Main market index on London Stock Exchange down 1.5 percent

The main market index on the London Stock Exchange was down 1.5 percent in the first minutes of trading Wednesday, reflecting a sharp fall on exchanges around the world, the AP says.

The Financial Times-Stock Exchange 100-share index stood at 6,188.44 in early trading, down from Tuesday's close of 6,286.1. Tuesday's figure was down 2.3 percent.