These coins could change history

Rare coin collection set to make a mint

Bought for $3 at yard sale, bowl sells for $2.2 million

Fisherman hooks statue of ancient Greek god Apollo

CNN's Dan Simon and Steve Forrest contributed to this report.

Oscars pizza guy: I was shocked

• Edgar Martirosyan had no clue he'd be serving Hollywood's biggest stars


• Ellen DeGeneres gives him a $1,000 tip


• "I was just shocked. It was a really great moment," Martirosyan tells CNN

(CNN) -- If he looked gobstruck when he walked onstage at the Oscars, he had good reason.

Edgar Martirosyan, who might now be the world's most famous pizza deliveryman, had no clue he'd be serving Hollywood's biggest stars Sunday night.

He thought the pies were for a group of writers at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. When he got there, he was told to wait.

Then Ellen DeGeneres, who hosted the Academy Awards, came backstage and asked him to follow her.

"I didn't know," he told CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight" on Monday. "I was just shocked. It was a really great moment."

And there he was, in front of millions of TV viewers, delivering pizzas from his store's red and yellow boxes to the likes of Brad Pitt and Jared Leto.

#Oscar winning #pizza @JaredLeto http://ift.tt/1om3OF7

— ET Canada (@ETCanada) March 3, 2014

Martirosyan said he was most excited to see actress Julia Roberts.

Since then, friends from all over the world have called to congratulate him.

"I'm thinking that's when you say American dream, this is really the American dream," Martirosyan said.

Business has increased at all 20 locations, according to one owner.

"All of our locations are crazy busy right now," Big Mama's and Papa's Pizzeria owner Ararat Agakhanyan told the Los Angeles Times. "We had no idea that our pizzas were going to be on TV. We're ordering supplies like mad, stocking up on cheese, pepperoni, sausage and boxes and shipping them out to the different stores."

Martirosyan is also a franchise owner, the newspaper reported.

Earlier Monday, he appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

She'd passed around a hat at the Oscars to take up a collection for his tip and gave Martirosyan a whopping $1,000 on her show.

"It was really crazy for me," Martirosyan said about the whole experience.

China's awkward 'banana' slip

• A Chinese state media outlet referred to U.S. ambassador as a "banana"


• Eric Liu says use of an ethnic slur reflects anger at his performance


• He says China has a different concept of ethnicity than America


• Liu: America's openness to immigrants is a big advantage over China

Editor's note: Eric Liu is the founder of Citizen University and the author of several books, including "The Gardens of Democracy" and "The Accidental Asian." He served as a White House speechwriter and policy adviser for President Bill Clinton. Follow him on Twitter @ericpliu

(CNN) -- Have you heard about China's banana slip?

A few days ago in Beijing, as Gary Locke wrapped up his tenure as United States ambassador to China, he was lambasted in a Chinese state media editorial. The piece called Locke a "guide dog." It said he had stirred an "evil wind." Worst of all, it called him a "banana."

As in yellow on the outside and white on the inside. It's a slur, akin to "Oreo" for African-Americans or "coconut" for Hispanics, used by people of a given ethnic group to judge another member of that group for being insufficiently, well, ethnic. The point of saying a person of color is "white inside" is to accuse him of being a race traitor, ashamed or in denial of his true heritage.

In this case, the idea was that Locke, though of Chinese descent, wasn't Chinese enough. Why? He couldn't speak the language. Oh, and he apparently didn't do the bidding of China's leaders, choosing instead to go to Tibet, work with dissident human rights activists, point out smog levels in Beijing and generally represent the interests and values of the United States.

That's what the editorialist meant when he called Locke a banana. Many Chinese citizens disavowed the slur, calling it an embarrassment. But what it revealed was that despite modernization and burgeoning wealth -- or perhaps because of them -- China still has a fragile identity. (And America still has some advantages.)

Let's start with the fact that the editorial was published in an organ of state media. It got attention because in a country where the government controls the press, editorials are assumed to express the views of top national leaders. They may not, in fact. It's quite possible this particular opinion writer was just an individual. But in the absence of a free press, who can really tell?

