Steady start for FTSE

Britain's blue chip share index held firm today in the wake of the US Government's planned US$700bn (€483.5bn) banking sector bail-out.

The FTSE 100 Index stuck close to its opening mark, after Friday's staggering near-9% gain saw it bank its biggest-ever one-day rise.

Trading kicked off in London after hefty overnight gains across Asia, with Japan's Nikkei 225 index 1.4% higher and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index adding nearly 1%.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index jumped 4.3%, buoyed by new rules banning all short selling following similar action by regulators in the US and Britain.