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Portugal is starting the atoning process for clergy sex abuse. Here’s what other countries have done

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:47 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — While the Catholic Church in the U.S., Australia and some other countries began coming to terms with their clergy sexual abuse legacies years ago and set up mechanisms to compensate victims, the hierarchy in Portugal has only recently offered an account and bungled its initial response to victims. Pope Francis will meet with abuse survivors during his upcoming trip to Lisbon for World Youth Day, and will likely hear complaints that the Portuguese hierarchy initially refused to entertain compensation options for victims outside court. Here’s a look at the countries that have articulated plans for providing financial reparations to victims beyond legal judgments or settlements.GERMANYThe German church has been making voluntary payments to abuse survivors for over a decade, though the amounts offered haven’t satisfied groups representing victims. A system that took effect in 2021 provided for payments of up to 50,000 euros ($55.400) per victim — replacing a previous...

US State Dept aware former Marine injured while fighting in Ukraine

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:47 GMT

The US State Department is aware that Trevor Reed (pictured), a former US Marine who was detained in Russia and then freed in a prisoner swap last year, was injured while fighting in Ukraine, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Tuesday (25 July)."Mr. Reed was not engaged in any activities on behalf of the US government," Patel told reporters, adding that he was not aware of any communication offered to the US government on Reed's travel plans to Ukraine.Reed was transported with the help of an NGO to Germany for medical care, Patel said.The United States has repeatedly warned Americans not to travel to Ukraine or participate in the fighting, and the State Department's travel advisory for Ukraine warns that there are reports of Russian singling out U.S. citizens in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine for detention, interrogation, or harassment."We have been incredibly clear that traveling to Ukraine, choosing to participate in the fighting there, has a very real r...

Russia talks of retaliation after 'Ukrainian drone strike' near Moscow army HQ

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:47 GMT

Russia spoke of taking harsh retaliatory measures against Ukraine after two drones damaged buildings in Moscow early on Monday (24 July), including one close to the Defence Ministry's headquarters, in what it called a brazen act of terror.Nobody was hurt in the attack, of which a senior Ukrainian official said there would be more, but one drone struck close to the Moscow building where the Russian military holds briefings on what it calls its "special military operation", a symbolic blow which underscored the reach of such drones.Roads nearby were temporarily closed, windows on the top two floors of an office building struck by a second drone in another Moscow district were blown out, and debris was scattered on the ground, a Reuters reporter who saw the aftermath of the incident said."I was asleep and was woken up by a blast, everything started shaking," Polina, a young woman who lives near the high-rise building, said.A third "helicopter-type drone" which was not carrying explosiv...

Nonprofit aims to financially support Hollywood actors and writers on picket lines

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:47 GMT

As the ongoing strike between Holywood actors and writers approaches its third week, there appears to be no end in sight to the industry shutdown.Actors under SAG-AFTRA voted to strike on July 14 and writers with the Writers Guild of America went on strike on May 2.The concurrent strike from both unions marks the first in over six decades, shutting down the entertainment industry with huge consequences for the foreseeable future.Since the actor’s strike began, many big-name celebrities have joined the picket lines alongside strikers outside studios and corporate offices.“Show up and help and support because we are all one,” said “The Office” actor Kate Flannery.But without steady work or a paycheck, many are struggling to pay rent or afford groceries while also unable to receive unemployment insurance benefits.Jack Black walks on a picket line outside Paramount studios on Monday, July 24, 2023, in Los Angeles. The actors strike comes more than two months after screenwriters began st...

Don’t mess with Lindsey: US ekes out 1-1 draw in Women’s World Cup after Horan revenge goal

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:47 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — When the United States were desperate for a spark, Lindsey Horan channeled her anger into a much-needed goal to keep the Americans unbeaten at the Women’s World Cup.Horan was fuming after she was knocked over by Danielle Van de Donk in the second half of Thursday’s rematch of the 2019 women’s final, when the United States beat the Netherlands to win their second consecutive World Cup title. She got her revenge minutes after the tackle in a sequence that included Horan cursing about Van de Donk before shoving her, as well. The two trash-talked and were separated by a referee before Horan scored the game-saving goal for the United States. Horan scored on a header off a corner kick from Rose Lavelle in the 62nd minute to silence the Dutch and give the Americans the score they needed to sneak out a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands. The United States remained unbeaten in 19 consecutive matches. “I don’t think you ever want to get me mad because I d...

