We Are All Someone Else?s Fleas

Fernando Torres of Spain competes with Jonathan Tehau of Tahiti during a FIFA Confederations Cup group match on Thursday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

It would have annoyed Jonathan Swift to know that posterity would think of him as an Irish writer, since he considered himself thoroughly English. Born in Ireland to English parents, brought up in Ireland and educated in England, it was his bad luck to be an outsider in both countries: an Irishman in England and an Englishman in Ireland. Forced to settle for a clerical post in Dublin, which he saw as a provincial backwater, Swift had plenty of time to brood on perspective. In 1726, he published the perspective-shifting masterpiece by which he is remembered, Gulliver?s Travels.?

In brief: Dr. Lemuel Gulliver voyages to the South Seas. He is shipwrecked and washes up on the island of Lilliput, which turns out to be populated by tiny people whose affairs Gulliver regards with amused condescension. Later he again blunders off course and winds up in Brobdingnag, land of the giants, where he is reduced to the status of a performing monkey at the court.?

Swift gives the location of Lilliput as somewhere near Van Diemen?s Land, which is modern Tasmania. Brobdingnag is in the Pacific, 500 leagues east of Indonesia.?

Both countries would today be members of the Oceania Football Confederation.?

Oceania is characterized by immense watery expanses and stupendous gulfs in footballing ability that could not be much wider if Lilliput and Brobdingnag were actual members. It is the home of the double-digit score line, a land where drubbings are commonplace.

In the rest of the world, such massive margins of victory are extremely rare. Inventing the sport gave England a 50-year head start in international football, but they?ve still only won by scoring 10 or more goals five times in 141 years. Before Thursday?s 10?0 win against Tahiti, Spain had done it twice in 93 years.

Tahiti have done it 14 times. Last year they crushed Samoa 10?1 on their way to winning the Oceania Nations Cup, running in four goals in the last 15 minutes. Half the nations of Oceania have at some point writhed under the Tahitian lash. Guam, 14?0. Micronesia, 17?0. American Samoa, 18?0. The Cook Islands, 30?0.

To put Tahiti?s 14 double-digit wins in perspective, the regional superpower, Australia, managed only 10 such results before becoming exasperated with the low standard of competition and applying for a transfer to the Asian Football Confederation.?

Among the big beasts of the Confederations Cup, Tahiti are kittens?but back home that kitten is a bloodthirsty monster that toys with its prey before exterminating it. Having beaten up on so many smaller teams themselves, Tahiti knew what fate might await them at the Maracana.?

When Gulliver is in Lilliput, he feels a great responsibility not to injure or offend his tiny hosts by throwing his gigantic weight around. Some felt that the Spanish national team were confronted with a similar dilemma.

Spain were the world champions and the greatest international team to play the game. Tahiti had one full-time professional player. Would Spain risk looking ungentlemanly?even ridiculous?if they set about Tahiti with all the strength at their disposal?

The question suggests an unfamiliarity with the peculiar ethics of football. The Spanish internationals mostly play for the two giant clubs that dominate one of the world?s most unfair leagues. They know that soccer is a jungle where the strong crush the weak. The ?mercy rules? common in American kids? sports are alien to the spirit of the game. Mercy in that context means pity, and pity is contempt in disguise. Teams often ease off on a beaten opponent to conserve their own energies, but there?s no law of sportsmanship that says they have a duty to preserve the opponent?s honor?that?s the opponent?s job.

Collectively, Spain?s goal was to defend their own prestige, and that meant beating Tahiti by at least as wide a margin as Nigeria had in the last game. Individually, the Spanish attackers knew that here was a chance to pad their international stats. When they count up your goals at the end of your career, nobody will complain that a chunk of them were scored against Tahiti. There was also personal pride at stake?no Spanish forward wants to walk off the field having failed to score against a team of delivery men and PE teachers.

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2013/06/spain_tahiti_confederations_cup_2013_spain_s_10_0_victory_reveals_that_we.html

petrino clayton kershaw tyler perry face transplant fab melo google glasses kim kardashian and kanye west

Supreme Court 2013: The Year in Review

Marriage equality supporters take part in a march and rally ahead of Supreme Court arguments on legalizing same-sex marriage in New York on March 24, 2013.?

