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Jakub Jankto: Czech Republic international midfielder comes out as gay

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Jakub Jankto of the Czech Republic says he “no longer wants to hide” as he comes out as gay in public, becoming the first active international player in men’s football.

The 27-year-old midfielder, on loan from Getafe of Spain, announced it on Twitter on Monday. In 45 appearances since making his senior debut for the Czech Republic in 2017, Jankto has four goals to his credit.

Like everybody else, I have my strengths, I have my weaknesses, I have a family, I have my friends,” he said.

“I have a job that I have been doing as best as I can for years with seriousness, with professionalism and passion.”

He added: “Like everybody else, I also want to live my life in freedom without fears, without prejudice, without violence but with love.

“I am homosexual and I no longer want to hide myself.”

In the men’s game in the UK last year, Jake Daniels of Blackpool made history by becoming the first professional athlete to come out while still competing in more than 30 years.

Justin Fashanu, who played for clubs in England and Scotland after coming out as gay in October 1990, was the last active men’s professional football player in the UK to do so before Daniels.

Josh Cavallo, an Adelaide United player who came out in October, was the only active out homosexual top-flight male professional footballer in the world prior to Jankto’s public coming out.

Sparta Prague announced in a statement that Jankto had “some time ago” spoken openly about his sexual orientation with the club’s management, coach, and teammates.

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Quake-hit Turkey issues 113 building arrest warrants

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According to Turkish authorities, 113 arrest warrants have been issued in relation to the building of the structures that were destroyed by the earthquake on Monday. There have already been at least 12 people detained by Turkish police, including construction workers.

Rescue operations have been hampered in some areas due to protests in southern Turkey. More than 28,000 individuals have now been officially declared dead in Turkey and Syria.

More arrests are anticipated, but many will interpret the move as an effort to shift responsibility for the catastrophe in general.

Since many new buildings in Turkey are unsafe because of widespread corruption and government practises, experts have been warning about this for years.

In order to promote a construction boom, including in earthquake-prone areas, those rules permitted so-called amnesties for contractors who flouted building regulations.

The earthquake caused the collapse of thousands of buildings, prompting concerns about whether human error contributed to the severity of the natural disaster. After 20 years in office, the president’s future is in jeopardy as elections approach.

The United Nations’ top humanitarian official, who was in the Turkish province of Kahramanmaras on Saturday, called the earthquake the “worst occurrence in this region in 100 years.”

For the first time in 35 years, the Turkish-Armenian border crossing reopened on Saturday to permit the passage of aid.

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Thousands of pregnant Russian women fly to Argentina

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In the past few months, more than 5,000 pregnant Russian women have entered Argentina, including 33 on one aircraft on Thursday, according to officials. According to the national migration office, all of the most recent entrants were in their final stages of pregnancy.

It’s claimed that the ladies want their children to be born in Argentina so they can become citizens of that country. Local media thinks that the war in Ukraine is to blame for the current rise in visitors.

According to Florencia Carignano, the head of the migration agency, three of the 33 women who arrived in the Argentinian capital on one aircraft on Thursday were detained due to “issues with their documentation,” joining three other women who arrived the day before.

The three women who were arrested on Thursday claim that they are being “falsely imprisoned” since they are being held on the grounds that they are “false tourists,” according to their attorney. According to Christian Rubilar, this phrase “does not exist in our statute.” He said, “These women are being illegally detained; they did not break any laws governing migration or commit any crimes.”

Since then, the women have been freed.

La Nacion attributed the sharp increase in Russian immigration to the conflict in Ukraine, noting that “[Russian women] are attracted by their [right to] visa-free entry to Argentina, as well as by the high-quality medicine and variety of hospitals, [as well as] fleeing war and their country’s health service.”

“Birth tourism” by Russian citizens to Argentina appears to be a lucrative and well-established practice.

Pregnant women who want to give birth in Argentina can choose from a variety of packages on a Russian-language website, according to the BBC. The website offers discounts on the price of stays at “the top hospitals in the Argentinian capital,” as well as services like customised birth plans, airport pickups, Spanish lessons, and other services.

