Around the World's Markets: LONDON

THE UK'S FTSE 100 closed 0.6 per cent higher yesterday, lifted by a strong day for the index's heavyweight oil stocks and a shining performance from the miners. After a flurried session in which UK fund managers strove to tweak their portfolio weightings in the year-end run-up, the blue-chip FTSE 100 closed 38.2 points higher at 6,672.0.

Dealers said there were the first signs of a slowdown in trading as Yuletide torpor seeped into the market. Market Report, page 22