Leaving the Pac-12? Colorado calls meeting, AP source says Big 12 has already voted to let Buffs in

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:47 GMT

If Colorado is ready to leave the Pac-12, the Big 12 is ready to welcome the Buffaloes back to the conference they left 12 years ago.Big 12 presidents and chancellors voted unanimously Wednesday night to accept Colorado as a new member, clearing the way for the school to leave the Pac-12 and rejoin its former league, a person with knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Big 12 was not making its expansion plans public. ESPN first reported the vote.Colorado still needs to go through a formal process on its campus in Boulder and officially apply for membership. The university’s board of regents has a special meeting scheduled for Thursday afternoon with athletics operations on the agenda. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has spoken for months about his desire to expand the conference and add schools in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. A second person familiar with the Big 12’s expansion aspirations, also speaking on condition of an...

Canada’s Sinclair faces uncertainty in her run for a scoring record at the Women’s World Cup

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:47 GMT

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Canada captain Christine Sinclair’s quest to become the first player to score in six World Cups faces uncertainty. The 40-year-old Sinclair was visibly limping late in Olympic champion Canada’s 2-1 comeback victory over Ireland in Perth at the Women’s World Cup on Wednesday night and needed treatment. “I haven’t had a medical update yet,” Canada coach Bev Priestman said in her post-match news conference. “She looks like she was limping at the end there, so I’ll have to get an understanding of that and find out what comes next.”Canada Soccer did not responded Thursday to requests for updates on Sinclair’s condition.The Olympic champions need to be at full strength in what could be a Group B decider against tournament co-host Australia in Melbourne on Monday. So far, the 2023 World Cup hasn’t seen the best of Sinclair, who missed a penalty kick in Canada’s opening 0-0 draw against Nigeria and was benched for the start of the Ireland game. She en...

South Africa puts its Women’s World Cup faith in star forward Hildah Magaia

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:47 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Hildah Magaia has given South Africa belief it can win at the Women’s World Cup.Magaia scored for South Africa in its tournament opener, but was injured on the play and couldn’t finish the game. Sweden went on to win 2-1, but the performance gave South Africa confidence it can get a victory. South Africa plays Argentina in a Group C match on Friday in Dunedin. Both teams are looking for their first win — Argentina dropped a 1-0 opener to Italy.“Knowing that we went toe-to-toe with the No. 3 country in the world and it took a superhuman effort from them to get the result, we’re very positive for the next two matches,” South Africa coach Desiree Ellis said after the Sweden loss. “We’re not underestimating the teams, but we know our capabilities.”Magaia and her coach both said she would “definitely” be able to play against Argentina. Good thing, because she’s the Banyana Banyana’s spark.The forward scored on a nice hustle play against Sw...

El senador Mitch McConnell ha sufrido varias caídas este año, afirman fuentes

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:47 GMT

(CNN) — El líder republicano del Senado, Mitch McConnell, quien se congeló durante una conferencia de prensa este miércoles y a principios de este año sufrió una conmoción cerebral después de caerse, también sufrió otras dos caídas este año, según varias personas familiarizadas con el asunto.La primera vez conocida, en febrero, ocurrió en Finlandia cuando McConnell y una delegación estadounidense se reunieron con el presidente finlandés en Helsinki, según tres fuentes familiarizadas con el tema.Cuando salió de su automóvil en un día de nieve y caminó hacia su reunión con el presidente finlandés Sauli Niinistö, el líder republicano tropezó y cayó, dijeron las fuentes sobre el incidente que no se informó anteriormente. Se sacudió el polvo y continuó con la reunión.Ese incidente en Finlandia ocurrió pocos días antes de que McConnell cayera en marzo en el hotel Waldorf Astoria en Washington, donde se golpeó la cabeza y sufrió una conmoción cerebral y se rompió las costillas, lo qu...

African Union calls on Russia to reinstate Ukrainian grain deal

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:47:47 GMT

The African Union called today to urgently reinstate a United Nations-brokered deal allowing Ukraine to export millions of tons of grain that was terminated at Russia’s behest.“The problem of grains and fertilizers concerns everyone,” Comoros President Azali Assoumani, who heads the 55-nation African Union, told Russian state newswire RIA Novosti. He was speaking in St. Petersburg, where Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting a summit with African leaders.Putin last week pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative that had allowed Ukraine — one of the world’s breadbaskets — to export grains and oilseeds through three Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea: Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny/Pivdenny. Russia, which has waged all-out war on Ukraine for 17 months, has since launched a series of air strikes against the country’s port facilities and reimposed a maritime blockade — making countries that need to import food more reliant on Russia and inc...