This is the price of propaganda: No one believes what you say, but they believe you meant to say it.

A second notable aspect of the banana rant was that it completely conflated ethnicity and nationality, and in a particularly Chinese way. The Han Chinese are the overwhelmingly dominant ethnic group of China, and their ethnocentrism frames Chinese political culture. (Just ask Tibetans.) It also fuels the nationalism behind China's territorial disputes with Japan and other Asian nations.

So the premise of the banana comment was that someone of Chinese ethnicity, wherever he may live, should be considered Chinese to the core and therefore in the end loyal to the Chinese nation.

Of course, that's a notion white Americans have often used to justify mistreatment of "indelibly alien" Chinese immigrants, whether during the era of Chinese exclusion in the late 19th century or the persecution of Wen Ho Lee at the turn of this one.

But it's as wrong now as then and as wrong here as there. Even if Locke could speak perfect Mandarin, even if he could read the Chinese classics and write calligraphy, this Eagle Scout, child of public housing, prosecutor, state legislator, governor, Cabinet secretary and diplomat was made in America.

Whether Locke is "Chinese enough" is for him and his family to judge, not for any other Chinese-American, much less an apparatchik in China. But there can be no doubt that Locke is plenty American, and that's really what stuck in the craw of some commentators in China.

Ultimately, the banana rant reminds us that the United States, for all its manifest failings and its continuing racial tensions, remains exceptional in its capacity to synthesize the peoples of the world into new hybrids. Which is also why the United States, for all its economic troubles and relative geopolitical decline, retains a competitive edge over rising powers like China.

To put it very simply: America makes Chinese Americans, but China does not -- and does not particularly want to -- make Americans Chinese.

It's in America's operating system to welcome an immigrant who becomes a houseboy and to make it possible for that immigrant's grandson to hold high public office. This is the Locke family arc: truly American.

It's not so much in China's operating system to welcome an immigrant -- whether ethnic Chinese or not, however steeped in Chinese civilization -- and make it possible for her family to be seen as truly Chinese.

When operatives in China call Locke a banana, they assume, wrongly, that to be American is to be white. America is not white anymore. It never really was. China may be four times more populous than America. But America is many times more diverse, intermingled, open and adaptive than China.

I'm proud to be Chinese-American: proficient in Chinese culture, fluent in American life. Call me what you will; I like my country's chances.

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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Eric Liu.

America needs $10.10 minimum wage

• Democratic Govs. Shumlin and Malloy support raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10


• They argue it hasn't increased in real dollars since 1968


• Republican governors, they say, have stood in the way of or tried to roll back the minimum wage

Editor's note: Gov. Peter Shumlin (D-Vermont) is chair of the Democratic Governors' Association and Gov. Dan Malloy (D-Connecticut) is in his first term running the state.

(CNN) -- Democratic governors are working every day to grow and strengthen a middle class that's been under assault from global economic forces and failed, trickle-down policies for decades.

In furtherance of that mission, we will be proud to stand with President Barack Obama, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee at Central Connecticut State University this afternoon to announce actions we're taking to raise the minimum wage in our states to $10.10 an hour by 2017.

House Republicans continue to block progress on this critical issue for middle class families. But that doesn't mean this common-sense idea, like so many others before it, needs to die a Washington-inflicted death. With a paralyzed Congress, Democratic governors will act.

We'll do so with the benefit of having the American people on our side. Democrats, Republicans and independents alike overwhelmingly support raising the minimum wage. A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll shows 63% of Americans support it. Here's why:

Gov. Peter Shumlin, left, and Gov. Dan Malloy

One, it makes good economic sense. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour. Adjusted for inflation, that's lower than it was in 1968. Raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour nationally will provide 28 million Americans with more money to spend and to invest, increasing economic activity and growth. In fact, recent studies conclude that raising the minimum wage makes workers more productive and therefore helps businesses retain profitability -- a conclusion affirmed by Gap Inc.'s recent decision to raise the minimum wage for its employees to $10.10 an hour.

