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More than half a million left Germany’s Catholic Church last year as abuse scandal swirls

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:50 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — More than half a million people formally left the Catholic Church in Germany last year, significantly higher than the previous record as the church wrestles with a long-running scandal over abuse by clergy and with calls for far-reaching reform.The German Bishops’ Conference said Wednesday that 522,821 left the church last year, up from 359,338 in 2021, the previous record. That compared with just 1,447 people joining the Catholic Church, around the same as the previous year.The departures left the number of Catholic Church members in Germany at nearly 20.94 million, just under a quarter of the population.In Germany, people who are formally members of a church pay a so-called “church tax” that helps finance it in addition to the regular taxes the rest of the population pay. If they register their departure with local authorities, they no longer have to pay that. There are some exemptions for low earners, jobless, retirees, students and others.The bishops’ c...

Dozens of Israeli air force vets threaten not to serve after Netanyahu resumes judicial overhaul

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:50 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Dozens of Israeli air force reservists said Wednesday they’ll refuse to show up for duty if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government moves ahead with a contentious plan to overhaul the country’s judiciary.The threat comes after Netanyahu said his government would proceed with the overhaul after talks with the opposition to find a compromise faltered. Coalition legislators have since been advancing a legal change to what’s known as the “reasonability standard” that critics say would allow the government to pass arbitrary decisions and grant it too much power.Israeli media reported 110 air force veterans signed the letter Wednesday saying that if the law moving ahead in parliament now, or any other law proposed as part of the overhaul, is passed, the reservists will not show up for duty. “Legislation like this grants the government limitless power with no restraint by the judiciary and it will bring us to a point of no r...

Just Stop Oil protesters briefly disrupt Ashes cricket test between England and Australia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:50 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Two protesters from the Just Stop Oil group ran onto the field at Lords and briefly disrupted play about five minutes after the start of the second Ashes cricket test between England and Australia on Wednesday.The environmental activists tried to spread orange powder on the field but the England and Australia players intervened.England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow tackled one protester and carried the person about 50 meters (yards) before leaving him in the hands of security over the boundary hoardings. England captain Ben Stokes and Australia batter David Warner corralled the other protester.Some orange powder was released but only on the grass, away from the pitch.“Police have arrested three people and taken them into custody,” London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement.Bairstow went to the England changing room to clean himself of some powder, Lord’s staff quickly cleaned up what little orange fell on the grass, and play resumed about five minutes l...

Ukraine accuses local man of directing missile strike that killed 10 at popular pizza restaurant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:50 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian authorities arrested Wednesday a man they accused of helping Russia direct a missile strike that killed at least 10 people, including three children, at a popular pizza restaurant in a city in east Ukraine.The Tuesday evening attack on Kramatorsk wounded another 61 people, Ukraine’s National Police said, in the latest bombardment of a Ukrainian city — a tactic Russia has used heavily in the 16-month-old war.Two sisters, both age 14, died as result of the attack, the educational department of the Kramatorsk city council said. “Russian missiles stopped the beating of the hearts of two angels,” it said in a Telegram post.The other dead child was 17, according to Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin. The attack also damaged 18 multi-story buildings, 65 houses, five schools, two kindergartens, a shopping center, an administrative building and a recreational building, the regional governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said. Rescuers are still searching the rubble for...

Alimentation Couche-Tard reports US$670.7M Q4 profit, up from $477.7M a year ago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:50 GMT

MONTREAL — Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. reported a fourth-quarter profit of US$670 .7 million, up from US$477 .7 million a year earlier.The convenience store operator, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says the profit amounted to 68 cents per diluted share for the 13-week period ended April 30, up from 46 cents per share in the same quarter last year that included 12 weeks.Overall revenue totalled US$16.26 billion, up from US$16.43 billion a year earlier.Merchandise and service revenue was US$4.18 billion, up from US$3.76 billion.On an adjusted basis, Couche-Tard says it earned 71 cents per diluted share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 55 cents per diluted share a year earlier.Analysts on average had expected an adjusted profit of 49 cents per share, based on estimates compiled by financial markets data firm Refinitiv.This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:ATD)The Canadian Press

Do credit card late fees actually protect consumers?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:50 GMT

