Aug 21 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is expected to open 5
points lower at 7,121 on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers.
* RYANAIR: Belgium's CNE and ACV PULS trade unions have told members not to
comply with a Ryanair RYA.I request to staff flights affected by a planned
strike by Portuguese crew from Wednesday, a letter sent to the airline seen by
Reuters showed. * OIL: Brent crude oil futures rose above $60 a barrel for the first time in
over a week on Wednesday after a data report showed a larger-than-expected drop
in U.S. crude inventories, but ongoing worries about a possible global recession
capped gains. * GOLD: Gold prices held steady on Wednesday after recovering to above the
key $1,500 an ounce level in the previous session, with investors waiting for
the minutes of the Federal Reserve's July meeting for possible clues on further
U.S. interest rate cuts. * MINERS: Iron ore futures in China sank to their lowest in 10 weeks on
Wednesday, extending losses along with coke, after mining giant BHP Group
BHPB.L gave a downbeat outlook for steelmaking raw material prices.
* London's main index ended firmly in the red on Tuesday after new
U.S.-China trade jitters and political instability in Italy took down
heavyweight firms across sectors, while exporter stocks dipped as the pound
gained after German Chancellor Angela Merkel's comments on the Brexit process.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
LIVE/
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Anglo-Eastern Plantations ANEA.L Half Year Earnings Release
Empresaria Group EMPR.L Half Year Earnings Release
Costain Group COSG.L Half Year Earnings Release
Hansteen Holdings HSTN.L Half Year Earnings Release
Hansteen Holdings HSTN.L Half Year Earnings Call
OneSavings Bank OSBO.L Q2 Earnings Release
Charter Court Financial Services CCFS.L Half Year Earnings Release
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times PRESS/FT
> Other business headlines PRESS/GB