(Updates futures, adds news items)
April 14 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is
seen opening flat on Wednesday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.01%.
* BRITISH LAND: British Land Co BLND.L said it expects
market rents for covered shopping centres to take longer to
stabilise than at retail parks, due to higher occupancy costs
and lower visitor numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
* EASYJET: easyJet EZJ.L said it expected to start to fly
more from late May onwards, shrugging off worries about a third
wave of COVID-19 infections in continental Europe which have
dampened hopes for a rebound in travel this summer. * TESCO: Tesco TSCO.L beat its guidance by reporting total
adjusted retail operating profit of 1.99 billion pounds after
seeing "exceptionally strong" sales during the COVID-19
pandemic. * CMA: Britain's competition watchdog said it has
provisionally cleared a merger between broadband company Virgin
Media and Telefonica 's TEF.MC UK mobile network O2 after an
investigation into the $38 billion deal's potential impact.
* ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) AZN.L said China's health
regulator has approved Tagrisso, the British drugmaker's lung
cancer treatment, as adjuvant treatment for patients with an
early-stage lung cancer. * ROBERT WALTERS: British recruiting firm Robert Walters Plc
RWA.L said it expects annual profit to be ahead of market
expectations after seeing signs of improving market conditions
across its major regions. * GLOBALWORTH: CPI Property Group O5G.DE and Aroundtown SA
AT1.DE offered to buy London-listed Globalworth Real Estate
Investments GWI.L in a deal valued at about 1.57 billion
euros. * EU: The EU Commission has decided not to renew COVID-19
vaccine contracts next year with companies such as Astrazeneca
and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) JNJ.N , Italian daily La Stampa
reported citing a source from the Italian Health Ministry.
* EMA: The European medicines watchdog said on Tuesday it
was aware of a decision by its U.S. counterpart to pause the
administration of Johnson & Johnson's JNJ.N COVID-19 vaccine
due to rare instances of blood clots. * BREXIT: Britain's Financial Conduct Authority will
undertake a root-and-branch review of the UK capital market
following Brexit to help attract more foreign company listings,
a senior regulator said on Tuesday. * WHEAT IMPORTS: Britain's wheat imports slowed in February
but are still running well above last season's pace, customs
data showed on Tuesday. * GOLD: Gold prices gave up early gains and were flat on
Wednesday, as weakness in the U.S. dollar due to higher
inflation was countered by some firming in Treasury
yields. * OIL: Crude oil climbed on Wednesday after industry data
showed U.S. inventories declined more than expected and OPEC
raised its outlook for oil demand, but gains were capped by
worries about the coronavirus and by rising
supplies. * British mid-caps ended higher on Tuesday and hovered near
record levels as data showed the country's economy grew in
February and Babcock International surged on its proposed
restructuring plans. * 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