Asian stock markets have fallen sharply, amid investor fears that Greece's debt crisis could halt the global economic recovery. Japan's Nikkei index shed 3.2 per cent, having fallen by 4.1 per cent in morning trading, while Australia's main index lost 1.6 per cent. It comes a day after heavy falls on US markets, where the Dow Jones index slumped 9 per cent, before rallying. The pound also fell sharply against the dollar and the euro as results poured in from the UK general election. The pound fell 3 cents, or 2 per cent, against the dollar.