April 14 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening up 3 points, or 0.05 percent, on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on The UK blue chip index closed up 120.50 points, or 1.9 percent, at 6,362.99 points on Wednesday, led by mining and banks stocks, as strong Chinese export data helped to subdue concern over growth in the world's second-largest economy. TATA STEEL/THYSSENKRUPP: India's Tata Steel TISC.NS and Germany's Thyssenkrupp TKAG.DE are in talks about a joint venture among the options being considered for their European steel operations, Germany's Rheinische Post said on Wednesday. ANGLO AMERICAN: Mining companies and private equity firms are circling Anglo American 's AAL.L metallurgical coal assets in Australia, which could be valued at around $1.5 billion in a sale, several sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. ABBEY LIFE: Britain's Legal & General Group PLC LGEN.L and Swiss Re AG SRENH.S are among firms said to be weighing bids for Deutsche Bank AG's DBKGn.DE Abbey Life Assurance Co, sources familiar with the matter said. ITV: British commercial TV broadcaster ITV Plc ITV.L is said to be pursuing a takeover of Canada's Entertainment One Ltd ETO.L , Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. UK HOUSING: Britain's housing market looks set for a soft patch in the run-up to June's referendum on European Union membership, surveyors said on Thursday, forecasting the slowest house price growth in almost a year. BREXIT: Britain should stay in the EU "warts and all", the opposition Labour leader will say on Thursday, making his first big intervention in the referendum campaign as he seeks to counter criticism he is not doing enough to persuade his voters to back the "In" campaign. COPPER: London copper eased on Thursday, but prices did not stray far from near two-week highs on the back of this week's better-than-expected Chinese trade data, which has raised hopes that the world's No. 2 economy may be stabilising. OIL: Oil prices fell on Thursday as OPEC warned of slowing demand and Russia hinted that there would only be a loose agreement with little commitments at the upcoming exporter meeting to rein in ballooning oversupply. O/R
* EX-DIVS: Intu Properties INTUP.L , Reckitt Benckiser Group RB.L and Standard Life SL.L will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 3.43 points off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters calculations. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Debenhams PLC DEB.L
Half Year 2016 Earnings Release Hays PLC HAYS.L
Q3 Interim Management Statement Release Persimmon PLC PSN.L
Trading Statement Release JD Sports Fashion JD.L
Full Year Earnings Release Poundland Group PLND.L
Q4 Pre-Close Trading Statement Unilever ULVR.L
Q1 Trading Statement Release Burberry Group BRBY.L
Full Year Trading Update Release PZ Cussons PZC.L
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