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A currency crisis in Turkey, pressure on the travel sector and a vaccine spat between the EU and UK set the scene for an up and down start on Monday, with the index up 0.1% to 6,718.31 by midday.
The Turkish lira tumbled as much as 14% against the US dollar after president Tayyip Erdogan sacked the country's central bank governor.
In corporate news, pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca firmed 2.6% to £72.91 after a clinical trial in the US showed its Covid-19 vaccine was 79% effective at preventing symptomatic illness.
The trial also found the vaccine was 100% effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation.
Home improvement retailer Kingfisher climbed 3.3% to 322.9p, having resumed its dividend after reporting a large rise in annual profit underpinned by 7.1% sales growth and cost cutting.
Kingfisher declared a dividend of 8.25p per share for the year, up from 3.33p year-on-year.
Gold miner Centamin was flat at 104.9p as it reported a jump in profit, after lower output was more than offset by a surge in prices for the precious metal.
Luxury car retailer Cambria Automobiles revved 12% higher to 74p on news that it was mulling a possible management buyout, at 80p per share.
Student accommodation provider Unite shed 0.5% to £10.15 after it received planning approval for a 700-bed development at Derby Road in Nottingham, estimated to cost £57 million to develop.
Video advertising group Tremor International rallied 15% to 700p on guiding for an annual profit for calendar 2021 'significantly ahead' of previous expectations.