(Adds company news items and futures)
Aug 13 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is expected to open 14
points higher at 7,241 on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers, with
futures FFIc1 down 0.15% ahead of the cash market open.
* TUI: European travel and tourism operator TUI TUIGn.DE TUIT.L said on
Tuesday that robust business outweighed problems with the grounding of Boeing's
737 MAX jets in its third quarter and it upheld its earnings outlook for the
full year. * PLUS500: Online trading platform Plus500 Ltd PLUSP.L reported a 56%
slump in first-half earnings, citing financial markets that were "very stable"
which it said limited trading opportunities for its customers. * JOHN MENZIES: Aviation servicing company John Menzies Plc MNZS.L on
Tuesday reported a first-half loss compared with a profit last year, hit by weak
cargo volumes and cuts in flight schedules because of the global grounding of
Boeing's BA.N 737 MAX jets. * MEARS GROUP: Britain's Mears Group Plc MERG.L reported a 10% fall in
adjusted half-year pretax profit on Tuesday, but it maintained that its order
book was strong. * NATIONAL GRID: Britain's energy regulator has asked National Grid NG.L
for an urgent interim report into the power cut which caused chaos across the
country on Friday. * DIAGEO: A European subsidiary of British beverage giant Diageo Plc DGE.L
signed a joint venture deal with state-run Cuba Ron SA on Monday to market
Santiago de Cuba Rum, in defiance of U.S. efforts to dissuade investment in the
Communist-run country. * BREXIT: The United States would enthusiastically support a no-deal Brexit
if that is what the British government decided to do, U.S. national security
adviser John Bolton said on Monday during a visit to London aimed at reassuring
Britain over UK-U.S. ties. * OIL: Oil prices slipped on Tuesday, offsetting narrow gains in the
previous session, as sluggish demand forecasts countered expectations that major
producers would prop up oil prices by limiting crude oil output. * GOLD: Gold prices scaled their highest in more than six years on Tuesday,
as concerns around protests in Hong Kong and an Argentine currency crash amid
fears of global economic slowdown, prompted investors to move away from riskier
assets. * London's FTSE 100 surrendered early gains on Monday, ending 0.4% lower,
with Asia-focused shares particularly badly hit by worries over protests in Hong
Kong, while tour company Thomas Cook plunged after updating on its
recapitalisation 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