April 5 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 5 points higher on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers.
* GSK: GSK Plc GSK.L is voluntarily recalling more than 593,000 Ventolin asthma inhalers from U.S. hospitals, pharmacies, retailers and wholesalers due to a defect that may cause them to deliver fewer doses of the medicine than indicated, the British drugmaker said on Tuesday. TOTAL: French oil major Total TOTF.PA has extended an option with British shale gas developer Egdon Resources EGRE.L to buy a stake in one of Egdon's shale gas licences, the companies said on Tuesday. BHP: BHP Billiton BLT.L on Wednesday declared force majeure for all coal deliveries from its mines in Queensland's Bowen Basin, after Cyclone Debbie damaged railway lines, disrupting delivery to ports. BRITIAN IMMIGRATION: Britain's decision to quit the European Union and reassert control over its borders does not mean the country will tighten immigration for the world's best brains, junior business minister David Prior said on Tuesday. The UK blue chip index ended up 0.5 percent on Tuesday, outperforming the more hesitant Europe-wide STOXX 600 .STOXX index, helped by the energy and industrials sectors, while supermarket firms Sainsbury SBRY.L and Morrison MRW.L fell on poor sales data. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
* UK CORPORATE DIARY: McCarthy & Stone Plc MCS.L Half Year 2017 HSS hire Group Plc
HSS.L Full Year 2016
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