Free Republic

OTTAWA — The United States Embassy has confirmed that negotiations are underway to see if the massive concrete barriers on the perimeter of the property can be removed without jeopardizing its security. The city wants the barriers on Sussex Drive and MacKenzie Avenue replaced with bollards and lanes freed for traffic, and an embassy spokeswoman said talks are going on with the National Capital Commission and the city about the projected road improvements. Sophie Nadeau would not discuss details of the planned changes to security arrangements around the embassy, which were put in place in 2003 after the 9/11 attacks,...

SAO PAULO, Brazil - Thousands of fans surged through security barriers Saturday at an autograph session for a wildly popular Mexican band, leaving three people crushed to death and 38 injured, mostly teenagers. The incident came only weeks after police in New Jersey and Texas also struggled to contain unexpectedly large turnouts of fans for the RBD band, which stars in the television show "Rebelde." The show has made RBD one of the most popular groups in Latin America and among Spanish-speaking communities in the United States. Between 10,000 and 15,000 fans gathered outside a shopping center in Sao Paulo...