News: RIO UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on May 28

(Adds futures, news items)

May 28 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index .FTSE is seen opening 42 points higher on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures FFIc1 rising 1.2%.

• EASYJET: easyJet EZJ.L said it planned to cut up to 30% of its staff, or 4,500 jobs, and shrink its fleet, to fit the smaller market it expects to emerge from the collapse in air travel due to COVID-19.
• CINEWORLD: British cinema operator Cineworld CINE.L said it secured an additional $110 million from lenders and a waiver on loan covenants as the company looks to reopen all its cinemas in July.
• GLAXOSMITHKLINE: British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline Plc GSK.L will expand production of vaccine efficacy boosters, or adjuvants, to produce 1 billion doses in 2021 for use in shots for COVID-19, the company said.
• DMGT: Daily Mail owner DMGT DMGOa.L said its consumer media, property information and events businesses were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in March, the final month of its first half, as it reported flat revenue and a 20% drop in pretax profit.
• ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca Plc AZN.L is testing one of its diabetes drugs as a treatment for COVID-19.
• HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE: An international hydroxychloroquine trial led by the University of Oxford has been paused, Britain's pharmaceutical regulator said on Wednesday.
• GOLD: Gold edged up after hitting a two-week low in the previous session as the rift between Washington and Beijing over Hong Kong escalated.
• METALS: London copper prices rose, buoyed by hopes of improving demand for the red metal amid more stimulus measures.
• London-listed stocks notched up their strongest close since early March on Wednesday amid sustained hopes of an economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

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  TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines