News: RIO UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Oct. 15

Oct 15 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening steady on Friday, with futures .FFIc1 marginally up 0.27%.

• RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto Group (RIO) RIO.L on Friday reduced its 2021 iron ore shipments forecast, as a tighter labour market in Western Australia delayed the completion of a new greenfield mine at Gudai-Darri.
• NATIONAL GRID: Britain's National Grid NG.L on Thursday said it has lowered the outage time of 1,000 megawatts (MW) of capacity at the IFA interconnector in Sellindge, Kent, which is now expected to return to service on Oct. 20.
• COVID-19 TESTS: Fully vaccinated passengers arriving in England from low-risk countries from Oct. 24 will no longer have to take expensive COVID-19 tests, the British government said on Thursday.
• GREEN REVOLUTION: Britain's plan for a "green industrial revolution" has already attracted billions of pounds of investment, the government said on Thursday ahead of an investment summit in London which will bring together some of the world's most powerful financiers.
• GOLD: Gold was set on Friday for its best week in more than five months as a retreat in the U.S. dollar and Treasury yields lifted the metal's appeal despite a looming Federal Reserve taper.
• OIL: Oil prices climbed on Friday, heading for gains of more than 2% for the week, on increasing signs of robust demand and tighter supplies over the next few months as rocketing gas and coal prices stoke a switch to oil products.
• London's FTSE 100 rose to a two-month high on Thursday, boosted by heavyweight oil and mining stocks, while retailer Tesco was the top drag as its shares traded ex-dividend.

• UK CORPORATE DIARY: Jupiter Fund Management JUP.L Trading update Hargreaves Lansdown HRGV.L Trading update Mediclinic International MDCM.L Trading update
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