FTSE starts the week down

The telecoms firm has shed 2p to 131p, while Amvescap is down 4.75p to 350.75p. Mining firms, meanwhile, are trading well, as BHP Billiton has added 9.5p to 746.5 and Rio Tinto is up 14p to £18.11. Cairn Energy has also picked up 8p to £12.10. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 Stock Average dropped 0.3% to 11,884.49 at its close early Saturday morning, led by retailers including Marui and banks including Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group, after a government report showed Japan's economy grew at a 0.5% annual pace in the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial, Japan's second-biggest lende...