Last checked at 
(For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock
markets, click LIVE/ or type LIVE/ in a news window)
Dec 14 (Reuters) - European shares rose on Monday, as a
decision to extend trade talks between Britain and the European
Union kept hopes of an eventual deal alive, but London's
blue-chips lagged on a higher pound as well as a 6.3% drop in
AstraZeneca. (Mathew)
The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.9% after
breaking a five-week winning streak to end 1% lower last week.
Leaders from both sides decided to extend talks beyond a
Sunday deadline in an attempt to secure a deal to govern around
$1 trillion in trade, currently free from tariffs and quotas.
The pound, battered recently by the prospect of a chaotic
British exit from the bloc, rose more than 1%, weighing on
London's export-heavy firms that earn revenue in dollars.
The FTSE 100 was flat as gains in most sectors were
offset by a slide in AstraZeneca. The drugmaker said
over the weekend, it would buy U.S. drugmaker Alexion
Pharmaceuticals for $39 billion in its largest ever
deal.
(Reporting by Susan Mathew in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernard
Orr)