Photo by Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images

It?s such an amazing pleasure and privilege to dive into this year?s Supreme Court rulings with you. This is a venerable Slate tradition, begun by the amazing Dahlia Lithwick with (of course) you, Walter. The rest of us late-comers will do our best to uphold it. Today, the court didn?t do anything blockbuster. So that gives us a chance to look back before we get to chew over the decisions on affirmative action, the Voting Rights Act, and gay marriage next week.

I want to start by zooming back a whole year, to the end of the 2012 term. The climactic moment last June in which Chief Justice John Roberts swooped in to save Obamacare led to a lot of wondering about his intentions. Basically it came down to this: Had George W. Bush?s steely man of the right?his perfect choice for chief?gone soft? In casting the fifth vote to uphold Obamacare, was Roberts taking a first step down a sinister sinistra (leftward) path? Could he become the latest conservative to come down with the dreaded curse of late-blooming liberal-ish tendencies? My own feeling was and remains: no way. Much more evidence shows Roberts as a chief who is moving the court to the right in careful, deliberate increments. He is playing the long game. This term, so far, his most revealing moment came in City of Arlington v. FCC. It?s a kind of obscure case about the Federal Communications Commission?s power over the location of cellphone towers, but Roberts used it to rail against the size of the federal bureaucracy, ?poking into every nook and cranny of daily life,? and also to fight with Scalia over how best to dismantle it, as Doug Kendall explained in Slate. The two justices share the same end. Still, Is Roberts v. Scalia a real thing?a sign of a meaningful and potentially lasting conservative schism? Or is that just a lullaby actual liberals sing to themselves?

Speaking of Scalia, what did you make of his impassioned cry for civil liberties in Maryland v. King? In that one, five justices (the other conservatives plus Stephen Breyer) ruled that states can collect DNA from everyone who gets arrested for a serious crime. Scalia dissented, warning of worse to come: ?Make no mistake about it: As an entirely predictable consequence of today?s decision, your DNA can be taken and entered into a national DNA database if you are ever arrested, rightly or wrongly, and for whatever reason.? This is the kind of just-you-wait prediction he made 10 years ago to warn that preventing the states from criminalizing sodomy would one day lead to gay marriage. Next week, we will find out if he was right about that. Either way, what do you think of dire prediction as a rhetorical strategy?

And what about the court?s decision against gene patenting? I bought the distinction Justice Clarence Thomas made, for a unanimous court, between naturally occurring DNA (no patenting allowed) and synthetic DNA. But people who know much more about biotech than me said it?s meaningless and anachronistic. Did the court blow it, or does this argument reflect an inevitable gap in approach and understanding between law and science?

I also want to know what you make of this term?s business decisions. Dick, you and Lee Epstein and Bill Landes have crunched numbers that convinced me that the court is even more pro-business than I thought before. Which is saying something. How do this term?s rulings add to, or change, that picture?

Next week, we will of course talk about the court?s take on race in Ameica and whether it means life or death of the Voting Rights Act and affirmative action. Any predictions? I will say that as a gay-rights supporter, I?m feeling optimistic about both of the gay-marriage cases. I think the court will strike down the part of the Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman for purposes of receiving federal benefits. And I think it will also find a way to get rid of California?s gay marriage ban, without foisting gay marriage on the rest of the states that have yet to vote for it.

For me, the term?s braiding of race and sexuality raises deep questions about timing. Are we about to see the Voting Rights Act, and affirmative action, go down because the court?s conservatives are just tired of seeing race as a defining factor in American life?and think the country is, too? And are we about to see the court make a welcoming overture toward gay marriage because that is the civil rights issue whose time has come? I want to know what you all think, and I also want us to keep an eye on these questions: Which justice has or will surprise you this term, by doing what? Which decision will seem the most off base, when we look back on the year? What will we remember most vividly?

For me, the answer to that last one is the sea of gay marriage supporters on the court?s front steps. I saw opponents, too, yes, but mostly I stopped and marveled at a stand for equality the like of which I would never have imagined as a teenager, or even 20 years ago. It felt like history.

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_breakfast_table/features/2013/supreme_court_2013/gay_marriage_voting_rights_affirmative_action_how_will_the_supreme_court.html

Tom Daley Leryn Franco The Campaign Kinesio tape

'The Client List': Riley's Guilty Conscience Gets The Best Of Her In Church (VIDEO)

"666 Park Avenue"

<strong>"666 Park Ave.," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/666-park-avenue-canceled_n_2147290.html">ABC pulled the plug</a> on this supernatural drama earlier in the season.

