UK stocks got off to a strong start on Friday as lingering fears of a no-deal Brexit kept the pound under pressure, assisting exporters.The pound slumped by around half a US cent after Bank of England policy committee member Michael Saunders indicated that UK interest rates may be cut due to Brexit uncertainty.At 8:48am, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was up 66.62 points, or 0.9%, at 7.417.70.Marine

The FTSE 100 opens 9.4 points up at 7,430.37 as Asian markets are ending the week in positive territory. The leaders of North and South Korea, two nations technically still at war, have met in what is viewed as a landmark occasion.The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) share price is down 1.2% to 269.2p despite a 70% improvement on its first quarter operating pre-tax profits to £1.2bn.However, its net