European stocks close lower

LONDON: Europe's stock markets closed lower Thursday, as jitters about the Volkswagen scandal and looming US interest rate moves that weighed on trading earlier this week returned to haunt investors anew.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index ended the day 1.17 percent down at 5,961.49 points compared to Wednesday's close.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 shed 1.92 percent to finish at 9,427.64 points, and Paris' CAC 40 dropped 1.93 percent to 4,347.24 points.