There is an epidemic of cheating in college and job exams in India. The competition is incredible: millions of applicants are fighting for thousands, at best, tens of thousands of places. All this has become fertile ground for numerous fraudulent schemes, the most popular and profitable of which is the leaking of exam questions before exams along with the answers for considerable money in India.

The work of Russian legislators has long turned into a cruel farce. Back in 2012, the State Duma of the Russian Federation received the nickname “mad printer” for the fact that it passes new laws quickly and thoughtlessly, and in 2013, with the light hand of Vladimir Pozner, it began to be called the “State Fool”. But there is no limit to perfection; the State Duma continues to set new records for speed and senselessness in its work.

Chapter from Elena Pervushina’s book “Galoshes against wet shoes. About Russian and non-Russian words in our speech" (new from the Bombora publishing house). Subscribe to read in full Subscribe to Redefine.Media to read Republic Subscribe [You can pay with a Russian or foreign card. The subscription is renewed automatically. You can unsubscribe at any time.] Where does the subscribers' money go? Most Republic content is available through a paid subscription.

Moscow, February 11, 2024, K-Pop style party at Live Club Maxim Shemetov/REUTERS/ Scanpix “It is difficult to understand history - every corrupt rabble has tried to do it - but even if you do not completely trust “history”, it is quite appropriate to assume that from time to time the accumulated energy of an entire generation suddenly bursts out in a delightful flash of brightness.

The regime of the Assad clan in Syria, despite its recent inglorious collapse, should still be considered successful for the Middle East. Without the support of any tradition, without gigantic hydrocarbon reserves and holding purely sham elections, father Hafez and son Bashar collectively held power for more than half a century in Syria, which was exceptionally restless even by local standards. Why did local residents tolerate a greedy and intolerant “dynasty” for so long?

Before the holidays, The Washington Post published an article about how to improve your gift-giving skills. “While choosing the perfect gift depends on many factors—context, relationship type, and intimacy—research on how to give gifts can shed light on common mistakes and help you become a better gift giver.” Here are 12 tips to help make your gifts more valuable to the recipient.