London shares firm in early deals; mining strength offsets Corus weakness UPDATE.

(From AFX Europe (Focus))

(Updating with full company details)

LONDON (AFX) - Leading shares were higher in early deals, making headway after a flat open and following a late rebound on Wall Street yesterday, with strength in the UK mining sector offsetting a negative performance from Corus, dealers said.

At 9.01 am, the FTSE 100 index was 17.8 points higher at 6,091.3, after closing up just 0.8 points at 6,073.5 yesterday, while the broader indices also got off to a positive start.

Overnight in the US, the Dow Jones ended 15.10 points lower at 11,852.10, while the Nasdaq composite index finished 7.16 points lighter at 2,308.27 and the S&P 500 index closed off 3.45 points at 1,349.95.

US stocks fell sharply Wednesday afternoon after reports that an aircraft crashed in New York City, but rebounded when the government said the incident did not appear to be the result of terrorism.

However, sentiment remained negative after Alcoa reported earnings per share of 61 cents during the three months ended Sept 30, missing the consensus forecast of 79 cents.

Concerns over the trend of the US economy also resurfaced after minutes from the Federal Reserve …