Doha: European shares closed higher on Wednesday, buoyed by a surge in mining stocks. The pan-European STOXX Europe 600 rose 0.8 percent to close at 611.42 points, with most major sectors and bourses posting gains.

According to Qatar News Agency, France's CAC 40 gained 0.35 percent to close at 8,007.97 points, while Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.58 percent to 10,325.35 points. Germany's DAX advanced 0.76 percent to 24,136.81 points.

The basic resources index surged 4.4 percent to a record high, driven by rising base metals prices and strong momentum in what has been Europe's best-performing sector this year.