This Week in Culture: June 19 - June 25
From France
More than 12,000 French teenagers have signed a petition claiming that they couldn’t answer a question regarding Ian McEwan’s Atonement on their baccalaureate English exam since it contained the word “coping,” which was too incomprehensible. They consider the question to be impossible to answer because “coping” isn’t a word that is commonly used, and only those who are fluent in or close to mastering the English language would have been able to answer it.
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From China
The traditional Dragon Boat Festival, which is also known as Tuen Ng or Duanwu Festival, was celebrated recently to commemorate Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet and patriot, who sacrificed his life in the Miluo River to condemn government corruption. The Duanwu Festival is celebrated every year on the Chinese lunar calendar’s fifth day of the fifth month.
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From Liberia
The chief of the Liberia Football Association, Musa Bility, has announced his candidacy for FIFA presidency following the association’s major corruption scandal and the resignation of its former president, Sepp Blatter. Bility is the second African to ever make a bid for this prestigious position, and he has expressed his interest in allowing Africa to become a leader in the FIFA organization.
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From Argentina
Argentina’s president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, won’t be finding another position in office to fill following the end of her second term on December 10 this year. However, Fernández is still expected to remain working for the government as an influential figure in the Front for Victory coalition mainly because she has held public offices for over twenty years.
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From India
In Bibipur, Haryana, an innovative contest encouraged parents to take selfies with their daughters for a chance to win a trophy and a certificate for recognition, as well as 2,100 rupees. There were approximately 800 entries that helped shine light on Haryana’s low gender ratio, which resulted from various issues such as parental neglect, discrimination against young females, and illegal sex-selective abortion.
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