(Adds news items, futures)
Feb 10 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 10
points lower on Monday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures FFIc1
down 0.2% ahead of the cash market open.
* NMC HEALTH: NMC Health NMC.L said it has received preliminary approaches
from U.S.-based KKR & Co Inc KKR.N and GK Investment Holding Group, weeks
after the healthcare group came under a short-selling attack from Muddy Waters.
* INTU: British shopping centre operator Intu Properties Plc INTUP.L said
it was in talks with its largest shareholder and billionaire John Whittaker's
Peel Group and Link Real Estate Investment Trust and others to raise funds to
shore up its balance sheet. * TRADE DEAL: Britain takes U.S. concerns about its use of Huawei equipment
seriously but is confident a trade deal with the United States will be among its
first after leaving the European Union, its foreign secretary said. * METALS: London base metals mostly rose on fears of a supply disruption in
China, where the coronavirus outbreak has killed over 900 people and threatened
to impact global growth. * GOLD: Gold prices held steady, as rising concerns over the severity of the
coronavirus outbreak and its impact on the global markets offset slight pressure
from positive economic data from China and the United States. * OIL: Oil prices edged down but held recent ranges as traders assessed
China's oil demand following the coronavirus outbreak and awaited a decision by
major producers to cut output further to balance markets. * FREEPORTS: Britain plans to announce the location of up to 10 post-Brexit
freeports by the end this year so they can begin operating in 2021, the
government said on Sunday. * ELECTRICITY AUCTION; Britain secured 1.02 gigawatts of backup electricity
capacity for 2020/21 at one pound per kilowatt per year, data on the National
Grid NG.L auction website showed on Friday. * ROYAL MAIL: Britain's Royal Mail RMG.L has proposed a three-year pay
deal to the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and wants to have detailed talks
with its largest union, the company said on Twitter on Friday. * BUDGET: British finance minister Sajid Javid is considering a tax increase
on higher earners in his March 11 budget, the Financial Times reported on
Friday. * British stocks fell on Friday after four straight sessions of gains, as
dealers locked in profits amid nagging worries over the coronavirus, and
investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown slid following a discounted share sale
by its largest investor. TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times PRESS/FT
> Other business headlines PRESS/GB