Jan
28

Why haven't we learned from fires?

STORY HIGHLIGHTSPyrotechnics, overcrowding, poor exits have contributed to tragic fires in recent yearsYou would think the world would have learned from past incidents, John Barylick saysConcertgoers have to be their own fire marshals, he saysEditor's note: John Barylick, author of "Killer Show," a book on the 2003 Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island, is an attorney who represented victims in wrongful...
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Iran sends monkey into space

TEHRAN: Iran on Monday successfully sent a monkey into orbit, paving the way for a manned space flight, Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi told state television.Arabic-language channel Al-Alam and other Iranian news agencies said the monkey returned alive after travelling in a capsule to an altitude of 120 kilometres (75 miles) for a sub-orbital flight."This success is the first step towards...
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Brazil club fire: Pushing, shoving, then panic

Hundreds dead in Brazil nightclub fireHundreds dead in Brazil nightclub fireHundreds dead in Brazil nightclub fireHundreds dead in Brazil nightclub fireHundreds dead in Brazil nightclub fireHundreds dead in Brazil nightclub fireHundreds dead in Brazil nightclub fireHundreds dead in Brazil nightclub fireHundreds dead in Brazil nightclub fireHundreds dead in Brazil nightclub fireHundreds dead in Brazil...
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Missteps hiked Brazil night club blaze death toll

Updated 3:20 a.m. EST SANTA MARIA, Brazil A fast-moving fire roared through a crowded, windowless nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, filling the air in seconds with flames and a thick, toxic smoke that killed more than 230 panicked party-goers, many of whom were caught in a stampede to escape. Inspectors believe the blaze began when a band's small pyrotechnics show ignited foam sound insulating...
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'Barrier of Bodies' Trapped Nightclub Fire Victims

The bodies of the young college students were found piled up just inside the entrance of the Kiss nightclub, among more than 230 people who died in a cloud of toxic smoke after a blaze enveloped the crowded locale within seconds and set off a panic.Hours later, the horrific chaos had transformed into a scene of tragic order, with row upon row of polished caskets of the dead...
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Jan
27

Women in infantry: Tough challenge?

Hospital Corpsman Shannon Crowley packs for a mission as Lance Cpl.. Kristi Baker sits on her bed in 2010 in Afghanistan.STORY HIGHLIGHTSMaren Leed: Ban on women in combat has hurt operations, women's promotionLeed: Integrating women into the physically demanding infantry presents challenges Women are already in combat; she says, the "front line" and "rear line" no longer existLeed: Research into...
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Iraq inks oil exploration deal with Kuwait Energy

BAGHDAD: Iraqi energy officials on Sunday signed an oil exploration deal with a Kuwait-led group, finalising a deal that was altered to expel a Turkish firm amid worsening ties with Ankara.A contract was inked with Kuwait Energy and Dragon Oil of the United Arab Emirates to explore a 900-square-kilometre (350-square-mile) block thought to contain oil in south Iraq, near the country's border...
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At least 245 killed in Brazil nightclub fire, report says

By Shasta Darlington, CNNupdated 9:19 AM EST, Sun January 27, 2013STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Bodies have been taken to a nearby sporting complex; anxious families wait outsideNEW: State media reports that at least 245 people are deadSome people were trampled in the panic to leave the club, Band News reportsThe fire started at about 2 a.m. at the Kiss nightclub in Santa MariaAre you there? Share your storySao...
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At least 5 die in Chicago shootings

CHICAGO Authorities are investigating the shooting deaths of five people in a single day of bloodshed in Chicago. Police Officer Daniel O'Brien says Saturday's first killing occurred at around 2:15 a.m. on the city's west side when a gunman opened fire on two men who were sitting in a parked car, killing one and wounding the other. Investigators say a few hours later, someone opened fire on three...
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Squatter, Bank of America Battle for $2.5M Mansion

Bank of America is taking a Florida man to court after he attempted to use an antiquated state law to legally take possession of a $2.5 million mansion that is currently owned by the bank.Andre "Loki" Barbosa has lived in a five-bedroom Boca Raton, Fla., waterside property since July, and police have reportedly been unable to remove him.The Brazilian national, 23, who reportedly...
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