March 30 (Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 advanced on Monday, lifted by gains in mining and energy stocks tracking higher commodity prices, though sentiment remained shaky as the Middle East war entered its fifth week.
The blue-chip FTSE 100 index rose 0.6% as of 0921 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 fell 0.5%. Both indexes however, were on track for firm monthly losses.
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Rio Tinto rose 3.5%, providing the biggest boost to the benchmark index after the mining giant said operations at three of its four Pilbara iron ore port terminals have resumed after Tropical Cyclone Narelle swept through Western Australia's Pilbara region.
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The Middle East conflict showed no sign of easing, with the Israeli military saying that Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, and an attack had also been launched from Yemen for only the second time since the U.S.-Israeli war began.
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Energy stocks climbed 1.4% to a record high as crude oil prices remained elevated, with Brent crude headed for a record monthly rise.
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Britain's finance minister Rachel Reeves will urge G7 counterparts to avoid unilateral measures such as new trade barriers during the Iran war, warning they could worsen energy insecurity and disrupt global supply chains.
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The travel and leisure sub-index fell 1.1%, on pace for double-digit monthly losses as the Iran war raised fuel-cost fears and disrupted key flight routes, threatening profits.
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Meanwhile, British mortgage approvals rose by more than expected last month and consumer credit grew at a faster pace than in January, Bank of England data showed on Monday, ahead of a potential hit from higher borrowing costs caused by the Iran war.
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A domestic fourth-quarter GDP rating and U.S. jobs report for March will be released later this week.
Reporting by Tharuniyaa Lakshmi in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli
Source: Reuters