Aug 26 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening flat, according to financial bookmakers.
* The UK blue chip index closed down 0.3 percent at 6,816.90 points on Thursday, extending losses from the previous session as healthcare stocks dropped, though CRH CRH.L rose after well-received results. ROLLS-ROYCE: Japanese carrier ANA Holdings 9202.T needs to replace damaged compressor blades in the Rolls-Royce RR.L engines powering its Boeing (NYSE:BA) BA.N 787s, it said on Thursday, forcing it to cancel some Dreamliner flights over the coming weeks. BHP BILLITON: Brazilian miner Vale SA VALE5.SA expects Samarco, an iron ore joint venture it owns with BHP Billiton BLT.L , to restart operations in the middle of 2017, a company executive said on Thursday. BT GROUP: BT's BT.L mobile arm, EE, has become the first British operator to bundle Apple Music AAPL.O with mobile contracts in a move designed to increase subscriber loyalty and help the iPhone maker's music streaming app challenge Spotify, the Telegraph reported on Friday. UK ENERGY: Britain's Big Six energy suppliers are starting to claw back customers from their smaller, independent rivals which are struggling to cope with more than 20 percent recovery in prices for winter since April. SKY PLC: The European Commission wants to make it easier for broadcasters like the BBC and Germany's ZDF to make shows available online across the 28-nation EU under a planned copyright reform that is expected to meet fierce opposition from the media industry. UK CONSUMER CONFIDENCE: British consumers have regained some of the confidence they lost after the Brexit vote in June, according to a survey published on Friday, the latest sign that households are largely taking the decision to leave the European Union in their stride. OIL: Oil prices dipped in early trading on Friday after the Saudi energy minister tempered expectations of strong market intervention by producers during talks next month. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Marshalls PLC
MSLH.L Half Year 2016 Earnings Lavendon Group PLC
Half Year 2016 Earnings Restaurant Group PLC
Half Year 2016 Earnings Candover Investments PLC
Half Year 2016 Earnings Computacenter PLC
Half Year 2016 Earnings
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