Two, it's good for women. Women account for roughly two-thirds of workers whose incomes would rise by increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. These women currently work 40 hours a week to make just $14,500 a year. These women are our daughters, sisters and mothers who are often the only breadwinners in their families. Our country is in a stronger position when women are in a stronger economic position. We need to make that a reality.

Three, it's the right thing to do. No American working 40 hours or more a week deserves to live in poverty.

Republican governors across the country have also stood in the way of progress. Some have pandered to stereotype, suggesting that a raise in the minimum wage should be rejected because it would only help young workers rather than acknowledging that 88% of workers who would be affected by moving the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour are over the age of 20, and more are over the age of 55 than are teenagers.

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Governors spar over minimum wage

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez went so far as to veto minimum wage hikes in their states. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker mocked the idea, while Florida Gov. Rick Scott described how the proposal makes him "cringe." Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett and Maine Gov. Paul LePage all oppose this common-sense change. And of course there is billionaire Bruce Rauner, running in Illinois, who went so far as to suggest slashing minimum wage workers' salaries by a dollar an hour in order to keep the state "competitive."

They just don't get it.

Just look at Bobby Jindal, former Republican Governors Association chair and current governor of Louisiana, who recently said -- in a widely-criticized partisan outburst outside the White House -- that raising the minimum wage was equivalent to "waving the white flag of surrender" on the economy. That's patently absurd. But it's what the tea party wants to hear.

A fair minimum wage was once an issue upon which Republican and Democratic leaders could agree. But now, the Republican Congress and Republican governors have embraced partisanship and right-wing ideology rather than economic growth.

And that's why we are standing with President Obama today to make clear we won't wait for Republicans to come around -- we're going to give hard-working Americans a raise and we are going to start today.

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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gov. Peter Shumlin and Gov. Dan Malloy.

Massive attempt by sub-Saharans to cross the border between Morocco and Ceuta

One monthafter a large-scale entry attempt by sub-Saharan immigrants ended in tragedy in Ceuta, early yesterday morning between 1,000 and 1,200 people launched a massive assault on the frontier separating the Spanish enclave from Morocco.

This latest attempt was the largest of its kind since desperate would-be immigrants first started to use the tactic of rushing the border fences in large numbers.

Until this attempt, the largest group was around 500 people. The central government delegation in Ceuta said that this assault had involved about 90 per cent of the total number of immigrants that are camped out in the nearby mountains, where some remain for months or even years waiting for their chance to reach European soil. On this occasion the Guardia Civil was not required, with Moroccan security forces successfully driving back the immigrants without reported incidents.

Other attempts were also launched, including 50 people who attempted the route around Tarajal beach and another 400 who tried the passageway at the border used by porters and traders. The security forces in Ceuta said they had been aware of the coming attempt because of the huge concentration of people building up in the mountains around the enclave.

According to the Guardia Civil, none of the sub-Saharans succeeded in reaching Spain soil on this occasion.

Cocaine "laboratory" used to cut and prepare drug for sale discovered in Madrid

National Police Agents have detained six people in connection with an alleged offence against public health and dismantled a cocaine “laboratory”, where the drug was prepared and cut for distribution and sale.

Some of the detainees were employed solely in the trafficking of this substance.

The investigation started last October when information from different sources pointed to various individuals that were trafficking narcotics and especially cocaine in the Madrid district of Carabanchel.

Those arrested were not only involved in the distribution or sale of small to medium amounts but also in one of the homes searched a laboratory was found where the cocaine was mixed with chemicals with the intention of increasing the quantity and as a result gain more money.

The investigation was instigated when agents observed how one of the detained transferred two kilos of cocaine from the address in Parla to another in the district of Carabanchel. The driver of the transport used was immediately arrested and later five other men were detained at two different addresses.