"The Bachelor"

<strong>"The Bachelor," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: While ratings may have dropped, "The Bachelor" will likely see another season on ABC as tabloids and viewers still care about the comings and goings of contestants.

"Body of Proof"

<strong>"Body of Proof," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: ABC is keen on this Dana Delany drama, but the ratings for this upcoming third season will be the true test.

"Castle"

<strong>"Castle," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed. <strong>Why</strong>: Strong ratings and a dedicated viewership will keep "Castle" on the schedule.

"Dancing With the Stars"

<strong>"Dancing With the Stars," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The series is hurting in the ratings ... by "DWTS" standards. It's still a strong player for ABC, but the new season hasn't premiered yet.

"Don't Trust The B---- In Apt. 23"

<strong>"Don't Trust The B---- In Apt. 23," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/22/apartment-23-canceled-dont-trust-the-b_n_2528858.html">ABC pulled the low-rated comedy</a> from it schedule and the stars took to Twitter to announce the cancellation.

"Family Tools"

<strong>"Family Tools," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Too soon to tell <strong>Why</strong>: This ABC comedy has yet to debut, but a May 1 premiere date doesn't look great.

"Grey's Anatomy"

<strong>"Grey's Anatomy," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: America still loves McDreamy and the goings on at Seattle Grace. Expect "Grey's" to return.

"Happy Endings"

<strong>"Happy Endings," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: Always the bubble show, never the surefire renewal hit. "Happy Endings" has suffered from many ratings ailments, including bad scheduling (<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/14/happy-endings-friday-abc_n_2683091.html">it's moving to Friday night</a>) and lack of promo. But this ahmahzing show has some serious fans that could keep it afloat for another season ... maybe on another network (a la "Cougar Town.")

"How To Live With Your Parents (For The Rest Of Your Life)"

<strong>"How To Live With Your Parents (For The Rest Of Your Life)," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Too soon to tell <strong>Why</strong>: The ABC comedy starring Sarah Chalke has yet to debut, but its late season bow doesn't exactly bode well for its future.

"Last Man Standing"

<strong>"Last Man Standing," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Viewers still love Tim Allen! Paired with "Malibu Country," "Last Man Standing" has been performing well on Friday nights and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/14/jonathan-taylor-thomas-last-man-standing-home-improvement_n_2686307.html">will soon see Allen's "Home Improvement" co-star Jonathan Tyler Thomas</a>.

"Last Resort"

<strong>"Last Resort," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/last-resort-canceled-abc_n_2147316.html">ABC killed the Shawn Ryan drama</a> in late 2012.

"Malibu Country"

<strong>"Malibu Country," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: "Malibu Country" has been performing well on Friday nights. Lesson: Never underestimate the star power of Reba.

"The Middle"

<strong>"The Middle," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Now in its fourth season, "The Middle" is still pulling in more than 8 million viewers an episode as the anchor of ABC's Wednesday comedies.

"Mistresses"

<strong>"Mistresses," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Too soon to tell <strong>Why</strong>: The drama, which is based on the UK series of the same name, just got a Monday, May 27 premiere date. Though the scheduling struggle doesn't bode well, the ABC drama does have Alyssa Milano and "Lost" alum Yunjin Kim leading the foursome.

"Modern Family"

<strong>"Modern Family," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: A fan favorite and Emmy darling, "Modern Family" will be back and will make ABC lots of money in syndication.

"Nashville"

<strong>"Nashville," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: Critical acclaim doesn't always equate to rating success. The show has stabilized in Nielsen ratings, but its future really depends on the strength of ABC's drama pilots.

"The Neighbors"

<strong>"The Neighbors," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: One of the few "hits" of the season, "The Neighbors" has found an audience and kept it pretty steadily week after week (<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/11/abc-shows-fall-tv-2012-2013_n_1581796.html">much to our dismay</a>).

"Once Upon a Time"

<strong>"Once Upon a Time," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: A ratings hit in its second season, "Once Upon a Time" is almost sure to be back for a third season full of fairytale adventures.

"Private Practice"

<strong>"Private Practice," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Ended <strong>Why</strong>: The "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff said goodbye in January 2013.

"Red Widow"

<strong>"Red Widow," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Too soon to tell <strong>Why</strong>: The show has a late February debut on ABC.

"Revenge"

<strong>"Revenge," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: "Revenge" has fallen out of critical favor and seen lower ratings in its new Sunday night home. But none of ABC's freshman dramas are doing well, so that works in the show's favor.

