Dec 2 - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 21 points lower at
6,364 on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers.
* BREXIT: A senior British minister said there was still a chance of a
turbulent Brexit without a trade deal as talks with the European Union had
snagged on fishing, governance rules and dispute resolution. * COVID-19: Parliament approved a system of regional COVID-19 restrictions
for England despite a rebellion within Prime Minister Boris Johnson's own party
which underlined growing unhappiness at his handling of the
pandemic.
* POLL: Britain's economy will contract this quarter and it will take at
least two years for GDP to reach pre-COVID-19 levels, according to a Reuters
poll which also found London would agree a free-trade deal with the European
Union. * GOLD: Gold eased after a sharp rise in the previous session, due to
uncertainty over a U.S. stimulus package, while progress in a COVID-19 vaccine
development also weighed on the metal's safe-haven appeal. * OIL: Oil prices extended losses, hit by a surprise build in oil
inventories in the United States and as OPEC and its allies left markets in
limbo by delaying a formal meeting to decide whether to increase output in
January. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 1.9% higher on Tuesday as upbeat
Chinese factory data fuelled hopes for a global economic recovery from the
COVID-19 crisis. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Stocks Spirits Group Plc STCK.L FY earnings
Avon Rubber Plc AVON.L FY earnings
IXICO Plc IXI.L FY earnings
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
LIVE/
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times PRESS/FT
> Other business headlines PRESS/GB