The Police then armed with warrants entered one of the premises where they discovered 65 kilos of cocaine stored there. In another home, they discovered the laboratory where the drug was treated. They also found four kilos of the substance, precision scales, hand mixers, grinders and several different containers of chemicals such as ammonia, acetone, dissolvent, ethyl alcohol and hexane, all of which are used in the cutting of cocaine.

Two arrested after BBVA bank raid in Malaga

TWO people were arrested in Malaga for allegedly holding up a bank.

The events took place at a branch of BBVA in Paseo de Sancha at around 8am on Monday morning when the bank was opening.

The alarm was activating and National Police were alerted of the presence of the two intruders. A special operation was set up around the bank, the street was closed, and the men, aged 56 and 60, were arrested, one when he was attempting to flee and the other hidden in the bank. The police seized the money they had stolen and the gun used in the hold-up.

The detainees had made a hole in the wall from a neighbouring office to access the bank and were waiting inside for staff to arrive. The two employees were tied up and once the police got inside, they were assisted and the emergency services were called to the scene. One of them, a pregnant woman, had an anxiety attack and had to be treated, but no-one was injured.

Will EU sanctions come this week?

Ukrainian recruits line up to receive military instructions in Kiev's Independence Square on Tuesday, March 4.

People stand on board the Ukranian navy ship Slavutich at harbor in Sevastopol, Ukraine, on March 4. Mattresses were placed over the side of the ship to hinder any attempted assault.

A woman photographs pro-Russian soldiers guarding Ukraine's infantry base in Perevalne, Ukraine, on March 4.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, wearing a blue scarf, visits a shrine Tuesday, March 4, for the people who were killed during anti-government protests in Kiev, Ukraine, last month.

Yuli Mamchun, the commander of the Ukrainian military garrison at the Belbek air base near Sevastopol, Ukraine, salutes on March 4.

Russian soldiers stand guard at the Belbek air base on March 4.

Ukrainian military members march at the Belbek air base on March 4.

Russian soldiers fire warning shots to keep back Ukrainian military members at the Belbek air base on March 4.

A Ukrainian airman puts the Ukrainian national flag over the gate of the Belbek air base as they guard what's left under their control on March 4.

Russian soldiers aim a grenade launcher and machine gun as they guard positions at the Belbek air base on March 4.

Ukrainian seamen stand guard on the Ukrainian navy ship Slavutich in the Sevastopol harbor on Monday, March 3.

Oleg, a Ukrainian soldier, kisses his girlfriend Svetlana through the gates of the Belbek base entrance on March 3. Tensions are high at the base, where Ukrainian soldiers were standing guard inside the building while alleged Russian gunmen were standing guard outside the gates.

Wives of Ukrainian soldiers walk past Russian soldiers to visit their husbands guarding a military base in Perevalnoye on March 3.

A Russian soldier guards an area outside Ukraine's military base in the village of Perevalnoye, Ukraine, on March 3.

A sailor looks out a window near the entrance to the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 3.

Armed men in military uniform walk outside a Ukrainian military unit near Simferopol, Ukraine, on Sunday, March 2. Hundreds of armed men in trucks and armored vehicles surrounded the Ukrainian base Sunday in Crimea, blocking its soldiers from leaving.

Soldiers walk outside a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne, Ukraine, as a local resident waves a Russian flag March 2.

Demonstrators shout during a rally in Kiev's Independence Square on March 2.

Ukrainian soldiers, left, and unidentified gunmen, right, stand at the gate of an infantry base in Perevalnoye on March 2.

Ukrainian soldiers guard a gate of an infantry base in Perevalnoye on March 2.

A woman cries during a rally in Independence Square on March 2.

Protesters hold flags of the United States, Germany and Italy during a rally in Independence Square on March 2.

People attend a morning prayer service at Independence Square on March 2.

A soldier and a truck driver unload bread outside the Ukranian navy headquarters in Sevastopol, Ukraine, on March 2.