"Rookie Blue"

<strong>"Rookie Blue," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The Canadian co-production will return for a fourth season on ABC during the summer of 2013.

"Scandal"

<strong>"Scandal," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Shonda Rhimes has another hit on her hands. Now in its second season, "Scandal" has benefited from word-of-mouth and has been rising in the ratings (even recently beating out its lead in "Grey's Anatomy"). A likable star -- Kerry Washington -- and continued buzz will keep "Scandal" on the schedule.

"Suburgatory"

<strong>"Suburgatory," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: The series started Season 2 off strong in the ratings, but its audience has slowly eroded. Its not the worst-performing ABC sitcom, but its buzziness has died down as well.

"Zero Hour"

<strong>"Zero Hour," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: The Anthony Edwards vehicle debuted to 6.3 million viewers with a 1.3 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, making it <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/15/zero-hour-ratings_n_2695800.html">the least-watched premiere for a scripted series in ABC's history</a>. Things only got worse from there.

"2 Broke Girls"

<strong>"2 Broke Girls," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: CBS renewed "2 Broke Girls" in March of 2013.

"The Amazing Race"

<strong>"The Amazing Race," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: As an Emmy and fan favorite, "The Amazing Race" has been a strong player for CBS.

"The Big Bang Theory"

<strong>"The Big Bang Theory," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Now in its sixth season, "Big Bang" is reaching series-high ratings. Even up against reality powerhouse "American Idol," "The Big Bang Theory" has been delivering with crazy high numbers in the 18-49 demographic, beating out what was once Fox's juggernaut.

"Blue Bloods"

<strong>"Blue Bloods," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The Tom Selleck-fronted police drama is a strong ratings performer for CBS on Fridays.

"Criminal Minds"

<strong>"Criminal Minds," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: As one of CBS's strong procedural players, the series has been steady in the ratings and will likely be renewed to help anchor a night and launch a new drama.

"CSI"

<strong>"CSI," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Of the two "CSI" shows on the air, "CSI" is the stronger player in the TV landscape. The show is nowhere near its earlier ratings, but Ted Danson signed on for more and the show will be back.

"CSI: NY"

<strong>"CSI: NY," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: The spinoff series will be entering Season 10 in the 2013-2014 season. The ratings have faded over the years, but they're still pretty stable, especially for Fridays. It's a toss up, depending on how well CBS's development slate goes.

"Elementary"

<strong>"Elementary," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: One of the very few freshman series hits during the 2012-2013 TV season, CBS is very keen on this modern-day take on Sherlock Holmes. The audience has been steady and the network even gave it the post-Super Bowl timeslot.

"Golden Boy"

<strong>"Golden Boy," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Too soon to tell <strong>Why</strong>: CBS certainly has a handsome star at the front of this cop drama, but its late season entry and Friday timeslot could be a hint toward CBS's confidence in the show.

"The Good Wife"

<strong>"The Good Wife," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: A former ratings champ, "The Good Wife" has slipped to series low ratings on Sunday nights. Blame football overrun, fan-detested storylines or too many guest stars, but "The Good Wife" has star power and critical praise, plus its nearing a good syndication sweet spot.

"Hawaii Five-0"

<strong>"Hawaii Five-0," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: In March, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/the-good-wife-renewed-season-5_n_2965829.html" target="_hplink">CBS announced "Hawaii Five-0" received an early renewal along with several of its other popular programs</a>.

"How I Met Your Mother"

<strong>"How I Met Your Mother," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: CBS handed out a ninth and final season to this comedy with the entire cast returning. Expect to meet the mother, finally.

"Made In Jersey"

<strong>"Made In Jersey," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: CBS pulled the plug on this legal drama very early on in the season because of low ratings.

"The Mentalist"

<strong>"The Mentalist," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: "The Mentalist" has fallen to mediocre ratings -- by CBS standards -- but it was nonetheless renewed in March of 2013.

"Mike & Molly"

<strong>"Mike & Molly," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The ratings are down a little bit from last year, but Melissa McCarthy's star continues to rise.

"NCIS"

<strong>"NCIS," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: CBS reached a deal with series star Mark Harmon in early 2013, keeping the No. 1 show in America around for a Season 11.

"NCIS: LA"

<strong>"NCIS: LA," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Viewers love their "NCIS," in any form. The ratings have been strong and the network is producing a backdoor spinoff pilot for this spinoff show. A full night of "NCIS" could be in CBS's future.

