FTSE rises despite Netherlands suspending use of AstraZeneca vaccine

FTSE 100 started the week on the front foot as traders are increasingly optimistic after the US approved a US$1.9 trillion stimulus package last week. London’s leading index jumped 27 points to 6,788 in early deals.

PLC’s () COVID-19 vaccine has been suspended in the Netherlands over concerns about cases of blood clots reported in Norway. The World Health Organisation said last week the jab was not linked to these effects though it was investigating the matter.

The government has announced a £3bn plan to boost bus services across England and to encourage people to use public transport. It includes increasing services, simplifying fares and establishing hundreds of miles of new bus lanes.

Andrew Bailey, the governor of the , is under fire for not disclosing a potential conflict of interest in a scandal involving the Royal Bank of Scotland, which is part of plc (). The bank was accused of benefitting from customers’ financial ruin.

Among the small caps, () unveiled a new partnership with Magic Lamp Technologies, the owner of interactive video game map creator MapGenie. Gfinity will embed MapGenie’s interactive video game maps into relevant articles across its network.

Ferro (LON: FAR) has brought in a big-hitter as its new chairman. The junior has entered into a subscription agreement for up to US$12.6mln with Vision Blue Resources, a company led and founded by former Xstrata chief executive Sir Mick Davis, who will take the chair.

() is to work with on the AIM-listed group’s  artificial intelligence (AI) data analytics platform. The pair will target neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease by enhancing IXICO’s large-scale data processing capabilities.