ECB causes FTSE slump

Partygaming.com topped the losers with a fall of 4.5p or 3.54% to 122.5p, closely followed by Intercontinental hotels which slipped 22p to 847.5p. BHP Billiton and Royal Bank of Scotland also paced the decline, as BHP Billiton, the world's largest mining company, dropped 4p or 0.41% to 968.5p, while Royal Bank of Scotland, Britain's second-largest bank, lost 34p, or 1.76%, to 1,899p. European Central Bank Chairman Jean-Claude Trichet said ``upside risks'' to inflation ``prevail,'' as the ECB today raised its key rate a quarter-point to 2.5%, the second increase since December. But ...