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In initial trade, the British capital's benchmark FTSE 100 index rose 0.5 percent to 7,751.39 points, in a delayed opening that followed initial technical problems.
In the eurozone meanwhile, Frankfurt's DAX 30 added 0.4 percent to 12,884.77 points and the Paris CAC 40 rose 0.8 percent to 5,498.40, compared with Wednesday's close.