European stock markets closed sharply lower after a day of continued fears about eurozone debt problems and their potential impact on the global economic recovery.
The FTSE 100 index in London closed down by 2.54% to an eight-month low of 4,940.68 points.
Germany's Dax index was 2.34% lower, while in France the Cac 40 fell 2.9%.
In afternoon US trade, the Dow Jones was down by 1.55%, and the broader S&P 500 index was 1.51%.
Earlier, Asian markets also saw sharp falls. As well as eurozone worries, stocks in South Korea and Japan had been affected as North Korea reportedly went on to military alert.
North Korea later announced it was severing ties with South Korea.
In London, the FTSE 100 has now fallen by more than 10% in little more than a month after hitting a 22-month high in April - it stands at its lowest level since 7 September 2009. Link
