News: RIO UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Jan 18

Jan 18 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index .FTSE is expected to open lower on Thursday, with futures FFIc1 down 0.11%.

• RIO: Serbia wants to hold further talks with Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto RIO.L , (RIO) about its lithium project in the country, President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday.
• BP: BP BP.L and Chinese state oil major Sinopec 600028.SS signed a memorandum of understanding at the World Economic Forum in Davos to strengthen cooperation in areas including fuel sales, oil and gas trading, and upstream activities, according to a post on Sinopec's Weibo account on Thursday.
• HOUSING: The downturn in Britain's housing market eased last month as falling mortgage rates pushed up demand, according to a survey published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
• METAL: Copper prices rose in London on Thursday, rebounding from a six-week low hit in the previous session.
• GOLD: Gold prices hovered near five-week lows on Thursday.
• OIL: Oil prices edged higher on Thursday as OPEC forecast relatively strong growth in global oil demand over the next two years and a cold blast in the U.S. disrupted some oil production.
• FTSE 100: Britain's FTSE 100 hit a seven-week low on Wednesday.
• UK CORPORATE DIARY: CURRYS CURY.L PEAK TRADING UPDATE DUNELM DNLM.L Q2 TRADING UPDATE SAGE GROUP SGE.L Q1 TRADING UPDATE HARBOUR HBR.L TRADING UPDATE ENERGY TRAVIS TPK.L PRE-CLOSE TRADING UPDATE PERKINS INTERNATIONA IDSI.L Q3 TRADING UPDATE L DISTRIBUTION S SERVICE MARSHALLS MSLH.L TRADING UPDATE FLUTTER FLTRF.L FY23 PRE-CLOSE TRADING ENTERTAINMEN UPDATE T CENTAMIN CEY.L Q4 RESULTS AJ BELL AJBA.L Q1 TRADING UPDATE
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