News: RIO UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Aug 11

(Adds new items and updates futures)

Aug 11 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Friday, with futures FFIc1 down 0.57%.

• CMA: Britain's competition regulator has provisionally cleared UnitedHealth Group's UNH.N 1.24 billion pounds ($1.58 billion) acquisition of healthcare technology firm EMIS EMISG.L .
• GCP: GCP Infrastructure Investments GCPI.L is planning to merge with two other London-listed investment funds.
• RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto RIO.L , (RIO) has concluded key agreements with the Republic of Guinea and Winning Consortium Simandou on the trans-Guinean infrastructure for the Simandou iron ore project.
• ECONOMY: Britain eked out some unexpected growth in the second quarter, helped by a strong June performance, but it remained the only large advanced economy yet to regain its pre-COVID late-2019 level, official data showed on Friday.
• INFLATION: British finance minister Jeremy Hunt said the government's efforts to tackle inflation were beginning to have an effect, commenting on the release of data showing unexpected growth in the second quarter.
• BP: Italian energy services group Saipem SPMI.MI said on Thursday it was awarded two new contracts by Eni's ENI.MI Eni Congo and BP BP.L , worth a total of around $700 million.
• OIL: Oil prices were largely unchanged in Asian morning trade as investors weighed optimistic demand forecasts from the OPEC producer group against mixed economic data in top importer China.
• GOLD: Gold prices held near one-month lows on Friday, shrugging off cooler-than-expected U.S. inflation figures for last month, with bullion staying on course to wrap up its worst week in seven as the U.S. dollar and bond yields stood strong.
• For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:

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