World Briefs

DUBLIN – A fiercely debated, long-delayed investigation into Ireland's Roman Catholic-run institutions says priests and nuns terrorized thousands of boys and girls in workhouse-style schools for decades — and government inspectors failed to stop the chronic beatings, rapes and humiliation.

Nine years in the making, Wednesday's 2,600-page report sides almost completely with the horrific reports of abuse from former students sent to more than 250 church-run, mostly residential institutions. But victims' leaders said it didn't go far enough — particularly because none of their abusers were identified by name.

The report concluded that church officials always shielded their orders' pedophiles from arrest to protect their own reputations.

MAGETAN, Indonesia– An Indonesian military transport plane carrying soldiers and their families crashed into homes and erupted in flames on Wednesday, killing at least 98 people, the air force spokesman said.

The burning wreckage of the Hercules was scattered in a rice paddy near Magetan, East Java, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) east of Yogyakarta.

FAJARDO, Puerto Rico – A Puerto Rican man pleaded guilty Tuesday to kidnapping, raping and killing a pregnant Georgia tourist who made a frantic phone call to her fiance from the trunk of her assailant's car.

Eliezer Marquez Navedo pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, kidnapping and two sexual assault charges in the Feb. 4 slaying of Sara Kuszak. Marquez faces up to life in prison at a June 1 sentencing hearing

MUMBAI – The 9-year-old girl who starred in "Slumdog Millionaire" dodged pieces of falling debris Wednesday as she tried to salvage twisted metal and splintered wood — all that remained of her bubble-gum pink home after authorities demolished part of a city slum where she lived.

MILAN – The trial of 26 Americans and seven Italians accused of orchestrating a CIA-led kidnapping of an Egyptian cleric will proceed despite an Italian Supreme Court ruling that barred key evidence as classifed, a judge ruled Wednesday. The two-year trial is the first by any government over the CIA's extraordinary rendition program of transferring suspects overseas for interrogation. Human rights advocates charge that renditions were the agency's way to outsource torture of prisoners to countries where it is permitted. Successive Italian governments have denied any involvement in abduction Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr.