World Digest

Hurricane Ida nears Nicaragua

MIAMI - Ida has reached hurricane force as it nears Nicaragua's mainland.

The National Weather Service said this morning that a hurricane warning was issued for the east coast of Nicaragua from Bluefields to Puerto Cabezas. Hurricane force winds are expected during the next several hours.

U.N. releases sex abuse numbers

GENEVA - The United Nations said today at least 50 peacekeepers have been punished by national authorities over the last three years for committing sexual abuses on U.N. missions.

The U.N. says the punishments ranged from reduction in military rank to eight months imprisonment. The global body didn't make public any identities or nationalities.

EU OKs new Internet user rights

BRUSSELS - EU lawmakers and governments agreed on new rights for Internet users today, aiming to protect them from arbitrary crackdowns on those who illegally download music and movies on the Internet.

EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding said a deal was reached after EU governments agreed to EU parliament demands to balance measures against illegal downloaders with a broader set of rights for telecom users. The reforms were two years in the making.