Jet crash investigation

Jet crash investigation

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Investigators were searching in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday for debris from two F-15C Eagles that could help determine the cause of a midair crash that killed a pilot during a training exercise. Training flights from Eglin Air Force Base, where the two flights originated, have been temporarily stopped while the base mourns. The pilot of the second single-seat F-15C Eagle was released from the hospital in good condition, said Sgt. Bryan Franks, spokesman for Eglin’s 33rd Fighter Wing. The other pilot’s family was told of his death late Wednesday. Both pilots had ejected and were located by rescuers Wednesday evening.

Tabby keeps heart happy?

MINNEAPOLIS — A new study suggests cat owners are less likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than people who, well, don’t own cats. And no, dogs don’t do the same trick. The study, by researchers at the University of Minnesota, found that feline-less people were 30 percent to 40 percent more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than those with cats. Yet dog owners had the same rate as nonowners. “No protective effect of dogs as domestic pets was observed,” said the study, which was presented Thursday at the International Stroke Conference in New Orleans. Dr. Adnan Qureshi, a stroke expert at the university, said he decided to raise the question because other studies have suggested pets can help reduce stress.

‘Virtual’ fence approved

WASHINGTON — The government has approved the first “virtual” fence along the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, a 28-mile stretch of technology that will use radars and surveillance cameras to try to catch people entering the country illegally. The Bush administration also plans to use some of the technology in other parts of Arizona and in Texas. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff planned to announce his approval of the virtual fence, built by the Boeing Co., today.

Game in international flap

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Monopoly, the iconic game of capitalism, has been drawn into the dispute over Jerusalem. Hasbro Inc. issued an apology Thursday after an employee, responding to complaints from pro-Palestinian groups, eliminated the word “Israel” after the city in an online contest to select names for a new Monopoly board game: Monopoly Here and Now: The World Edition. The company also pulled all country names from other cities on the site when even more people complained, including the Israeli government, because Jerusalem was listed as the only city without a country. The Pawtucket-based company is asking people to vote at the Monopoly Web site on which cities will be included in the new edition. Until Tuesday, every city on the site listed a country, including Paris, France; Cairo, Egypt and Jerusalem, Israel. But an employee based in London decided on her own without consulting senior management to pull “Israel” from Jerusalem after hearing complaints from pro-Palestinian groups and bloggers who argue that the city is not a part of Israel, Hasbro spokesman Wayne Charness said Thursday.

Researchers seek safety

LOS ANGELES — The University of California went to court Thursday to try to keep animal rights activists away from UCLA employees and graduate students who say they have been threatened because of their research. Three times since June 2006, Molotov cocktail-type devices have been left near the homes of faculty members who oversee or participate in research that involves animals, according to a statement from the University of California, Los Angeles. Researchers’ homes have also been vandalized and they have received threatening phone calls and e-mails, according to the university. The University of California’s Board of Regents filed suit in Superior Court in Santa Monica on Thursday, seeking a temporary restraining order and permanent injunctions keeping activists away from UCLA employees and graduate students engaged in such research, said university spokesman Phil Hampton.

Afghan killings increase

KABUL, Afghanistan — A ruthless new generation of Afghan insurgents is casting aside Taliban doctrine that opposed killing large numbers of civilians, instead using more powerful explosives and packing bombs with ball bearings to maximize kills. The recent bombings are part of a bloody trend in the deepening Afghan conflict. Militants have stepped up attacks, and NATO has boosted its forces and taken the fight to the Taliban. Last year was the deadliest since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, with over 6,500 people killed in militant-related violence, mostly Taliban fighters. Both sides have caused civilian deaths. According to an Associated Press count based on figures from Afghan and Western officials, militants killed 480 civilians in 2007, while U.S. or NATO action killed 360 civilians — many of them in airstrikes.

Combined dispatches