Global equities retreat before Fed meeting

Stock markets around the world slid Tuesday as investors played it safe ahead of a key meeting of the US Federal Reserve, with the Bank of Japan abstaining from extra stimulus providing a trigger for selling. Fresh slides for oil prices and share prices of heavyweight miners heaped further pressure on markets. Europe's main markets closed down between half and one percentage point, while on Wall Street the Dow off 0.2 percent in midday trading.