STEVE INSKEEP, host:
US stock markets are closed today, while other world markets can only wish they were.
(Soundbite of music)
INSKEEP: Stock prices have fallen dramatically around the world today. The London market had its worst day since 9/11. India's main stock index had its worst day ever. The trouble started in Hong Kong, where the Hang Seng index fell five and a half percent. Tokyo's Nikkei lost four percent of its value, almost. And then in Europe, stocks fell around five percent in Belgium, France and Germany. There are already big drops today in Brazil and Argentina. All this comes amid grim news about the American economy, which affects so many other economies around the world.