FTSE stumbles as A&L takeover bid dropped

BP and Rio Tinto Group have also paced a decline by commodity producers. The FTSE 100 Index has lost 22.4 points, or 0.4%, to 5862 in early trading as 82 stocks have fallen and while only 14 have risen. Alliance & Leicester has lost 75p, or 6.5%, to 1074p, its biggest drop since 2001. BP has lost 0.5% to 630p while Rio Tinto has declined 0.8% to 2874p. In Japan stocks declined for the first day in five after North Korea launched missiles over the Sea of Japan, raising concern the communist nation will threaten the region's security. Shares of Japan's largest companies includi...