Markets slide on news of IMF chief arrest

European markets opened lower on news of IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn's arrest on sexual assault charges, amid fears his absence from eurozone talks will delay bailout plans for Portugal and Greece.

In London, the FTSE 100 slid 0.32% to 5,925.87 just after opening. The top performers were Autonomy, up 7.5%, and the London Stock Exchange, climbing 3.32%. The morning's heaviest fallers included miners Vallar, down 6%, and Hochschild, down 2.88%. France's Cac 40 dropped 0.85% to 3,985, and the German Dax was down 0.51% to 7,365. The euro fell to a six-week low against the dollar, down half a cent to $1.4063, reflecting concerns Strauss-Kahn's arrest could delay bailout plans for troubled Portugal and Greece. Asian markets closed lower on Monday, with Japan's Nikkei down 0.9% a...