June 28 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 1 point
higher at 7,404
on Friday, according to financial bookmakers.
* UNITE GROUP: Britain's Unite Group UTG.L said on Thursday it was in
advanced talks to buy fellow student accommodation firm Liberty Living from
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). * TCS GROUP: Russian consumer lender TCS Group TCSq.L , the parent company
of Tinkoff Bank, said on Thursday it would raise extra capital by offering 16.7
million global depositary receipts (GDRs) at $18 per unit. * BT: BT Group BT.L said on Thursday that Orange ORAN.PA , France's
number one telecoms operator, would offer up its entire 2.5% stake in the
Britain's former telecoms monopoly. * GLENCORE: At least 41 artisanal miners were killed on Thursday when part
of a copper and cobalt mine owned by Glencore GLEN.L collapsed in southeast
Congo, the provincial governor said. * PETROFAC: Iraq has temporarily suspended Petrofac PFC.L from bidding on
new contracts, although existing deals are not affected, the head of an Iraqi
state oil firm said on Thursday. * MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS: Britain's Merlin Entertainments Plc MERL.L is to
be acquired for 6 billion pounds ($7.6 billion) by a group made up of Kirkbi,
the investment vehicle of Lego's founding family, private equity firm Blackstone
Group LP BX.N and Canadian pension fund CPPIB, the Financial Times reported on
Friday. * BHP: BHP Group BHPB.L BHP.AX has agreed to pay the state of Western
Australia A$250 million ($175 million) to end a dispute over royalties paid on
iron ore shipments sold through its Singapore marketing hub, the two parties
said on Friday. * GOLD: Gold prices jumped on Friday, heading for their best month in three
years, as uncertainty loomed over whether highly anticipated trade talks between
China and the United States would yield any progress in ending a year-long trade
dispute. * OIL: Oil prices eased on Friday in a cautious market, as traders eyed a
scheduled meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi
Jinping at the G20 summit and next week's OPEC meeting. * The UK blue chip index closed 0.2% lower on Thursday as initial investor
optimism gave way to uncertainty amid conflicting reports on whether Washington
and Beijing would commit to a trade truce, while Glencore skidded after a mine
collapse in Congo. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
LIVE/
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Aukett Swanke Group Plc AUK.L HY Earnings release
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times PRESS/FT
> Other business headlines PRESS/GB