Heavily armed troops, displaying no identifying insignia and who were mingling with local pro-Russian militants, stand guard outside a local government building in Simferopol, Ukraine, on March 2.

A woman waits in front of unidentified men in military fatigues who were blocking a base of the Ukrainian frontier guard unit in Balaklava, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 1.

U.S. President Barack Obama, in the Oval Office of the White House, talks on the phone March 1 with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Troops stand guard in Balaklava on March 1.

Heavily armed soldiers displaying no identifying insignia maintain watch in Simferopol, Ukraine, on March 1.

People gather around the coffin of a man who was killed during clashes with riot police in Independence Square.

Pro-Russian activists hold Russian flags during a rally in the center of Donetsk, Ukraine, on March 1.

Pro-Russian activists clash with Maidan supporters as they storm the regional government building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 1.

A protester stands at a memorial March 1 for the people killed in clashes at Independence Square.

Armed men patrol outside the Simferopol International Airport in Ukraine's Crimea region on Friday, February 28. Simferopol is the regional capital.

An image provided to CNN by a local resident shows Russian tanks on the move in Sevastopol, Ukraine.

Russian troops block a road February 28 toward the military airport in Sevastopol, Ukraine. The Russian Black Sea Fleet is based at the port city of Sevastopol.

Armed men stand guard in front of a building near the Simferopol airport on February 28.

An armed man wearing no identifying insignia patrols outside Simferopol International Airport on February 28.

Police stand guard outside the Crimea regional parliament building Thursday, February 27, in Simferopol. Armed men seized the regional government administration building and parliament in Crimea.

Police intervene as Russian supporters gather in front of the parliament building in Simferopol on February 27.

A man adds fuel to a fire at a barricade in Independence Square on February 27. Dozens of people were killed last week during clashes between security forces and protesters.

Pro-Russia demonstrators wave Russian and Crimean flags in front of a local government building in Simferopol on February 27.

Barricades in front of a government building in Simferopol on February 27 hold a banner that reads: "Crimea Russia." There's a broad divide between those who support the pro-Western developments in Kiev and those who back Russia's continued influence in Crimea and across Ukraine.

Protesters stand in front of a government building in Simferopol on February 27. Tensions have simmered in the Crimea region since the Ukrainian president's ouster.

Protesters in support of the president's ouster rally in Independence Square, which has been the center of opposition, on Wednesday, February 26.

Security forces stand guard during clashes between opposing sides in front of Crimea's parliament building in Simferopol on February 26.

Pro-Russian demonstrators, right, clash with anti-Russian protesters in front of a government building in Simferopol on February 26.

A police officer gets pulled into a crowd of Crimean Tatars in Simferopol on February 26. The Tatars, an ethnic minority group deported during the Stalin era, is rallying in support of Ukraine's interim government.

A man places flowers at a barricade near Independence Square on February 26.

On February 26 in Kiev, A woman holds a photograph of a protester killed during the height of tensions.

Police guard a government building in Donetsk on February 26.

Protesters remove a fence that surrounds Ukraine's parliament in Kiev on February 26.

People sing the Ukrainian national anthem at Independence Square on Monday, February 24.

Gas masks used by protesters sit next to a barricade in Independence Square on February 24.

A woman cries February 24 near a memorial for the people killed in Kiev.

People wave a large Ukrainian flag in Independence Square on Sunday, February 23.

Two pro-government supporters are made to pray February 23 in front of a shrine to dead anti-government protesters.

A man and his daughter lay flowers at a memorial for protesters killed in Independence Square.

Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko speaks at Independence Square on Saturday, February 22, hours after being released from prison. Tymoshenko, considered a hero of a 2004 revolution against Yanukovych, was released after 2½ years behind bars.

Tymoshenko is greeted by supporters shortly after being freed from prison in Kharkiv on February 22.

A protester guards the entrance to Yanukovych's abandoned residence outside Kiev on February 22.

Anti-government protesters guard the streets next to the presidential offices in Kiev on February 22.

