May 4 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen...

May 4 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Thursday, with futures .FFIc1 down 0.2%.

• SMMT: British new car registrations rose for the ninth consecutive month in April, when it increased by more than 10% in April from a year earlier, according to preliminary industry data released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
• VODAFONE: Vodafone VOD.L and CK Hutchison 0001.HK are close to agreeing to a 15 billion pounds (about $19 billion) combination of their UK telecoms businesses that would create the country's biggest mobile operator, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
• GSK: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved GSK Plc's GSK.L respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, the British drugmaker said on Wednesday, making it the first shot to be cleared for protection against a common respiratory disease that can be fatal for older people.
• REGULATION: Britain is launching a review of the artificial intelligence market, including the models behind popular chatbots such as ChatGPT, Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) chief, Sarah Cardell, told Financial Times on Wednesday.
• OIL: Oil prices recovered slightly but were unable to claw back the more-than-9% decline in the previous three days as demand concerns in major consumers overrode signals that the U.S. may pause its interest rates increases.
• UK stocks steadied on Wednesday, a day after a sharp selloff, as investors keenly awaited the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision, while Lloyds fell following the lender's quarterly results.
• UK CORPORATE DIARY:

  Trainline TRN.L FY results

  Virgin Money VMUK.L HY results

  Rio Tinto RIO.L AGM

  Hargreaves HRGV.L INTERIM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT

  Rathbones RAT.L INTERIM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT

  BAE Systems BAES.L Trading update Shell SHEL.L Q1 results Mondi MNDI.L Trading update Next NXT.L Trading update Derwent DLN.L Trading update Hiscox HSX.L Q1 results

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