FTSE surges on strong Wall St open

Vedanta Resources was the best performer, up 6.71% to 1,336p. Antofagasta also rose 5% to 414.75p, while Xstrata gained 5.86% to 1,988p and Rio Tinto advanced 4.07% to 2,835p as copper prices remained high. Crude prices stuck above $72 a barrel, taking Shell up 2.20% to 1,811p and Cairn Enery up 0.84% to 2,155p. PartyGaming rose 0.66% to 114.25p on reports it is to expand into sports betting by making acquisitions, funded by the issue of bonds that could raise £500m. In the US, the Dow Jones industrial average is up 77.16 points, or 0.70%, at 11,050.72 points as news of stronger...