The packages range from “first class,” which starts at $15,000 (£12,433), to “economy class,” which starts at $5,000 (£4,144).

According to the company’s website, its founder has been promoting birth tourism and providing migration support since 2015. The business also claims to be “100% Argentinian.”

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Dancing lemur: Chester Zoo celebrates Coquerel’s sifaka birth

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According to a zoo, a critically endangered monkey known as the dancing lemur was successfully bred for the first time in Europe.

The birth of the infant Coquerel’s sifaka was a “landmark moment for the species,” according to Chester Zoo. A spokesman claimed that 18 months after Beatrice and Elliot were relocated from the US, their “wonderful small child” was delivered to them.

Mark Brayshaw, curator of mammals, reported that mother and foetus were “doing excellent.”

The species had had an 80% reduction in the previous 30 years due to massive deforestation, and it is only found in the wild in the treetops of north-west Madagascar.

Because they retain an upright stance while moving and spring side to side along the floor on their back legs, they can be distinguished from other lemurs.

The Coquerel’s sifaka family trio in Chester made up over half of the seven of these extremely endangered monkeys being cared for in Europe, according to the zoo official.

They estimated that the newborn, who weighed 4 oz (119 g), would initially cling to its mother’s abdomen for “a few weeks, before riding on her back like a backpack until about six months old.”

Director of animals and plants at the zoo Mike Jordan called the birth “a true landmark moment for conservation.”

He claimed that it had “kickstarted” a breeding programme for the species in Europe, which could be “the lifeboat that keeps them from being completely wiped out.”

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Turkey and Syria earthquake: Bodies found in search for volleyball team

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Following Monday’s earthquakes, rescuers in Turkey are looking for a group of school volleyball players inside a collapsed hotel when they discover three bodies. Officials in Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus reported that the bodies of two teachers and a student were found in the Isias Hotel in Adiyaman.

39 individuals, including teams for both boys and girls, are alleged to have been present when the structure collapsed. The location, where the relatives of the players have gathered, is still under search.

In southern Turkey and northern Syria, the earthquakes have claimed thousands of lives. Along with their coaches and parents, the players had travelled to Adiyaman from Famagusta Turkish Maarif College.

Four members of the group are known to have survived the collapse of the seven-story building, having apparently made their own way out of the rubble.

Officials were quoted by Turkish-Cypriot media as claiming that an eighth-grade student was recovered after the bodies of two instructors were discovered on Wednesday, bringing the total number of fatalities to three.

Around 170 people, including family members and rescuers, have travelled to the wreckage from the portion of Northern Cyprus that is under Turkish control. They would stay there until the remaining pupils were located, according to an island education official.

One of the mothers at the scene questioned the structures’ construction and inquired as to whether they had undergone sufficient inspection.

It is known that deaths occurred in the two countries for close to 16,000 people. The World Health Organization has cautioned that without food, water, shelter, fuel, or electricity, many more people risk dying.

More than 72 hours after the disaster happened, expectations are dwindling for the numerous people left under wrecked structures as freezing weather creeps in.

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Turkey earthquake: Erdogan ‘responsible for this’ opposition leader says

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After thousands of people killed in two devastating earthquakes on Monday, anger in Turkey is building over what many see as the government’s lack of preparation. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the official death toll in Turkey has increased to 9,057 while visiting one of the worst-affected areas.

He is to blame for the extent of the destruction, according to the main opposition leader. Mr. Erdogan retaliated, claiming it was “impossible” to be ready for such a significant tragedy.

The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority’s (AFAD) response was criticised by many in the worst-affected districts as being too delayed. Others claim that the government wasn’t adequately ready in advance.

“If there is one person responsible for this, it is Erdogan,” said Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of Turkey’s main opposition party.

The president disagreed with this. Additionally, he called “provocateurs” individuals who claimed that security officers had not been present at all in certain locations.

“This is a time for cooperation and support. I can’t stand it when people run smear campaigns for political gain during this time “He told the Hatay reporters.

