June 8 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 futures FFIc1 index down 0.58% on
Monday.
* ASTRAZENECA: Britain's AstraZeneca AZN.L has approached U.S. rival
Gilead Sciences GILD.O about a possible merger to form one the world's largest
drug companies, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with
the matter. * HSBC: HSBC Holdings Plc HSBA.L Chairman Mark Tucker has warned Britain
against a ban on networking equipment made by Huawei Technologies Co Ltd,
claiming the bank could face reprisals in China, the Telegraph reported on
Saturday. * GOLD: Gold inched up on Monday although safe-haven demand remained
subdued, after prices fell to a more than one-month low in the last session as
an unexpected jump in U.S. employment boosted hopes for a swift economic
recovery. * OIL: Oil prices rose more than 2% early on Monday to their highest in
three months after OPEC and its allies including Russia agreed to extend record
oil production cuts until the end of July. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 2.3% higher on Friday, as optimism
around a post-coronavirus economic recovery drove investors back to riskier
assets. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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