LONDON (MarketWatch) -- European shares started December on a downbeat note, as losses for mineral extractors weighed. Shares in BHP Billiton fell 4.1%, while Rio Tinot shares fell 5.2%. Elsewhere, chipmaker Infineon Technologies rose 1.4%. Its mostly-held unit Qimonda said that it expects to report a wider quarterly loss but may also sign a deal with strategic and financial investors. The U.K. FTSE 100 index dipped 0.6% to 4,263.43 while the German DAX 30 index fell 0.8% to 4,631.19.