In a time when inflation is driving up the cost of nearly everything you buy, something else has increased, too: credit card late fees. Thanks to a clause in the 2009 Credit Card Act, credit card issuers can raise late fees, and over time those fees have risen to current maximums of up to $41.The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently proposed a rule that would slash credit card late fee maximums by 75%, to $8 per late payment. While lower fees may seem like a good thing for the consumer, some argue that paying less could do more harm than good. According to the American Banking Association, such a reduction “will result in more late payments, higher debt and lower credit scores.”Habitual late payments can indeed damage your credit score, which impacts access to credit and how much you’ll pay in interest. And as payment due dates pile up, late payments can lead to an escalation of debt. That escalation is especially concerning when, according to a first-quarter 2023 study by ...

Edmunds: The best three-row SUVs of 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:50 GMT

Three-row SUVs have been a popular choice among car shoppers with large families. They typically seat up to eight passengers and still provide enough cargo space for luggage and other items. Avoiding the stigma of a minivan is another reason for their popularity. However, choosing the right one isn’t easy. There are a wide range of models to choose from, varying in size and price, and some are available with efficient hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines. Edmunds has rounded up the best three-row SUVs to help you narrow down your search, sorted by size and price.COMPACT: KIA SORENTOThe Sorento is the smallest and most affordable three-row SUV on this list. In spite of its size, the Kia can seat up to seven passengers and even has decent legroom for adults in the third row. It’s also one of the few three-row SUVs to offer multiple engine options: a base four-cylinder, a more powerful turbocharged four-cylinder, a hybrid engine, and a plug-in hybrid powertrain that provides up to 32 mile...

Hays County implements remote marriage license program

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:50 GMT

HAYS COUNTY, Texas – Hays County residents can now apply remotely for a marriage license.The County Clerk’s Office recently implemented the GovOS Remote Marriage License Issuance program. According to the county, the program allows those who may not be able to visit the clerk’s office in person to apply remotely for a license. Couples who complete the process are considered to have appeared before the court.“We are very excited to offer this new program for our Hays County residents,” said County Clerk Elaine Cárdenas. “Serving our customers is at the core of every decision we make.”Couples who use this system will have access to multiple features, the county said, including remote meeting facilitation and scheduling, electronic uploading of supporting documentation and marriage application electronic signatures.According to county, Hays is the second Texas county after Tarrant to use the GovOS Remote Marriage License Issuance program since the Texas Legislature authorized Texas cou...

Live Comedy Capital of the World? Insight into Austin’s booming comedy scene

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin has long been known as the Live Music Capital of the World, but could another art form soon supplant it? Many involved in the Austin comedy scene say it has exploded in recent years with no signs of slowing down. Comedians, club owners and festival producers alike say that anyone from fledgling comics to well-established performers are flocking in droves to Central Texas from all over the U.S., leading to Austin quickly becoming a new epicenter of comedy. KXAN spoke to people working in comedy who are fanning the flames of the burgeoning hub to learn how it has changed in recent years and what is to come. Pre PandemicSeveral comedians KXAN talked to for this story said that Austin's comedy underwent a profound transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic years. In the 2010s, there were only a couple of comedy clubs – Cap City Comedy Club and Velveeta Room – and a few improv venues, according to sources. “Back in 2015, it was a smaller scene....

Hays County SWAT call ends in arrest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:50 GMT

KYLE, Texas (KXAN) – The Hays County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday said a man faces two felony charges after the county's SWAT team was called out Sunday night. According to HCSO, deputies went to a home on Running Bull Lane in Kyle on Sunday evening around 7:30 p.m. after getting reports of a man pointing a rifle at a woman. HCSO said the attempts to get the man, who was later identified as Fabian Flores, 27, or the woman out of the home were unsuccessful so they called in the Hays County SWAT team around 8:25 p.m. Flores was taken into custody at 10:50 p.m., according to HCSO. The woman was not hurt. HCSO said Flores is charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.Fabian Flores (Courtesy: Hays County Sheriff's Office)If you have information regarding this investigation, Hays County asks you contact Detective Chase Fuller with the Hays County Sheriff’s Office at 512-393-7896 or [email protected]. You can also contact Ha...