PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha will release on Wednesday findings from a multiyear investigation into child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence.
According to the attorney general's office, the report will detail the diocese's handling of clergy abuse over decades.
While the smallest state in the U.S., Rhode Island is home to the country's largest Catholic population per capita, with nearly 40% of the state identifying as Catholic, according to the Pew Research Center.
Neronha first launched the investigation in 2019, nearly a year after a Pennsylvania grand jury report found more than 1,000 children had been abused by an estimated 300 priests in that state since the 1940s. The 2018 report is considered one of the broadest inquiries into child sexual abuse in U.S. history.
Neronha's investigation involved entering into an agreement with the Diocese of Providence to gain access to all complaints and allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy dating back to 1950. Neronha's office said in 2019 that the goal of the report was to determine how the diocese responded to past reports of child sexual abuse, identify any prosecutable cases, and ensure that no credibly accused clergy were in active ministry.
Rhode Island State Police also helped with the investigation.
FILE - Attorney General Peter Neronha gives a victory speech after winning a second term, during an election-night gathering of Rhode Island Democratic candidates and supporters on Nov. 8, 2022, in Providence, R.I. . (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell, File)
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Millions of Nepalis are set to vote in crucial parliamentary elections, the first since a violent youth-led uprising toppled the previous government and thrust forward a new generation’s demands for sweeping change in the Himalayan nation.
Authorities have tightened security nationwide ahead of the polls Thursday. In addition to regular forces, thousands of temporary police officers have been deployed, and army troops — generally confined to barracks — are patrolling streets and guarding polling stations.
The government has declared a three-day public holiday to allow voters to travel to their homes. Schools and other public buildings have been converted into polling centers, where ballots will be cast by residents — from remote Himalayan villages to towns across the southern plains.
More than one million voters have been added to the rolls since the last national election in 2022, according to the Election Commission of Nepal. Many of them are also first-time voters who took to the streets during last year's protests that ultimately forced former prime minister Khadga Prasad Oli out of power.
Analysts say the youth movement that fueled the uprising is now poised to shape the outcome of the election, as first-time voters demand accountability.
“This election, all the political parties, whether they are old or new, they are more focused on the youth. That is a great shift in our electoral history,” said Bhojraj Pokharel, an independent political analyst and Nepal's former chief election commissioner.
Many voters say they want a break from the established political parties, calling for fresh leadership that can tackle widespread corruption and strengthen governance in the country.
"People don’t have big expectations from those who are going to be elected. People are only seeking that corruption should be controlled and we should have good governance,” said Swastika Lamichane, a 28-year-old office worker.
Others are angry at the political old guard for failing them.
“For the past generations of our fathers and grandfathers, the same old politicians and parties have been elected and they have always controlled power, but they have always failed us,” said Kalpana Saud, a 25-year-old housewife.
The election is largely seen as a contest among three political parties.
The National Independent Party, formed in 2022, is widely viewed as the front-runner, mounting a strong challenge to the long-dominant Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), which have alternated in power for decades.
The new party's prime ministerial candidate is Balendra Shah, a rapper-turned-politician who upended the country’s established political order in 2022 by winning the race for mayor of Kathmandu. He emerged a prominent voice of discontent in 2025 when Nepal was shaken by a youth-led uprising.
The Nepali Congress and the Communists retain deeply loyal voter bases. But on the campaign trail, Shah’s party has drawn larger crowds, underscoring its growing appeal among young voters who seek an alternative.
Political instability has repeatedly shaken Nepal since the monarchy was abolished in 2008. The groups that advocate the restoration of the monarchy say they expect to make significant gains in the new parliament, citing what they describe as rising public support for the former king.
Thousands of monarchy supporters gathered during rallies of former king Gyanendra Shah and chanted slogans for his restoration as constitutional head of state. He is also seen by his supporters as the protectors of Hindus in the country where they are a majority.
The ex-king has little chance of immediately returning to power, as support for him is not as significant.
The next administration will inherit daunting challenges — from delivering on the promises demanded by last year’s protests and tackling entrenched corruption, to carefully managing ties with its powerful neighbors, India and China. Both countries have long sought to expand their influence over Nepal.
"The people have very high expectations from the incoming government but the resources are very limited so it will be difficult for them to meet all the aspiration," said Guna Raj Luitel, editor of Nagarik, one of Nepal's most popular newspapers.
Balendra Shah, right, former mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City and prime ministerial candidate of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, joins Rabi Lamichhane, left, the party's president, during an election campaign rally in Lalitpur, Nepal, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha, File)
Newly recruited temporary police officers participate in training session ahead of the March 5 general election in Dhankuta, about 390 kilometers (242 miles) east of Kathmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha ,File)
A staff member binds a voter list for distribution to various regions across the country ahead of the general election scheduled for March 5, at the Election Commission in Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha,File)
Supporter of Rastriya Prajatantra party gather to go to the election office to register their leader's candidacy for the general election to be held on March 5 in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha, File)
Protesters celebrate standing at the top of the Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal's government's various ministries and offices, after it was set on fire during a protest against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha, File)
