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* FTSE 100 down 0.7%, FTSE 250 down 0.3%
* China-linked virus has so far killed 170 people
* WHO to decide if virus constitutes global emergency
* Shell, BT lead losses on main board
Jan 30 (Reuters) - London's main index tumbled on Thursday
as the rising death toll from the coronavirus in China kept
investors on edge, while downbeat earnings led to a slide in the
shares of heavyweights Shell and BT.
Countries have begun isolating hundreds of citizens
evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan to stop the spread of
the epidemic, while the World Health Organization may on
Thursday reassess its stance on the outbreak. The FTSE 100 .FTSE gave up 0.7% and the FTSE 250 .FTMC
slid 0.3%, as dealers also eyed a Bank of England policy meeting
amid expectations of an imminent interest rate cut.
Oil major Shell RDSa.L slid 4% to its lowest since July
2017 after its fourth-quarter profit halved. Telecom firm BT
BT.L shed 4.6% after a worse-than-expected drop in quarterly
revenue.