(Adds futures, news items)
Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower, with futures FFIc1
down 0.7% ahead of cash markets open.
* SENIOR: British engineer Senior Plc SNR.L said it laid off another 12%
of its staff and forecast a drop of about 30% in revenue for the first half as
it deals with a steep downturn in the aerospace industry. * RETAIL: Britain's retail industry urged UK and European negotiators to
reach a post-Brexit trade deal, warning that without tariff-free trade,
consumers face higher prices from next year. * VACCINE SCHEME: The British government has decided not to join a European
Union coronavirus vaccine scheme because of concerns there could be costly
delays in securing the vaccines. * WATER REGULATOR: Britain's water regulator on Thursday proposed tightening
of measures it had put in place to support retailers during the virus-led
shutdown. * LSE: The London Stock Exchange LSE.L and other derivatives clearing
houses in Britain will be granted temporary access to the European Union from
January 2021. * LOCKDOWN: Theatres in England will be able to hold outdoor performances
from this weekend and beauticians can reopen next week. * OIL: Oil prices fell, adding to steep losses from the previous session,
and were headed for weekly declines on worries that renewed lockdowns would
suppress fuel demand. * GOLD: Gold was set for a fifth straight weekly gain as worries over a
spike in U.S. coronavirus cases kept the safe-haven metal near the technical
$1,800-per-ounce threshold. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 1.7% lower on Thursday, as oil
prices weakened and a rise in coronavirus cases in major global economies dented
broader sentiment. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times PRESS/FT
> Other business headlines PRESS/GB