Aug 30 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 19
points higher at 7,203 on Friday, according to financial bookmakers.
* SHELL: Royal Dutch Shell Plc RDSa.L in mid-September will shut the large
crude distillation units at its 275,000 bpd Deer Park, Texas plant for most of
the two-month overhaul, said people familiar with operations. * VODAFONE: Vodafone UK VOD.L is seeking to overturn a move by regulator
Ofcom to relax restrictions on how much BT BT.L can charge for business fibre
connections, saying it will result in higher bills for companies, universities
and hospitals. * BREXIT: The opposition Labour Party said on Thursday it would trigger an
emergency debate in parliament next week to try to stop Prime Minister Boris
Johnson taking Britain out of the European Union without a withdrawal deal.
* GOLD: Gold extended losses from the previous session on Friday and was set
to post its first weekly fall in five as positive developments around the
Sino-U.S. trade negotiations rekindled investors appetite for riskier assets.
* OIL: Oil prices on Friday were set for their biggest weekly gains since
early July, boosted by a decline in U.S inventories and a looming hurricane in
Florida, while new signs of trade talks between the United States and China
emerged. * London's main index .FTSE added 1% on Thursday as China's fresh comments
on possibly resolving the long-drawn trade spat with the United States lifted
investor spirits, while exporter stocks gained as sterling fell after the
suspension of parliament raised concerns of a no-deal Brexit. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
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