(Adds news items, futures)
Aug 30 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 19
points higher at 7,203 on Friday, according to financial bookmakers, with
futures FFIc1 slightly up 0.01% ahead of the cash market open.
* FERREXPO: Ferrexpo FXPO.L said a review of the use of funds that were
donated by the iron ore pellet producer to a charity in Ukraine indicated some
of the money could have been misappropriated, while adding that none of its
directors were involved. * PREMIER FOODS: Bisto gravy and OXO cube maker Premier Foods PFD.L
appointed Alex Whitehouse as its new chief executive officer and said its
finance head Alastair Murray would step down. * SHOE ZONE: Footwear retailer Shoe Zone Plc SHOE.L said Chief Executive
Officer Nick Davis has resigned and cited "tough" high-street trading
environment to warn that full-year results would be below its expectations.
* 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.
* BREXIT: The next big Brexit turning point will be the European Union
summit on Oct.17-18 when Britain hopes there will be something new on Brexit for
parliament to discuss, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said. * HOUSE PRICES: British house prices rose in August at the fastest annual
pace in three months, mortgage lender Nationwide said, adding to tentative signs
the housing market has picked up from its recent pre-Brexit
slowdown. * British households' expectations for inflation in the year ahead rose in
August to their highest level since 2013, possibly reflecting the rising chance
of a no-deal Brexit, a survey from U.S. bank Citi and pollsters YouGov showed.
* GOLD: Gold extended losses from the previous session 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 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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