The Flyer’s World: A Roundup of International News From Harvard Cheating Scam to Possible UN Action on Syria
PDF Alex Veeneman, Opinions Editor
Harvard students disciplined for exam cheating
BOSTON — Students at Harvard University have been asked to leave temporarily after a cheating scandal surrounding an undergraduate political science course.
More than half of the 125 students investigated in the final exam cheating scandal in the introduction to congress course were asked to leave, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, with approximately half of those students receiving disciplinary probation, and the rest having no punishment.
The report adds that the university is looking to implement an honor code, according to an email from Michael D. Smith, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard. Lewis University has a no-tolerance policy when it comes to cheating and plagiarism.
Calls for more female Assembly members in Wales
CARDIFF, Wales — The presiding officer of the Welsh Assembly has called on Wales’ main political parties to see that more women are represented.
Rosemary Butler, the Labour AM, in a letter written after a conference on the matter at the Assembly, said there had been a decline since 2006.
“We achieved 50 percent representation in 2003 which rose to 52 percent in 2006, making the Assembly a world leader in women’s political representation,” Butler said. “After the 2007 and 2011 elections, we have seen these impressive statistics decline, and although initial predictions suggested that women’s representation would decline further than they actually did in 2011, it concerns me that we will see a further drift if political parties do not address the issue in advance of the elections in 2016.”
The leaders of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, the Welsh Conservatives and Plaid Cymru (the Party of Wales) said they were all committed to ensuring equality in the Assembly for the future.
Similar calls have been made by a group in Iowa in light of the news of the retirement of Senator Tom Harkin, according to a report from the Des Moines Register.
Brahimi urges UN action on Syria
NEW YORK — The United Nations and Arab League’s envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, has said the crisis in Syria has reached “unprecedented levels of horror.”
Speaking to members of the U.N.’s Security Council, Brahimi said, according to a report from the BBC, that Syria was being destroyed bit by bit.
“Unprecedented levels of horror have been reached,” Brahimi said. “The tragedy does not have an end. The country is breaking up before everyone’s eyes. Only the international community can help, and first and foremost the Security Council.”
Brahimi added in a press conference afterward that the Council needed to take immediate action. Western governments such as the U.S., France and the U.K. have urged resolutions that would see sanctions against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, the BBC report added, while Russia and China have vetoed measures. Russian officials have also refused calls for Assad to step down, the report added.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in an interview with CBS, said the U.S. was right not to militarily intervene in Syria, according to a report from the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph.
‘Idol’ discrimination lawsuit filed
LOS ANGELES — The reality television program “American Idol” and its television network Fox have been included in a lawsuit alleging that nine former African-American contestants were discriminated against because of their race.
Entertainment lawyer James Freeman, in a letter filed with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, accused the program’s producers of exploiting contestants in an attempt to improve ratings, according to a report from the British newspaper The Guardian.
A representative for Fox declined to comment. A representative for the EEOC declined to comment citing confidentiality laws.
Chicago museums see attendance rise
CHICAGO — Museums and zoos in Chicago and surrounding communities have seen an increase in visitors, according to newly released statistics.
According to a report from the Associated Press, the members of the Museums Work for Chicago group saw attendance rise by about 600,000 for 2012, with the Lincoln Park Zoo getting 3.5 million visitors. The Brookfield Zoo followed with 2.3 million visitors and the Shedd Aquarium had 2.1 million visitors.
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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