The pound slumped more than 1% on Monday and European stocks tumbled as a new strain of the coronavirus in the UK caused chaos ahead of the Christmas holiday while another deadline was missed in Brexit trade talks.

Travel and energy shares dragged the Stoxx Europe 600 Index down about  2% at the open as Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and France closed their borders to the former European Union state. Countries as far afield as in South America and Asia followed suit. More than 16-million Britons are now required to stay at home as a full lockdown came into force in London and the southeast of England...

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