"Partners"

<strong>"Partners," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: Low ratings and unfavorable reviews led to the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/partners-canceled-cbs_n_2145832.html">early demise</a> of this CBS comedy.

"Person of Interest"

<strong>"Person of Interest," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The series has developed a nice-sized audience, bigger than its first season.

"Rules of Engagement"

<strong>"Rules of Engagement," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Honestly, who knows <strong>Why</strong>: This comedy has been on the bubble since it premiered ... yet is now in its seventh season. It's too soon to look at the numbers for this season, but the show has been a midseason success for CBS in the past. However, series co-star <a href="http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/02/07/cbs-orders-comedy-pilot-starring-patrick-warburton/">Patrick Warburton is attached to star in a new pilot</a> ... for CBS.

"Survivor"

<strong>"Survivor," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: A strong player for the last 13 years, "Survivor" will be back. But due to its <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/14/survivor-ratings-lowest-premiere-ever_n_2687591.html">most recent premiere ratings</a>, we might not see it during the fall season, though a midseason or summer return -- with some new gimmick -- is definitely in the cards for the reality series.

"Two and a Half Men"

<strong>"Two and a Half Men," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: CBS wants another season of this bawdy hit, it's just a matter of getting its stars to sign back on.

"Undercover Boss"

<strong>"Undercover Boss," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The show is enjoying life in syndication and its Season 4 numbers are better than most of its third season.

"Unforgettable"

<strong>"Unforgettable," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Uncanceled <strong>Why</strong>: CBS canceled the Poppy Montgomery drama last season ... and then revived it! Season 2 premieres Sunday, July 28.

"Vegas"

<strong>"Vegas," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: Despite star power, the series hasn't been a breakout hit in the ratings. CBS previously canceled "Unforgettable" (then uncanceled it) last season when it was doing about the same as "Vegas."

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/29/the-client-list-guilt-church-video_n_3176649.html

Jill Kelley hope solo hope solo tesla model s tesla model s Black Ops 2 Secede

Britain's PM says concerned about claims of torture in UAE

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron is concerned about allegations that three Britons charged with drug offences in Dubai have been tortured, his office said on Sunday, two days before the president of the United Arab Emirates visits Britain.

Grant Cameron, Karl Williams and Suneet Jeerh have been held in the UAE since taking a holiday there in July 2012. Police said they had found a form of synthetic cannabis in their hire car. They are due to hear a verdict in their case on Monday.

All three pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of illegal drugs and said police had subjected them to beatings and threatened them with guns, allegations the police deny.

In a letter to Reprieve, a London-based legal charity which campaigns for prisoner rights, Cameron said Britain had repeatedly raised concerns about the torture allegations with the UAE, saying the authorities' failure to organize a full medical examination of the men was worrisome.

"We continue to press for evidence of a full, impartial and independent investigation," Cameron wrote.

Cameron's intervention on the eve of a state visit to Britain by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan was welcomed by Reprieve, which has been supporting the three men, but is likely to irritate the oil-rich Gulf state.

Britain is hoping the visit will boost trade between the two countries, which has in the past focused on defense contracts.

The UAE leader will arrive on Tuesday and be hosted by Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, hold a meeting with Cameron, and have tea with the Prince of Wales. He will be accompanied by a high-level government delegation during the two-day visit.

Reprieve said the case raised troubling questions.

"The prime minister's concern is welcome, but it is hard to see how a state visit is appropriate for the president of a country which has tortured our own citizens," Kate Higham, one of its investigators, said in a statement.

"At the very least, the mistreatment of these three men must be a central issue for discussion during the visit."

There is zero tolerance for drug-related offences in the United Arab Emirates, a regional business hub and tourist destination where millions of expatriates live and work. There are severe penalties for drug trafficking and possession.

Last year, a British citizen and a Syrian were sentenced to death by a UAE court after they were convicted of selling drugs to an undercover policeman. The sentences were later commuted to four years in prison.

The mother of one of the men told BBC TV her son's arrest had been a "horror story" and that she hoped the UAE leader would intervene.

"I sincerely hope that he is able to look into the case and show a level of clemency to the boys because, sincerely, that's what needs to happen in this case and hopefully, once he's made aware, he can make that happen," said Tracy Cameron. She said lawyers believed her son was likely to be found guilty of at least one charge and could be jailed for 15 years or longer.

(Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Stephen Powell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/britains-pm-says-concerned-claims-torture-uae-163222711.html

Patriots Day aubrey plaza boston marathon turbotax Catching Fire trailer Marfa Texas leonhard euler

'Mortal Instruments' Actor Robert Sheehan Makes Magic Out Of The Mundane

Actor takes MTV News behind the scenes of upcoming 'City of Bones' adaptation.
By Amy Wilkinson, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706470/mortal-instruments-city-of-bones-simon.jhtml

whitney houston found dead i will always love you whitney houston 2012 grammy awards powerball results pebble beach golf beverly hilton roland martin

'Derrick' actor: Nazi with SS? Dutch TV pulls show

'Derrick' actor: Nazi with SS? The late German actor Horst Tappert, known for his role as TV sleuth Stefan Derrick, was reportedly a member of a Nazi SS unit during World War II.

By Frank Jordans,?Associated Press / April 27, 2013

Reports that the late German actor Horst Tappert, best known for his longtime role as dapper TV sleuth Stefan Derrick, served in a feared Nazi SS unit prompted at least one European broadcaster to announce Saturday that it would drop the show's reruns from its schedule.

Skip to next paragraph

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of
The Christian Science Monitor
Weekly Digital Edition

Dutch TV station MAX pulled reruns of the show, which was produced from 1974 to 1998, after daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung published documents Friday showing the actor had been in the SS during World War II.

"Derrick" was one of the most widely syndicated German TV shows, broadcast in over 100 countries including China, Australia, France and Norway.

"We are not going to honor an actor like this who has lied about his past," Dutch public broadcaster NOS quoted MAX chairman Jan Slagter as saying.

Tappert had spoken of his wartime service as a medic in an interview 10 years before his death in 2008. But he didn't mention that his unit was part of the elite SS Armored Infantry Regiment 1, nicknamed the "Skulls" after the emblem they wore.

The SS is known to have committed atrocities during World War II but it was unclear from the newly discovered documents whether Tappert was directly involved.

The German news organization Der Spiegel reports:

"The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported on Friday that Tappert was a member of an SS anti-aircraft group (SS-Flakabteilung), in Arolsen, Germany, that was under the command of the notorious Waffen-SS.

Sociologist J?rg Becker uncovered a document showing Tappert had been a member of the SS while conducting research at the German agency WASt -- which maintains records of members of the former Wehrmacht, the German military under the Nazis -- for a memoir he is writing about another person. Becker told the newspaper the document shows that Tappert became a member of the Waffen-SS as a low-level grenadier by March 1943 at the latest, at the age of 19."

Peter Grune, a spokesman for German public broadcaster ZDF that co-produced the show's 281 episodes, said nobody at the station had known of Tappert's SS past.

"Stories like these come up now and again," he said. "For us it's not an urgent matter because he's dead."

The hidden history of prominent Germans' involvement in the war has become a subject of public debate again in recent years, after being largely ignored for decades.

In 2006, German Nobel literature laureate Guenter Grass admitted in an autobiography that he had been a member of the SS in the final months of the war. The revelation hurt Grass' image as one of the 'moral consciences' in post-war Germany.

Earlier this year ZDF broadcast a three-part drama about the war, accompanied by a publicity campaign that urged Germans to seek out survivors of the Nazi period and ask them about the role they played at the time.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/rRdRgsza29c/Derrick-actor-Nazi-with-SS-Dutch-TV-pulls-show

Outside Lands washington post Family Guy Boston Marathon revolution huffington post What is ricin Boston Marathon Explosion

NY college crew team finds giant floating 'head'

(Ends first round) NEW YORK, April 25 (Reuters) - Selections in the first roundof the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on Thursday (picknumber, NFL team, player, position, college): 1-Kansas City, Eric Fisher, offensive tackle, Central Michigan 2-Jacksonville, Luke Joeckel, offensive tackle, Texas A&M 3-Miami (from Oakland), Dion Jordan, defensive tackle, Oregon 4-Philadelphia, Lane Johnson, offensive tackle, Oklahoma 5-Detroit, Ezekiel Ansah, defensive end, Brigham Young 6-Cleveland, Barkevious Mingo, linebacker, LSU 7-Arizona, Jonathan Cooper, guard, North Carolina 8-St. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ny-college-crew-team-finds-giant-floating-head-121543229.html

oh the places you ll go blunt amendment justin bieber birthday read across america vikings stadium breitbart dead db cooper