Around the World's Markets: London

BLUE CHIPS notched up their highest close in more than a month as investors gambled that the US interest rate rise would be the last one this year.

Led by buoyant telecom shares, the FTSE-100 ended 54.4 points or 0.86 per cent higher at 6,369.5 - its best since 20 July. The telecom sector contributed 34 points. BT and Vodafone AirTouch - dogged in recent weeks by interest rate jitters - gained 5.8 per cent and 2.8 per cent respectively.

Market Report, page 19