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U.S. studies dhow's collision with carrier

WASHINGTON - The Navy is investigating how a small wooden boat was able to approach and ram into an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf last month, military officials said.

The collision appears to have been accidental, Navy official says, but has renewed fears of suicide attacks against U.S. warships. Nearly four years ago, a deadly terrorist strike against a Navy destroyer in Yemen led to significant changes in the way the service deals with civilian craft.

On the night of July 22, a dhow smashed into the starboard hull of the USS John F. Kennedy and sank. No survivors from the traditional Arab sailing boat were found. The dhow's origin, cargo and destination are unknown.

LESCHERAINES, France - Fire struck an equestrian school before dawn Thursday in the mountains of eastern France, killing seven teenagers as they slept. Two adults were also believed dead, and a riding instructor was severely burned.

The charred wooden dormitory was 100 yards from the horse stables, which were untouched by the blaze.

The seven teenagers, between 13 and 15 years old, were from the area but stayed at the school overnight, local authorities said. No details on their identities were made public.

PAKISTAN: Japanese rescuers are searching for two climbers who disappeared last week while scaling one of the world's highest peaks in northern Pakistan and now are sending radio messages for help, an official said Thursday.

The missing mountaineers, whose identity and nationalities were not released by authorities, were trying to scale K-2, the world's second-highest peak after Mount Everest, when they "lost contact with their base camp" July 28, said Saeed Ahmad Khan, home secretary in the country's Northern Areas.

KYRGYZSTAN: Six mountaineers - five Czechs and a Russian - trying to conquer one of Kyrgyzstan's highest peaks were swept to their deaths Thursday in an avalanche, a tour operator said.

A sixth Czech climber and a Russian were injured, and five Russians were missing.

The dead and injured were among a 50-person group that included 22 Czech climbers moving up the Khan Tengri peak. Two women were among those killed, said Yelena Kalashnikova, a company representative. She said nearly all the survivors had reported back to base camp.