FTSE rises above 5,000 mark

The FTSE 100 Index pushed back above the 5,000 mark today as renewed talk of Qatari interest in Sainsbury's thrust the UK's third biggest supermarket into the takeover spotlight.

Rumours that the Qatar Investment Authority - which already owns 26% - was hatching plans for another tilt at the grocer helped shares surge up the riser's board with a 5% or 16.1p gain to 344.2p.