Morning Markets: Rio Tinto helps FTSE to bright start

Telecoms groups and miners including Rio Tinto helped the FTSE 100 off to a good start, up 16.37 (0.29%) to 5,719.39.

Rio Tinto is up 1.55% to £39.23 despite the news of four employees being charged and sentenced in China for bribery. Stern Hu, the most senior, received 12 years in prison. Vodafone rose 2.93% to 151p following speculation it could get a dividend from US joint venture Verizon Wireless, while BSkyB fell 1.51% to 585p ahead of the Ofcom decision on TV sports rights due this week. In Japan the Nikkei index dipped 0.1% on Monday following an 18-month closing high on Friday. The Nikkei's rise last week, which at one point briefly took it over 11,000, combined with the fact that Friday w...