European stock markets slide at open     

London: European stock markets sank at the start of trading on Wednesday following fresh overnight falls on Wall Street, dealers said.

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index slid 0.6 percent to 6,959.04 points compared with the close on Tuesday.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 index dropped 0.9 percent to 11,868.08 points and the Paris CAC 40 shed 0.8 percent to 5,073.42.

Asian equities also resumed their downward spiral on Wednesday following a selloff on Wall Street, which was pummelled by a pullback in technology shares.