* FTSE 100 up 0.4 percent, shrugs off weak retail data
* Miners push higher as global recovery hopes intact
* Food, travel firms lifted by Europe, U.S. results
By Simon Falush
LONDON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Stronger miners and banks lifted Britain's top shares on Thursday, supported by strong U.S. and European earnings, with British Airways a big beneficiary of solid results from U.S. peers.
By 0911 GMT the FTSE 100 was 0.4 percent higher at 5,751.44 after rising 0.4 percent on Wednesday.
Miners delivered the biggest lift to the index, supported as metal prices held near recent highs and as strong corporate earnings and solid data from China supported confidence the global economic recovery was sustainable. Anglo American led the way, up 1.9 percent after releasing third-quarter earnings while Rio Tinto added 1.7 perecnt.
"Attention has shifted away from the focus on an interest rate rise in China to strength in corporate earnings in the U.S. where around three-quarters of results have exceeded expectations," said Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown.
Confidence on the sustainability of the global recovery and thus the demand outlook for metals was shored up as China said its economic growth slowed in the third quarter but was a touch stronger than expected.
China sent equity markets lower markets on Tuesday when it announced the first hike in its core interest rate since 2007.
UK equities shrugged off data which showed a British economy struggling to recover strongly from an 18-month recession.
British retail sales unexpectedly fell for a second month in a row in September, driven lower by weak clothing and fuel sales, official data showed.
Lending to UK firms rose in August for the first time since February but remained 5.4 percent lower than the same month a year ago, Bank of England figures showed.
British Airways was the top gainer, up 3.9 percent, buoyed by strength from its U.S. peers. Delta Air Lines, US Airways Group Inc and American Airlines parent AMR Corp all posted strong results.
TRAVEL GAINS
Elsewhere in the travel sector, TUI Travel was the sharpest faller, down 7.1 percent after it restated its 2009 results and said its finance chief will go after stumbling across 117 million pounds ($185 million) owed by customers that will now have to be written off.
But overall there was confidence on the sector, with InterContinental Hotels up 3.2 percent after French peer Accor raised its 2010 profit goal on Wednesday and posted third-quarter sales slightly above forecasts.
Food producer Unilever and household products firm Reckitt Benckiser and Associated British Foods were also beneficiaries of strength from European results after French food group Danone posted a forecast-beating 15 percent rise in third-quarter sales.
Banks also gained with HSBC and Lloyds Banking Group up 1.6 and 0.3 percent respectively.
Tullow Oil was off 3.2 percent after it said an offshore well in Ghana failed to find oil, prompting Oriel to downgrade the British-based explorer to "reduce" from "hold". (Editing by Michael Shields)