Free Republic

MEXICO CITY - A new proposal from Mexico's ruling party could send musicians to prison for performing songs that glorify drug trafficking. The law would bring prison sentences of up to three years for people who perform or produce songs or movies glamorizing criminals. "Society sees drug ballads as nice, pleasant, inconsequential and harmless, but they are the opposite," National Action Party lawmaker Oscar Martin Arce told The Associated Press on Thursday. The ballads, known as "narcocorridos," often describe drug trafficking and violence, and are popular among some norteno bands. After some killings, gangs pipe narcocorridos into police radio scanners,...

Man not found near family in S.A. THREE RIVERS — The U.S. Marshals Office in Corpus Christi is looking for community help finding Adam Villarreal, who escaped from the Three Rivers Federal Prison Camp on Sunday between midnight and 3 a.m. Villarreal was serving a 156 months after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute 5kg or more of cocaine in Dec. of 2003. The escaped inmate has a criminal history of possession of controlled substance, unlawful carrying a weapon and thefts. Most of Villarreal’s family reside in the San Antonio area, however and intense search for him in...

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has ordered disciplinary proceedings against the head of the oil-for-food programme in Iraq, Benon Sevan. The move came after an independent report accused Mr Sevan of unethical conduct undermining the UN's integrity. Inquiry head Paul Volcker revealed in the initial findings by his panel that Mr Sevan repeatedly asked Iraqis to allocate oil to a particular company. Mr Sevan denies any wrongdoing and said he was being made a scapegoat. The defunct scheme let Iraq sell oil to buy food and medicine to ease the effects of international sanctions. It ran from 1996 to 2003. Among...