The Flyer’s World: A Roundup of International News
PDF Alex Veeneman, Opinions Editor
UK, France backs Syrian opposition party
LONDON — British Foreign Secretary William Hague has said the government recognizes the opposition coalition in Syria as the country’s sole legitimate representative. Speaking on the floor of the House of Commons in London Nov. 20, Hague said that the coalition has been invited to appoint a political representative to the U.K. and to receive a grant of 1 million pounds ($1.59 million) to help with communications.
The move comes after French president Francois Hollande said Nov. 13 that his government recognizes the opposition coalition in Syria as the country’s sole legitimate representative, according to a BBC report. Members of the opposition met in the Qatari capital Doha Nov. 12 to form the party, the report adds.
Canadian mayors want more money for road projects
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The mayor of the Canadian city of Vancouver, Gregor Robertson, said the country’s cities are heading for a crisis in infrastructure if the government does not give funding to a new program.
At a meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Nov. 13, mayors said as the program was due to expire in 2014, a commitment of CA$2.5 billion was needed by the government to ensure Canada’s competitiveness.
In a statement to The Flyer, Denis Lebel, Canada’s Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, said the proposal would be considered.
“Our new plan will recognize the need for investments in infrastructure while ensuring affordability and respecting taxpayers’ ability to pay, in this time of restraint,” Lebel said.
Google and Microsoft patent trial begins
SEATTLE — A trial has begun to resolve a patent license dispute between the technology companies Google and Microsoft.
The trial concerns Motorola, acquired by Google, which claims Apple should pay $4 billion per year for patents related to video coding and connectivity, according to a report from the BBC.
Google did not respond to a telephone message seeking comment. In a statement, Microsoft’s corporate vice president and deputy general counsel, David Howard, said the company was grateful to present the case to the court.
Art museums to exchange with Louvre
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco’s two public art museums are to start an exchange with the Louvre Museum in Paris.
The partnership began with the opening of an exhibition of royal treasures Nov. 15 at the Legion of Honor, according to a report from local station KQED. Diane Wilsey, the museum board’s executive director, told KQED that there would be new opportunities for scholarship work.
More than 250,000
London 2012 tickets unsold
LONDON — The organizing committee of the London 2012 Olympics said 264,000 tickets of last summer’s events went unsold, including more than 250,000 tickets to soccer matches.
In a letter obtained by the BBC, the Paralympics also saw 55,000 tickets go unsold. There were 11.3 million tickets available for events, the letter adds, but organizers did beat the target of UK ticket sales for the events.
Photo above courtesy of sxc.hu.
About the Author
Alex Veeneman has served as the Opinions Editor since January of 2012. He's a journalist and a fan of music, public broadcasting, hockey and soccer. Veeneman is interested in world news and stories about the media.
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