UPI NewsTrack TopNews

Markets plunge as recession fears spread

PARIS, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Markets in Asia and Europe reported sharp downturns Friday, pushed by news pointing to a spreading economic malaise.

In Britain, economic output declined 0.5 percent between July and September, the first contraction in 16 years, The New York Times said Friday. Economist James Knightley with ING Financial Markets in London told the Times other economies were likely to shrink, as well.

"This is going to be a long-drawn-out downturn of about five quarters of negative growth and there will be very few major economies that will escape recession," he said.

Stock markets in Asia reflected the dour mood. The Nikkei 225 index in Japan was off 9.6 percent, while the Kospi index in South Korea fell 10.6 percent, losing 1,000 points. In Singapore, the Straits Times Index fell 4.8 percent to a four-year low, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index plummeted 8.3 percent.

European markets hit similar numbers, the CAC 40 in Paris falling 10.15 percent, and the DAX in Frankfurt, Germany, down 9.96 percent, the Times reported. In midday trading, the FTSE 100 in London was down 8.8 percent.

Poll indicates growing economic concern

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Oct. 24 (UPI) -- The nation's economy remains the No.1 concern of U.S. voters, widening its lead over all other issues, The Harris Poll reported Friday.

The new survey says 64 percent of adults contacted said the economy is the issue in greatest need of government attention. It was reported the first time any issue has topped 60-percent in a Harris poll.

The 64 percent is up from 54 percent in September and 43 percent in August.

Healthcare came second in importance among those surveyed, at 22 percent, followed by "the war," Iraq, education and taxes, Harris said.

U.S. President George Bush's ratings (24 percent positive and 75 percent negative) equaled his lowest ratings in April and September of this year.

Just one in 10 Americans (11 percent) say that the country is going in the right direction while 83 percent say it is going on the wrong track. Harris said this breaks the previous low of 12 percent occurring during the administration of President George H.W. Bush in June 1992.

The poll contacted 1,027 U.S. adults by telephone from Oct. 16-19.

Expert: GOP ad seems to concede election

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- An ad supporting U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., in North Carolina seems to be conceding the presidential race to the Democrats, a campaign ad expert said.

The 30-second spot financed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee aimed at Democratic challenger Kay Hagan warns voters against Democrats holding the White House and Congress, stating if Hagan wins, the party will "get a blank check," CNN reported Friday.

"They are basically painting the picture that the presidential race is over," said Evan Tracey of Campaign Media Analysis Group. "Overall, people prefer divided government. This is that divided government argument: 'Don't hand sole control over to one party.'"

John Randall, NRSC online communications director, denied that the ad suggest GOP nominee John McCain will lose the presidential race against Democrat Barack Obama.

"The NRSC is not conceding a Barack Obama presidency," Randall said. "Our ad was intended to highlight Hagan's many failings in light of the Democrats' promise to close debate should they control the executive and legislative branches of the federal government."

If 60 Democrats win Senate seats, the party could prevent Republicans from filibustering bills they oppose, and the GOP would be unable to block legislation they are against from advancing.

"You're going to see it in a lot of places these last 10 days, where you have vulnerable Republicans, because ultimately survival instincts are going to take over here," Tracey told CNN. ""It's going to be less about whoever else is running and more about, 'How do I save myself?' "

50 students may have been exposed to HIV

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Up to 50 students at a St. Louis-area high school may have been exposed to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, county health officials said.

The St. Louis County Health Department said it would provide free HIV testing to the 1,300 students at Normandy High School, with testing expected to be completed by the end of the month, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

The call for testing at the school arose from a routine investigation into an HIV diagnosis that led to concerns about at-risk students, the department said. Officials didn't reveal whether the person testing positive for HIV was a student.

"It could well be substantially below that" number of 50, said Craig LeFebvre, a health department spokesman told the Post-Dispatch. "Just because you're exposed doesn't mean you contracted the disease."

Health investigators may not know the identities of all the students involved, LeFebvre said.

"If we knew who they were, we probably would have acted in a less public fashion," he said.

While most likely scenario for HIV exposure among teenagers would be sexual activity, health experts say sharing contaminated hypodermic needles also could be responsible, the Post-Dispatch said.

Mortar shell explodes, kills five children

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Five children playing in their home with a mortar shell they had picked up from a field in Pakistan's tribal region were killed when the ammunition exploded.

Two other children were injured in the incident Thursday in the Wana region of South Waziristan, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

No other details of the incident were immediately available. The injured children were taken to a hospital in Wana.