European shares drift lower

European shares lost ground on Wednesday after gaining in the previous session, as tension in Ukraine offset reports of more corporate deal-making. Alstom jumped 9.2 percent after saying it would review a binding offer from General Electric for its energy business by the end of May and left the door open for a competing bid from Germany's Siemens. Shares in Alstom resumed trading on Wednesday, after being suspended since late last week. The FTSEurofirst 300 was down 0.1 percent at 1,351.54 points by 1018 GMT. It had jumped 1.2 percent on Tuesday, notching up its highest finish since April 4, when it closed at its highest in six years.