Anti-government protesters drive a military vehicle in Independence Square on February 22. Many protesters said they wouldn't leave the square until Yanukovych resigned.

Ukrainian lawmakers argue during a session of Parliament on Friday, February 21.

Men in Kiev carry a casket containing the body of a protester killed in clashes with police.

Protesters cheer after news of an agreement between the opposing sides in Kiev on February 21.

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• NEW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says there was a military coup in Ukraine


• French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says EU will consider sanctions against Russia


• "The invasion of one country into another is contrary to all international laws," he says


• Russian lawmakers threaten seizure of EU, U.S. assets in Russia if sanctions are imposed

(CNN) -- The European Union will consider sanctions against Russia if there is no deescalation in the Ukraine crisis, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Wednesday.

Possible sanctions will be on the agenda when EU leaders meet Thursday, he said via Twitter.

"The invasion of one country into another is contrary to all international laws. We must return to dialogue and to bear in mind that Ukraine should work with Russia and the EU," he said.

"We cannot accept, we members of the international community, a country that invades another."

Russian forces remain in effective control of Ukraine's southern Crimea region, in a tense standoff with Ukrainian forces loyal to the new interim government in Kiev.

Meanwhile, Russian lawmakers are working on a draft law to allow the confiscation of assets belonging to European or U.S. companies if sanctions are imposed, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said Wednesday.

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Andrei Klishas, a senior lawmaker in the upper parliament house, said the bill "would offer the president and government opportunities to defend our sovereignty from threats," the news agency reported.

It comes after a day of warring words Tuesday, when a defiant Russian President Vladimir Putin denied Russian troops were in Crimea but reserved the right to take military action to protect the safety of ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine.

He also slammed the interim government, which replaced ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, a Russian ally, as illegitimate.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking in Madrid, Spain, on Wednesday took a similar line.

He said the crisis had begun when the international community failed to react to the anti-government protests which preceded Yanukovych's ouster.

"There was a military coup and the legitimate president was removed by methods which were not in the constitution or legislation," he said.

"If we are so lenient to the people who are trying to govern our neighbor everyone must realize a bad example can be spread and there shouldn't be any double standards."

Decisions on whether international observers should be sent into Ukraine are for leaders in the country to make, he said. He pointed out that the newly installed pro-Russian government in Crimea does not see the authorities in Kiev as legitimate.

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry accused Russia of making up reasons for intervention in Ukraine, saying "not a single piece of credible evidence supports any one of these claims."

Diplomatic efforts

As the high-stakes showdown in the Russian-majority Crimea region continues, diplomatic efforts to end the crisis continue apace.

NATO members are set to meet with Russia's ambassador to the alliance, amid concerns that the crisis could spread.

Lavrov also held talks with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in Madrid, and is set to meet with Kerry later on Paris during international talks on Lebanon.

Speaking in Madrid, Lavrov said stabilization of the situation must be based on a February agreement between ousted President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition groups which called for early elections, constitutional reforms and the disbanding of illegal armed groups.

Meanwhile, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt will meet with his Danish and Norwegian counterparts in Ukraine's capital, Kiev, he said on Twitter.

Stability fears

Tuesday's diplomatic efforts bore little fruit. But some observers saw a positive sign in Putin ordering Russian troops who were on mass military exercises close to the border with Ukraine back to their bases.

No violence has yet erupted in Crimea, where Russian troops control military bases and key installations, but tensions are high.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is trying to construct what a senior U.S. administration official characterized as an "off-ramp" for Putin by having international observers in Crimea to ensure ethnic Russians' rights aren't violated.

President Barack Obama floated this idea in a call Saturday with Putin, and he and Merkel talked about it Tuesday.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Tuesday that despite repeated calls by the international community, "Russia continues to violate Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and continues to violate its international commitments."

The developments represent serious implications for the security and stability for the Euro-Atlantic area, he said.

CNN's Michael Holmes, Khushbu Shah, Neda Farshbaf and Larry Register contributed to this report.