LONDON - The FTSE 100 of Britain's leading shares ended down 0.6 percent as the Bank of England raised interest rates to their highest level in six years and miners rose in a directionless trading session.

The FTSE 100 closed 37.9 points lower at 6,635.2 as traders struggled for direction after US markets were closed on Wednesday for the Independence Day holiday.ROUNDUP:EUROFIRSTEUROPE - European stocks fell, led by telecommunications heavyweights Vodafone and BT Group, while mining companies and French retailer Carrefour rose.

The European Central Bank left key interest rates unchanged as expected but signalled a hawkish tone, analysts said, with some suggesting that higher borrowing costs may eat into corporate profit margins.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index ended at 1,609.67 points, a loss of 0.65 percent.ROUNDUP:EUROmarketsFRANKFURT - The DAX index ended at 7987.13 points, down 88.13 or 1.09 percent.

PARIS - The CAC-40 index closed at 6059.53 points, down 38.55 or 0.63 percent.

ZURICH - The Swiss market index closed at 9219.37 points, down 75.14 or 0.81 percent.

MILAN - The All Share Mibtel index closed at 33004 points, down 215 or 0.65 percent.ROUNDUP:nikkei>TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei share average edged up 0.3 percent, rising for the sixth session in a row, led by Sony and other exporters as the yen slipped in the currency markets.

The Nikkei rose 52.76 points to close at 18,221.48.ROUNDUP:hang sengHONG KONG - Hong Kong-listed China plays advanced 0.8 percent, as coal plays surged to records amid a favourable outlook for prices of the black carbon.

The Hang Seng Index closed up 34.44 points at 22,252.99.ROUNDUP:asx<.5b0>SYDNEY - Australian shares rose one percent as resource firms gained on stronger metals and oil prices, while Zinifex and Oxiana Resources hit new highs on unsubstantiated merger talk.

The S&P/ASX 200 index added 63.7 points to close at 6,362.3.ROUNDUP:south africaJOHANNESBURG - South Africa's stock market ended in the positive, driven by strong performance of resources stocks such as BHP Billiton despite continued nervousness around interest rates.

The All-share index closed at 28896.36 points, up 52.05 or 0.18 percent. The All Gold index closed at 2448.43 points, up 13.45 or 0.55 percent, while the Industrial index closed at 19643.32 points, down 59.72 or 0.30 percent.