Eichel Calls for Calm on Financial Markets

German Finance Minister Hans Eichel called Thursday for calm on the world's financial markets in the wake of the terrorist attacks in London. "We must not allow the situation to get out of hand by acting wrongly or panicking," Eichel said. "The global economy is not going to be knocked out of kilter," he continued, adding that finance ministers were in contact with their central banks in the wake of the deadly bombings that blasted the British capital earlier Thursday. In Frankfurt, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet said he currently saw no need for the ECB or the Bank of England to intervene in the markets in the wake of the attacks, but they would be ready to act if necessary.