Markets Slide in Europe

Equities sold off across Europe Thursday after European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet indicated he and his fellow policymakers might be about to raise interest rates.

London's FTSE 100 fell 0.6% to 6331, and Frankfurt's Xetra DAX lost 0.9% to 6856. The Paris CAC 40 shed 0.8% to 5659, and Milan's MIB 30 dropped nearly 1% to 42,409.

Denmark's OMX Copenhagen 20 sank 1.2%, and Sweden's OMX Stockholm 30 slid 1.4%.

In Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 was unchanged at 17,292, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng edged up 0.3% to 20,735. Mainland China's market was stronger, but in Taiwan, the Taiex Index gave away 0.1% to 7842. South Korea was also weaker.

Singapore's Straits Times Index was lower by 0.6% to 3218, and India's BSE Sensex was fractionally higher at 14,652.