European stocks slump with travel names hard hit as investors fret over new COVID variant

European stocks fell sharply early Friday, with heavy losses for travel stocks and energy names after a new potentially highly contagious variant of COVID was detected in South Africa. The Stoxx Europe 600 index slid 3.8% to 465, with the German DAX down 3.5%, the French CAC 40 sliding 4.3% and the FTSE 100 index down 3.4%. The U.K. has announced it will halt travel from South Africa and several other African countries as of Friday. Shares of International Consolidated Airlines slid 10%, cruise