Feb 18 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening down 10 points, or 0.2 percent lower on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on The UK blue chip index closed 2.9 percent higher on Wednesday at 6,030.32, rallying for a fourth straight session as appetite grew for underperformers in the mining sector, led by a surge in miner Glencore GLEN.L . Glencore soared 16.6 percent, touching its highest level since November. TRINITY MIRROR: Britain's Trinity Mirror Plc TNI.L , publisher of the Daily Mirror, will launch a weekday newspaper called New Day this month, Sky News reported on Wednesday. 3i: British private equity firm 3i Group Plc III.L is considering an initial public offering for Basic-Fit, valuing the Dutch gym chain at 1 billion euros ($1.11 billion) including debt, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with the matter. (http://bloom.bg/1KWFAm9)
* BHP BILLITON: The Brazilian government expects to reach an agreement by Friday with Samarco Mineração SA to settle a 20 billion-real ($4.9 billion) lawsuit for damages in a deadly dam disaster, Brazil's attorney general Luís Inácio Adams said on Wednesday. Brazilian iron ore miner Samarco Mineração SA is a joint venture of Vale SA VALE5.SA and BHP Billiton Plc BLT.L BHP.AX SHELL: Brazil's state-led oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA PETR4.SA said on Wednesday that it and its partners found more oil in the Libra prospect in a well that helps confirm the extent of the giant offshore area. Libra is 40 percent owned by Petrobras, which is also the operator, 20 percent owned by Royal Dutch Shell Plc RDSa.L , 20 percent by France's Total SA (PA:TOTF) TOTF.SA and 10 percent each for Chinese companies CNOOC 0883.HK and China National Petroleum Corp CNPET.UL . ANGLO AMERICAN: South32 S32.AX could be among the first to buy assets placed on the block this week by South Africa's Anglo American AAL.L , with the Australian company saying it was interested in its manganese unit. ANGLO AMERICAN: Miner Anglo American is working with Bank of America Corp (N:BAC) BAC.N to sell more of its non-core coal mines in Australia, Bloomberg reported citing people with knowledge of the matter. (http://bloom.bg/1VoMUYl)
* HSBC: Most managers at HSBC's HSBA.L UK retail and wealth unit will not be getting a pay rise this year, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, in what marks the bank's third change to pay policy in as many weeks. BREXIT: European Council President Donald Tusk warned on Wednesday that a deal was not yet certain with Britain at summit on Thursday and Friday, calling on all members of the bloc to help bridge remaining gaps to keep London in the European Union. BREXIT: European Union governments haggled over reform proposals on Wednesday, with pressure mounting on leaders to close remaining gaps and produce a summit deal on Friday that can help keep Britain in the EU. BREXIT: Prime Minister David Cameron will hold 'now or never' talks on Thursday to keep Britain in the European Union, with the bloc's 28 leaders suggesting there are only a few obstacles left to a new membership deal. OIL: Crude futures rose in Asian trade on Thursday after Iran welcomed plans by Russia and Saudi Arabia to cap production, although analysts said the move would not lead to any output cuts and Tehran offered no action of its own. Brent futures LCOc1 rose 42 cents to $34.92 a barrel by 0555 GMT, having closed 7.2 percent higher in the previous session after hitting an intraday high of $34.99. U.S. crude CLc1 gained 50 cents to $31.16 a barrel, having finished 5.6 percent higher in the previous session after touching a high of $31.49. EX-DIVS: AstraZeneca Plc AZN.L , Carnival Plc CCL.L , GlaxoSmithKline Plc GSK.L , Royal Dutch Shell "A" RDSa.L , Royal Dutch Shell "B" RDSb.L
will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 24.73 points off the FTSE 100, according to Reuters calculations UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Darty Plc
Q3 Go-Ahead Group Plc
H1 Centrica Plc
FY BAE Systems Plc
FY Rexam Plc
FY Lancashire Holdings Ltd
FY TBC bank'i SS
TBCBq.L FY Indivior Plc
Q4
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