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* FTSE 100 gains 0.4%, FTSE 250 up 0.3%
Oct 9 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 rose on Friday, en route
to a second consecutive weekly gain, as hopes of a Brexit deal
and U.S. stimulus package eclipsed worries about a fresh surge
in COVID-19 cases that risks derailing an economic recovery.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index .FTSE climbed 0.4%, with
mining .FTNMX1770 and oil stocks .FTNMX0530 leading the
gains. The mid-cap index .FTMC added 0.3%.
Capping gains, however, was a slower-than-expected growth in
Britain's economy in August from July, official data showed on
Friday. Real estate firm British Land BLND.L rose 4.5% to the top
of the FTSE 100 after saying it would resume paying dividends in
November and that it was in active talks with its tenants over
rent payments. TP ICAP TCAPI.L , the world's biggest inter-dealer broker,
gained 0.9% on furnishing plans to raise about $425 million
through a rights issue and agreed to buy electronic trading
network Liquidnet Holdings for a revised consideration of
between $575 million and $700 million.