Around the World's Markets: London

THE FTSE-100 index closed up 16.7 points or 0.28 per cent at 6,056.5, with earlier gains tailing off after a nervous start on Wall Street.

The London stock market began its first day of trading at the early start- time of 8am. As expected, the extra hour's trading had prompted volatile prices in the first hour. Among the top 100 stocks, telecoms fared well with BT up 2.8 per cent. But retailers suffered with threats of a price war sending shares in the supermarket sector lower.

Market report, page 19