He recognised some initial issues, but said the situation was now “under control” during another stop on his tour of sites in the disaster zone earlier today.

Tuesday, Arzu Dedeoglu said that two of her nieces were buried beneath the debris in the port city of Iskenderun in the southern region of Turkey. She claimed that although her family had arranged a digger using their own funds to remove the rubble, officials did not permit them to utilise it.

A “tax” imposed by the Turkish government in the wake of a devastating earthquake that claimed more than 17,000 lives in 1999 is also causing increasing outrage.

The estimated 88 billion lira ($4.6 billion; £3.8 billion) was intended for spending on emergency services improvement and disaster prevention.

Every time Turkey experiences an earthquake, questions concerning the “special communication tax,” as the authorities refer to it, are raised. However, the government has never made the money’s use public.

And Mr. Kilicdaroglu claimed that the government of Mr. Erdogan “had not made an earthquake preparation in 20 years.”

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Turkey earthquake: Erdogan announces three-month state of emergency in quake area

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In 10 of the regions most severely impacted by the earthquake that has killed thousands of people, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a three-month state of emergency.

3,549 people have now died in Turkey, according to Mr. Erdogan. There have reportedly been 1,600 fatalities in Syria. In a televised speech, Mr. Erdogan stated that the purpose of declaring a state of emergency is to allow for “expeditiously carried out” rescue operations in the nation’s southeast.

Without providing more information, he said the steps will get aid personnel and money into the impacted areas. Just prior to the elections on May 14, when Mr. Erdogan will try to retain his position as president after 20 years, the state of emergency will end.

The last time a state of emergency was enacted in Turkey was in 2016 following a failed coup. Two years later, it was repealed. In a race against time to locate survivors of the earthquake that occurred early on Monday, rescuers in Turkey are facing heavy rain and snow.

The World Health Organization has issued a warning that the death toll may sharply increase as rescuers discover additional fatalities.

In scenes that were repeated around southern Turkey, heavy equipment worked through the night in the city of Adana, with lights lighting the collapsed buildings and enormous slabs of concrete.

Occasionally, when a survivor was discovered or when the dead were collected, the labour would stop and a cry of “Allahu Akbar” would be heard.

People who lost their homes as well as others who are afraid of aftershocks are all homeless in Adana. Some people departed without their shoes, coats, or phone chargers. Later this week, temperatures are predicted to fall below freezing.

According to the US Geological Survey, the 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred on Monday at 04:17 (01:17 GMT) at a depth of 17.9 km (11 miles) close to the city of Gaziantep.

Later, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake with its epicentre in the Elbistan region of the Kahramanmaras province occurred. The main road leading to the Turkish city of Maras, which is close to the epicentre of the earthquake, was completely stopped in traffic on Tuesday morning.

Cars periodically plodded forward, their red brake lights illuminating the slick road. Only a few rescuers have so far arrived in this region of southern Turkey.

One search and rescue crew, on their way to the city with their van stocked with specialised tools and supplies, told the BBC that while they were excited to start searching for survivors, they were unaware of the extent of the destruction.

According to the most recent announcement from Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), 8,000 people have been saved nationwide from more than 4,700 demolished buildings.

Rescuers in some regions have been sifting through the debris with their bare hands as the aftershocks continue. But the cold is making it difficult to conduct searches.

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180 Dead After Powerful Quake In Turkey, Syria, People Were Sleeping

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The 7.8-magnitude earthquake, which had its epicentre in southeast Turkey close to the border between the two nations, left more than 110 people dead Monday in government-held areas of Syria, according to the Syrian health ministry. Turkish emergency service authorities first reported 76 fatalities, but they warned that number might rise sharply because the accident, which occurred at night, had destroyed dozens of apartment buildings around major cities.

“516 injuries and 111 deaths recorded in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus,” the ministry said in a statement. Earlier, a local hospital told AFP at least eight were killed in the northern areas controlled by pro-Turkish factions — bringing the country’s total to at least 119 dead. 

