Dec 8 - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 13 points lower at
6,542 on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers.
* RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto RIO.AX , RIO.L may face calls to pay compensation
or a fine when an Australian parliamentary inquiry releases an interim report on
Wednesday into how the firm legally destroyed ancient sacred rock shelters for
an iron ore mine, industry sources said. * ASTRAZENECA: A top U.S. scientist overseeing COVID-19 vaccine trials
expects a large U.S. study to determine how effective AstraZeneca's AZN.L
experimental inoculation is, following perplexing results from other trials
released by the company and partner Oxford University. * BREXIT: British and EU leaders will meet face-to-face to try to seal a
post-Brexit trade deal after failing again to narrow their differences on
Monday, increasing the chance of a disorderly parting of ways at the end of the
month. * GOLD: Gold prices hit a two-week high as investors remained hopeful of
further U.S. stimulus measures to counter the economic fallout of a surge in
coronavirus cases. * OIL: Oil prices fell adding to losses from the previous session that came
as California tightened its pandemic lockdown through Christmas and coronavirus
cases continued to surge in the United States and Europe. * The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 0.1% higher on Monday over fears
that Britain will stage a disorderly exit from the European Union, with banks
and real estate taking a sharp beating. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Redde Northgate Plc REDD.L HY earnings
Ferguson Plc FERG.L Q1 management statement
Ashtead Group Plc AHT.L Q2 results
GB Group Plc GBGP.L HY earnings
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