🇳🇦NamibiaSouthern Africa
Kylian and Neymar top South American football naming trends
via The Namibian2 min read
Across South America, the names of football stars like Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr. are popular choices for newborns. In Ecuador, Neymar is the most popular footballer's name, with 3,847 children bearing his name, followed by Kylian Mbappe with over 2,800. James Rodriguez is third with 2,136 namesakes. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo also have a significant presence, with 1,549 Lionels, 38 Messis, 178 Cristianos, and 1,006 Ronaldos. In Colombia, Kylian or Mbappe leads with 836 children, ahead of 269 Neymars and 220 Cristianos or Ronaldos. In Brazil, Neymar has inspired 2,443 children's names, while Kylian or Killian accounts for over 400. In Argentina, Lionel saw a surge in popularity in 2023 following Messi's World Cup victory. One family in Chile even named their child Griezmann Mbappe, with other family members named James Modric, Andres Iniesta, Leonel Messi, and Neymar Ronaldo.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
The New York Knicks made NBA Finals history by overcoming a 29-point deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106. This victory puts the Knicks one win away from securing their first NBA title since 1973, leading the best-of-seven series 3-1. OG Anunoby sealed the thrilling win with a tip-in basket with 1.2 seconds left in the game. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 36 points, while Anunoby contributed 33. For the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. San Antonio had a strong start, setting a Finals record with 14 three-pointers in the first half and holding a 76-49 lead at halftime. However, they only managed 30 points in the second half. The Knicks' comeback was fueled by a 13-0 run in the third quarter after Wembanyama received a flagrant foul. Knicks coach Mike Brown praised his team's resilience and collective effort in handling the adversity.
Must ReadJa'Kobe Tharp, a 20-year-old Auburn University athlete, set a new world record in the 110m hurdles, clocking 12.75 seconds during the heats at the NCAA collegiate athletics championships in Eugene, Oregon. This performance surpassed the previous world record of 12.80 seconds held by Aries Merritt since 2012. Tharp's time also shattered Grant Holloway’s NCAA collegiate record of 12.98 seconds from 2019. Tharp, who entered the competition with a personal best of 13.01 seconds, expressed surprise at the record-breaking run, stating he felt he was "going pretty fast" but did not anticipate such a result. He now aims to win a second consecutive NCAA crown in Friday's final, a feat last achieved by Olympic champion Holloway in 2019.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services has introduced a new complaints management system to improve accountability, responsiveness, and service delivery at public health facilities. Speaking at the launch of the standard operating procedure SOP in Windhoek, deputy executive director Theo-Ben Kandetu, on behalf of health minister Esperance Luvindao, stated that this initiative marks a fundamental shift in how the ministry addresses patient and public concerns. The SOP establishes a formal framework for receiving, documenting, and resolving complaints across health facilities. Kandetu acknowledged past criticisms regarding service delivery, including resource shortages, deteriorating infrastructure, poor communication, and alleged unprofessional conduct by some healthcare workers. He also mentioned troubling allegations of neglect, poor communication, and treatment influenced by social status, as well as unauthorized sharing of patient videos on social media. The new system aims to address longstanding gaps in complaints management, which previously led to issues being escalated directly to senior officials. Complaints will now be classified by severity using a red, amber, and green triage framework, ensuring each complaint is documented, acknowledged, and resolved within specified timelines. The process will channel complaints through Customer Care Officers at the facility level, then to District, Regional, and finally National levels, empowering those closest to the probl