Europe's main stock markets slid by around 1.5% at the start of trading on Thursday following heavier falls across Asia and on Wall Street.
London's benchmark FTSE 100 index slumped 1.4% to 7 049.31 points compared with Wednesday's closing level.
In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 dropped 1.3% to 11 558.98 points and the Paris CAC 40 shed 1.5% to 5 128.22 points.
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