Stock markets around the world posted the worst one day fall in over a decade after the suspected terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the US.

Trading on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq was halted indefinitely after two passenger aircraft crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York in the space of a few minutes. Both towers subsequently collapsed. Trading on all other US exchanges was also halted, with only the interbank foreign exchange market continuing to operate.