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Dec 22 (Reuters) - London's blue chips fell on Tuesday as a
fast-spreading new coronavirus strain in the UK pushed more
countries to shut their borders, while broader European markets
recovered following the approval of a long-awaited U.S. aid
package.
London's FTSE 100 .FTSE dropped 0.2% to hover near their
three-week lows, with materials and energy shares leading
declines. .L
Strict lockdowns went into effect in Britain to curb the
spread of the new strain said to be up to 70% more transmissible
than the original, triggering border bans and travel
restrictions from several countries.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX , meanwhile, rose
0.6%, recovering from its biggest one-day loss in nearly two
months on Monday.
The U.S. Congress on Monday approved an $892 billion fiscal
stimulus following days of furious negotiation. President Donald
trump is expected to sign it into law, keeping hopes of an
economic recovery alive.