Europe: Stocks steady at open

[LONDON] Europe's main stock markets stabilised in opening trade on Tuesday, one day after a deadly subway explosion in Russia sent global shares sliding.

In initial deals, London's benchmark FTSE 100 index of top blue-chip companies rose 0.2 per cent to 7,299.89 points.

In the eurozone, Frankfurt's DAX 30 was almost unchanged at 12,257.72 and the Paris CAC 40 also flatlined at 5,087.60, compared with Monday's close.

European and US stocks fell on Monday following the fatal explosion in Russia, and amid anxiety over a key a US-China summit later in the week.

Asian equities also pushed lower Tuesday, hit by a stronger yen as investors fled to safety following the suspected terror attack in Saint Petersburg that killed 11 people and injured dozens more.

A suicide bomber from Kyrgyzstan was behind the deadly explosion, according to security services in the Central Asian country.

Russia's Investigative Committee said it was probing an "act of terror" over the blast that rocked the metro in the country's second city on Monday afternoon, but added it would look into all other possible causes of the blast.

AFP