News from Afghanistan boosts Footsie

The FTSE-100 Index was ahead 28.1 points at 5321.3 by mid-morning as the Taliban's final stronghold of Kandahar came under threat.

A strong finish on Wall Street on Friday and reports of strong US retail sales on the day after Thanksgiving have also pepped up the London market.

Standard Chartered was among the session's biggest risers, gaining 3% or 28½p to 851p, following reports that both Lloyds TSB and Barclays had expressed an interest in the international banking group.

The share rise came despite a statement by Standard Chartered - which was founded by a Scot, is based in London, but has its business abroad - that it had "never been and is not in any discussions regarding the sale of the company".

Other banking stocks were also helping keep the London market ahead, with Lloyds TSB up 9p at 754p; Royal Bank of Scotland 25p stronger at £16.93; Barclays up 54p at £22.04; and HSBC 6½p heavier at 863½p.

Vodafone was up 3¼p at 186¾p; while Cable & Wireless rose 7p to 364p. But BT's former mobile arm mm02 was down 4p at 89p; and BT Group dipped 2¼p to 260½p after it confirmed a property sale-and-leaseback deal worth £2.4bn.

Other fallers included Imperial Tobacco, off 10p at 853½p, despite announcing a 10% increase in full-year pre-tax profits.

Away from the Footsie, a warning from UK Coal that production in the second half-year would be below expectations sent shares falling 11% or 8¾p to 89p. The firm, which in September announced wider losses, put part of the blame on delays in opening a new face at its Daw Mill colliery, near Coventry.