European stock markets sag at open

Europe's main stock markets lost ground at the start of trading on Wednesday, after heavy losses in Tokyo, with London's benchmark FTSE 100 index down 0.75 percent to 6,509.26 points. Frankfurt's DAX 30 shed 0.80 percent to 8,229.23 points and in Paris the CAC 40 dipped 0.67 percent to 3,901.45 points. Across in Asia, Tokyo stocks tumbled 3.83 percent to close at a two-month low on Wednesday after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered few surprises in a closely watched speech on pumping up the nation's economy. Wall Street also slid Tuesday as an expanded trade deficit offered a fresh sign of weakness in US growth, sparking a wave of selling, dealers said.