FTSE slides further as Japanese quake hits Asian markets

The blue chip index dropped 1.6% or 92 points, to close at 5,845 last night, before making furthers losses in early trading Friday. It was down lower this morning, off 0.16% at 5,836 points, as investors reacted to the massive earthquake in Northern Japan. The quake, which registered 8.9 in magnitude, struck while Tokyo was still trading. By close, the Nikkei fell 1.72%. As the news spread westwards, the Dow Jones plunged 228 points, a fall of 1.87% to stand at 11,984.61. Yesterday, investors had already been spooked after Moody's downgraded Spain's sovereign credit rating from Aa2...