World/Nation Briefs September 21, 2011

Many in Joplin ignored firsttornado warnings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Many Joplin residents either ignored or were slow to react to the first warning sirens about a massive and deadly tornado this spring, partially because of years of false alarms, the government said Tuesday.

In assessing the communications and warning systems used before and during the storm that killed 162 people, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said many people waited for additional information like seeing the tornado or a television or radio report about the urgency of the threat.

"The majority of surveyed Joplin residents did not immediately go to shelter upon hearing the initial warning," the report said.

A "vast majority" of Joplin residents didn't respond to the first siren because of an apparent widespread disregard for tornado sirens, according to the report.

Richard Wagenmaker, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Detroit and leader of the assessment team, said it was unclear if the slow public response cost lives.

French want Palestinians to drop UN bid

UNITED NATIONS - The French and U.S. presidents planned to heap pressure on their Palestinian counterpart Wednesday in a concerted push to persuade Mahmoud Abbas to end his bid for full U.N. membership and to instead seek upgraded status in the world body.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French leader, will make his pitch during a speech at the opening session of the U.N. General Assembly. After he speaks to the world body, President Barack Obama will likewise argue against the Palestinian drive for U.N. membership when he meets with Abbas on Wednesday.

U.S. officials conceded they cannot stop Abbas from officially launching his case for the Security Council's approval of the statehood effort, but also make the case for the Palestinian leader to essentially drop the move for statehood recognition after delivering his letter of intent to the U.N.,

Suicide attackerkills former Afghan president

KABUL, Afghanistan - A suicide attacker with a bomb in his turban posed as a Taliban peace envoy and assassinated a former Afghan president who for the past year headed a government council seeking a political settlement with the insurgents.

Tuesday's attack, carried out in former President Burhanuddin Rabbani's Kabul home, dealt a harsh blow to attempts at ending a decade of war. The killing of Rabbani, an ethnic Tajik and one of the wise old men of Afghan politics, will blunt efforts to keep in check the regional and ethnic rivalries that help feed the insurgency.

President Hamid Karzai cut short a visit to the United Nations and called on Afghans to remain unified in the face of Rabbani's "martyrdom." An emergency Cabinet meeting was called for Wednesday.

The attack came days after a daytime assault by insurgents on the U.S. Embassy and NATO headquarters that deepened a sense of insecurity in the capital.

Global economy in 'dangerous new phase,' IMF says

WASHINGTON - The world economy has entered a "dangerous new phase," according to the chief economist of the International Monetary Fund. As a result, the international lending organization has sharply downgraded its economic outlook for the United States and Europe through the end of next year.

The IMF expects the U.S. economy to grow just 1.5 percent this year and 1.8 percent in 2012. That's down from its June forecast of 2.5 percent in 2011 and 2.7 percent next year.

To achieve even that still-low level of growth, the U.S. economy would need to expand at a much faster rate in the second half of the year than its 0.7 percent annual pace in the first six months.

Most economists expect growth of between 1.5 percent and 2 percent in the final two quarters.

Clemency bid rejected; Georgia to execute Davis

ATLANTA - Georgia's board of pardons rejected a last-ditch clemency bid from Troy Davis on Tuesday, one day before his scheduled execution, despite support from figures including an ex-president and a former FBI director for the claim that he was wrongly convicted of killing a police officer in 1989.

Davis is scheduled to die today at 4 p.m. PDT by injection for killing off-duty Savannah officer Mark MacPhail, who was shot dead while rushing to help a homeless man being attacked. It is the fourth time in four years that Davis' execution has been scheduled by Georgia officials.

"Justice was finally served for my father," said Mark MacPhail Jr., who was an infant when his father was gunned down. "The truth was finally heard."

Davis has captured worldwide attention after his supporters raised concerns that he was a victim of mistaken identity. Several of the witnesses who helped convict Davis at his 1991 trial have backed off their testimony or recanted. Others who did not testify say another man at the scene admitted to the shooting.

Prosecutors say they have no doubt that they charged the right person with the crime, and MacPhail's family lobbied the pardons board on Monday to reject Davis' clemency appeal.

- The Associated Press