Frankfurt  - European markets faced up to a Black Friday as a wave of panic selling triggered by growing recession fears sent shares and currencies into a dramatic tailspin.

Already under siege as profit worries have grown, shares across Europe spiralled down after the OPEC oil producing nations' cartel cut production raising concerns about increase energy costs as the world economy was engulfed by a sharp slowdown.

With Wall Street slumping by more than 4 per cent shortly after its Friday opening, investors in Europe continued to dump stocks leaving the blue-chip Stoxx 50 down 6.1 per cent at 2090 as European trading came to an end.

Washington - US stock indices posted steep drops on opening Friday, plunging more than 4 per cent on continued uncertainty over the state of the global economy.

The weak opening in New York followed sharp falls in Europe, Asia and the Middle East earlier in the day on fears of a recession following the widening financial crisis.

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Kathmandu - A senior United Nations official said Friday that Nepal faced multiple challenges to its peace process despite making tremendous progress in ending its decadelong conflict that pitted the government against Maoist rebels.

While the election in April of a constituent assembly was a landmark achievement, major hurdles lie ahead for the successful conclusion of the peace process, said Ian Martin, the head of United Nations Mission in Nepal.