FRANCE'S Atlantic coast could be swamped with oil from the sunken tanker Prestige within days after high winds tore up an oil slick out at sea, authorities said yesterday.

Saudi Arabia has given foreign oil firms such as Royal Dutch/Shell Group and ExxonMobil Corp until Nov 1 to respond "positively" to a final offer made by Riyadh over three large gas projects, or risk losing the deal, Asharq Al-Awsat daily reported citing Saudi sources.

Share prices were higher in midday trading, lifted by a tentative round of bargain hunting after heavy selling seen last Thursday and Friday, although Axa underperformed as investors fear a recent string of capital increases by European insurers could signal similar moves for the rest of the sector, dealers said.

Concern over illegal tax breaks has stopped work at the gigantic "Snow White" offshore field near Norway.

London shares ended a six-session run of successive losses when it closed up today boosted by a recovery in telecom stocks, strength in oils - led by an update from Shell - and gains in the heavyweight banking sector after Royal Bank of Scotland issued an upbeat trading statement, dealers said.