News: RIO UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Dec. 22

Dec 22 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Wednesday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.21%.

• NATWEST: A unit of NatWest Group NWG.L agreed to pay about $35 million and pleaded guilty to wire and securities fraud in relation to a long-running scheme by some of its traders to manipulate U.S. Treasury debt markets.
• BHP GROUP: BHP Group (BHP) said it would not match a takeover offer by billionaire Andrew Forrest's Wyloo Metals for Noront Resources Ltd NOT.V , essentially bowing out from a months-long tussle for the Canadian nickel miner.
• RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto Plc RIO.L , (RIO) said it would buy the Rincon lithium project in Argentina for $825 million as the global miner builds its battery materials business.

• ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca Plc AZN.L said it was working with Oxford University to produce a vaccine for the Omicron coronavirus variant, joining other vaccine-makers who are looking to develop the variant-specific vaccine.
• COVID-19: The British government said it was reducing the COVID-19 self-isolation period to seven days from 10 days for people in England who get a negative result on a lateral flow test two days in a row.
• GOLD: Gold traded within a tight range as higher U.S. Treasury yields and improved risk appetite countered concerns about the rapidly spreading Omicron coronavirus variant.

• OIL: Oil prices rose again as the dollar slipped, with risk appetite returning as some governments resist imposing lockdowns to curb the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant and as China said it would be able to sustain economic growth.

• A rebound in commodity and travel stocks drove UK shares higher on Tuesday, a day after the market hit a two-week low on concerns that surging cases of COVID-19 variant Omicron would spark fresh restrictions.
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  TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines