July 19 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen...

July 19 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening flat at 7,676 points on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.

• RIO TINTO: Guinea is in constant talks with Rio Tinto RIO.L and Chinalco to finalise a deal on selling two blocks of the vast Simandou iron ore project, its mining minister said, adding he was confident an agreement would be reached.
• SHELL: Shell RDSa.L plans to resume normal operations within hours at its oil refinery in Wesseling in western Germany after a power cut external to its site triggered security measures and flaring, a spokesman said on Wednesday.
• TULLOW: Britain's Tullow Oil TLW.L has to cover nearly $65 million of costs linked to a cancelled rig contract in Ghana after losing a dispute with partner Kosmos Energy KOS.N, the companies said on Wednesday.
• RYANAIR: Ryanair RYA.I is to cancel more than 12 percent of its flights for two days next week in its biggest-ever strike as cabin crew escalate a staff revolt that began among disaffected pilots last year.
• IAG: British Airways ICAG.L cancelled and delayed flights at London's Heathrow, Europe's biggest airport, on Wednesday due to problems with a supplier's IT systems, the airline said.
• GOLD: Gold prices eased on Thursday, nearing a one-year low hit in the previous session, as the U.S. dollar firmed on the potential for further U.S. interest rate hikes.
• OIL: Oil prices were mixed on Thursday as the market struggled to digest signs of strong gasoline demand in the United States, the world's biggest consumer of the fuel, with a statement from oil producers that they are putting more crude on the market.
• EX-DIVS: There will be no FTSE 100 .FTSE companies going ex-dividend on Thursday.
• The UK blue chip FTSE 100 .FTSE index climbed 0.7 percent and closed at 7,676.28 points on Wednesday, as weaker pound helped the index march higher as company earnings took centre stage with Smiths Group suffering.
• For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
• UK CORPORATE DIARY: Moneysupermarket.Com MONY.L Half Year 2018 Earnings Release Anglo American PLC AAL.L Q2 2018 Production Report Big Yellow Group PLC BYG.L Q1 2018 Interim Management Statement Sports Direct SPD.L Full Year 2018 Earnings Release Unilever PLC ULVR.L Q2 & H1 2018 Earnings Release SSE PLC SSE.L Q1 2019 Trading Statement Release Babcock International BAB.L AGM Trading Statement Release Euromoney ERM.L Q3 2018 Trading Statement Release AO World PLC AO.L Q1 2019 Interim Management Statement

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