Jan 3 - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening down 32 points at
7,572 on Friday, according to financial bookmakers.
* U.S.-IRAN: The United States killed Iranian Major-General Qassem
Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force and spearhead of Iran's spreading
military influence in the Middle East, in an air strike at Baghdad airport, the
Pentagon and Iran said. * RAIL: Britain will bring to an end the Northern Rail franchise run by
Deutsche Bahn's Arriva due to its "completely unacceptable" performance,
Transport Minister Grant Shapps said on Thursday. * UK SHOP PRICES: British shop prices fell in December for the seventh month
running as retailers ramped up discounts to attract shoppers in the run-up to
Christmas, an industry survey showed. * OIL: Brent crude futures jumped close to $3 to their highest since
September after a U.S. air strike killed key Iranian and Iraqi military
personnel, raising concerns that escalating Middle East tensions may disrupt oil
supplies. * GOLD: Gold prices climbed to a four-month high, as tensions mounted in the
Middle East after a senior Iranian military official was killed in a U.S. air
strike, while a weaker dollar also provided some support to the metal.
* The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed up 0.8% on Thursday after two
straight sessions of losses to rise after China cut the reserve requirement
ratio for banks and Trump said a Phase 1 trade deal with Beijing would be signed
on Jan. 15.
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
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