Television footage showed horrified Turks watching rescuers sift through the wreckage of destroyed homes while standing in the snow in their pyjamas.

According to the US agency, the earthquake occurred at 04:17 local time (0117 GMT) at a depth of roughly 17.9 kilometres (11 miles), and 15 minutes later, a 6.7-magnitude aftershock occurred.

The initial earthquake’s magnitude was estimated by Turkey’s AFAD emergency service centre to be 7.4. The quake was among the strongest to strike the area in at least a century.

The earthquake destroyed scores of structures in important southern Turkish cities as well as in the neighbouring country of Syria, which has been plagued by turmoil for more than ten years and is home to millions of displaced people.

Rescuers were seen sifting through the wreckage of demolished buildings in the cities of Karamanmaras and Gaziantep in images that appeared on Turkish television and social media.

In one of the images from Kahramanmaras, a fire lighted up the night sky, but its source was unknown.

Buildings also collapsed, according to NTV television, in the cities of Adiyaman, Malatya, and Diyarbakir.

The earthquake was reportedly felt in sections of central Turkey including the capital Ankara, according to CNN Turk television. Turkey is located in one of the seismically active regions of the planet.

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16-Year-Old Girl Killed By Shark During Swim With Dolphins in Australia

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In a river near Perth, the state capital of Western Australia, a 16-year-old girl lost her life on Saturday after being attacked by a shark. In the Fremantle port neighbourhood of Perth, police said they were called to the scene of the attack at 3:45 p.m. Saturday (0745 GMT), close to a traffic bridge in the Swan River.

According to a statement from the police, the girl was retrieved from the sea with critical injuries, but she passed away there.

The victim was swimming with a pod of dolphins in the river when the shark attack happened, according to a report on Sunday by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

According to the ABC, authorities are unsure of what kind of shark attacked the girl.

A 57-year-old man was killed by a great white shark at Perth’s Port Beach in November 2021, marking the final fatal shark attack in the waters around Western Australia.

In January 2021, a bull shark attacked a man who was swimming in the Swan River, seriously injuring him.

In the waters around Western Australia, there are more than 100 different kinds of shark, with bull sharks frequently encountered miles upriver.

According to the state administration, which has established a specialised shark response unit to collaborate with first responders on shark events, the danger of shark attacks in the state is low.The first shark attack fatality at the city’s beaches in 60 years resulted in the closure of many Sydney beaches on the east coast, including the famous Bondi and Bronte.

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Paco Rabanne: Celebrated designer dies aged 88

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Famous perfume and clothing designer Paco Rabanne passed away at age 88 in his French home.

The parent business of his brands, Puig, announced his passing and said that he had “marked generations with his bold vision of fashion and his legacy will live on.”

Rabanne’s unusual clothing creations brought him international acclaim. Rabanne’s work, which, in the words of Puig’s fashion president José Manuel Albesa, “made transgression magnetic,” was praised.

Rabanne was hailed as a “important personality in fashion” by Marc Puig, chairman and chief executive officer of Puig, for his “daunting, revolutionary, and provocative perspective, delivered through a unique aesthetic.”

In the Basque area of Spain, not far from the city of San Sebastian, Rabanne was born into a military family. In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, Gen. Francisco Franco’s nationalist forces assassinated his father, a colonel in the Republican military.

After the Nationalist troops captured Madrid and won the war in 1939, his mother, who had previously worked as a seamstress for fashion designer Cristobal Balenciaga, relocated the family to Paris.

Rabanne was raised in the French capital before enrolling at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts to study architecture, where he also worked as a freelance illustrator.

His innovations permeated every facet of his enterprise. In the middle of the 1990s, he was one of the first scent creators to introduce a product online.
Rabanne withdrew from the fashion industry in 1999, having spent years as one of the leading pioneers in the sector. He hardly appeared in the media for the next 24 years.

The company praised him as a “visionary” and called him “among the most important fashion figures of the 20th Century” in a statement posted on Paco Rabanne’s official Instagram. It said, “His legacy will continue to serve as a source of inspiration.”

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