BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks slumped on Friday amid fears that a new coronavirus variant identified in South Africa may spark fresh outbreaks and scuttle a fragile economic recovery.
The benchmark FTSE 100 dropped 207 points, or 2.8 percent, to 7,102 after rising 0.3 percent the previous day.
Travel & leisure stocks succumbed to heavy selling pressure as the U.K. issued a temporary flight ban on six African countries.
British Airways owner IAG and airline EasyJet both plunged around 11 percent, while travel company TUI lost 9 percent.
Commodity-related stocks fell broadly as oil and metal prices declined on economic slowdown worries.
Miners Anglo American, Antofagasta, Glencore shed 4-5 percent while oil & gas company BP Plc lost 6.3 percent and Royal Dutch Shell gave up 5 percent.
Beverage company Diageo declined 2.8 percent after announcing it has started the next tranche of its return of capital program.
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