LONDON - Britain's leading shares tumbled yesterday, laid low by big falls from banks and commodity issues as ongoing euro zone debt contagion fears and rising tensions in Korea kept investors wary. By the close, the FTSE 100 index was down 128.93 points, or 2.54 percent, at 4,940.68, having touched an eight-and-a-half month low of 4,898.49 early in the session.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROFIRST

EUROPE - European shares fell to their lowest close in nearly nine months, with banks hit as interbank lending rates rose and worries persisted that austerity measures to be taken in European economies will hurt growth. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index fell 2.4 percent to 949.87 points, its lowest close since early September, 2009.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:EUROpean markets

FRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 5,670.04 points, down 135.64 or 2.34 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 3,331.29 points, down 99.64 or 2.90 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 6,091.55 points, down 115.04 or 1.85 percent.

MILAN - The FT IT All Share index closed at 18,964.96 points, down 649.79 or 3.31 percent.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:nikkei

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei average dropped 3.06 percent to its lowest close in six months, as the euro fell further on worries that Europe's woes now included the health of some banks in addition to sovereign debt problems. The Nikkei fell 298.51 points to 9,459.89, its lowest finish since November 30.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:hang seng

HONG KONG - Shares hit a 10-month low, closing below 19,000, tracking declines across Asian markets as investors shunned risk on rising volatility and on fears that Europe's debt woes would spread to its financial system. The Hang Seng index fell 3.47 percent or 682.26 points, its sharpest fall in nearly half a year, to close at 18,985.50.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:asx

SYDNEY - Stocks tumbled 2.96 percent, more than wiping out the prior day's gains, as fresh signs of Europe's banking problems scared investors and deterred risk taking. The S&P/ASX 200 index slid 130.0 points to 4,265.3, finishing at the session's low, after gaining 89.94 points on Monday.

@MARKET ROUNDUP:south africa

JOHANNESBURG - The rand tumbled more than 1.5 percent against the dollar and stocks dropped sharply, as concern about Europe's debt crisis prompted investors to dump riskier assets. The All-share index closed at 26,179.84 points, down 597.95 or 2.23 percent.