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SCHOOL

Three injured after school ceiling collapses

Two children and a teacher were injured after the ceiling of a school in Ostuni, a city in Puglia, collapsed during a lesson on Monday morning.

Published: 13 April 2015 12:39 CEST
Three injured after school ceiling collapses
Classroom photo: Shutterstock

Police, firefighters and local officials arrived at the Pessina di Ostuni elementary school shortly after the incident and the victims were transported to hospital with head injuries, La Stampa reported.

The incident happened just months after the school, which has 800 pupils, opened following years of renovation works.

"Their condition is not severe," Gianfranco Coppola, the city's mayor, was quoted in La Stampa as saying after visiting the children in hospital, although he added that doctors were carrying about more tests.

A teacher was also injured, Il Fatto Quotidiano reported.

According reports, a layer of plaster, measuring about an inch, fell down from the ceiling, hitting the two seven-year-olds on the head.

The school had re-opened in January after four years of renovation works.

This isn't the first incident of a school ceiling collapsing in recent times. In January, seven children were injured after plaster fell from the ceiling at their nursery school in Milan.

READ MORE: Seven kids hurt in Milan classroom accident

By Anna Pujol Mazzini

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CHILDREN

What names do foreign nationals give their babies in Switzerland?

Each year for more than three decades, the Federal Statistical Office has been publishing the first names of infants born in Switzerland the previous year. It seems that foreigners favour names that are typical of their national background.

Published: 20 August 2021 14:08 CEST
What names do foreign nationals give their babies in Switzerland?
Foreigners give their babies names that reflect their nationality. Photo by Keira Burton from Pexels

As The Local reported on Wednesday, the most popular names for newborn girls born in Switzerland in 2020 were Mia, Emma, and Mila.

For boys, Noah took the top spot, ahead of Liam and Matteo.

REVEALED: The most popular baby name in each Swiss canton

But what about the most popular names among various nationalities living in Switzerland?

The answers come from the same study.

Italy

The top name for boys of Italian parents is Giuseppe, followed by Antonio and Francesco. For girls, Maria is in the first place, Anna in the second, and Francesca in the third.

Portugal

There are many Portuguese immigrants living in Switzerland and, like their Italian counterparts, they like to give their children traditional names: José, Carlos and Manuel for boys, and Maria, Ana, and Sandra for girls.

Spain

Spanish names are similar to those of Portuguese babies.

José, Juan and Jose are most popular boy names, while Maria, Ana and Laura are in the top three spots for the girls.

Turkey

Most boys of Turkish descent are named Mehmet, Ali, and Mustafa. Among girls, Fatma, Ayse, and Elif dominate.

Kosovo

Arben, Vallon, and Bekim are top names for boys, and Fatime, Shquipe, and Merite for girls.

Macedonia

Bekim is in the first place for boys, followed by Muhamed and Fatmir. Among girls, Fatimr is in the lead, Sara in the second place, and Emine in the third.

Serbia

Aleksandar, Dragan and Nicola take the first three spots. For the girls, Jelena, Maria and Snezana are at the top.

Can you give your baby any name you want?

Not in Switzerland, you can’t. It’s important to keep in mind that the cantonal registry offices, where new births must be announced, don’t have to accept very unusual names.

Several years ago, for instance, a Zurich court ruled that parents can’t name their infant daughter ‘J’.

In another case, a couple in the canton of Bern were ordered to change the name of their newborn son because their choice – Jessico – was considered too feminine. 

Several names have been forbidden in Switzerland, including Judas, Chanel, Paris and Mercedes. 

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