Dec 9 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening up 20 points, or 0.3 percent higher on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on ID:nL8N13Y09J
* The blue-chip FTSE 100 index closed down 1.4 percent to 6,135.22 points on Tuesday, marking its biggest drop since February 2009, as a slump in Anglo American AAL.L shares hit UK-listed miners. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N13X3EL
* BT: The pension scheme of telecoms firm BT BT.L said it planned to pull an 8.4 billion pound ($12.58 billion) government bond investment mandate from its asset manager Hermes Investment Management, to save costs. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N13X2X9
* RIO TINTO: Global miner Rio Tinto RIO.L RIO.AX plans to boost aluminium production next year by about 10 percent due to productivity improvements, it said on Tuesday, despite a global surplus weighing on prices. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N13X35L
* SERCO: British outsourcing group Serco SRP.L has lost a contract to run one of New Zealand's largest prisons following violence and safety lapses at the troubled detention centre. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N13Y034
* UK GROWTH: The British Chambers of Commerce on Wednesday downgraded its British growth forecasts for the next three years on the back of weaker trade and manufacturing, which have been dragged by a slowdown in the global economy. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N13X32P
* OIL: Oil prices rose on Wednesday as U.S. crude stocks dipped, while in Asia Japan posted stronger-than-expected machinery orders and China announced an easing of import taxes, lending the market support amid a continuing supply glut. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N13Y14H
* LONDON AIRPORT: A decision over British airport expansion has taken too long but could legitimately be delayed further due to the impact of the Volkswagen VOWG_p.DE emissions scandal on air quality data, a leading candidate for London Mayor said on Tuesday. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N13X2YP
* UK REFERENDUM: One of the City's best known investors, Richard Buxton, chief executive and head of equities at Old Mutual Global Investors, has brushed off the idea that the UK will separate itself from the European Union, saying there is "no way" that British voters would accept the risks that come with Brexit. (http://bit.ly/1TzJfFP)
* CHINA ECONOMY: China's consumer inflation picked up slightly in November but remained well under the government's 2015 price target of 3 percent, raising concerns that the world's no. 2 economy could be sucked into a Japan-style deflationary trap. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nIFR7nM46T
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Ashtead Group PLC
Q2 2016 Ashtead Group PLC Earnings Release Carillion PLC
CLLN.L Q4 2015 Carillion PLC Interim Management
Statement Release Stagecoach Group PLC
Half Year 2015 Stagecoach Group PLC
Earnings Release BBA Aviation PLC
Q3 2015 BBA Aviation PLC Trading Statement
Release
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times
PRESS/FT
> Other business headlines
PRESS/GB Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for:
* 3000 Xtra
: visit http://topnews.session.rservices.com
* BridgeStation: view story .134 For more information on Top News visit http://topnews.reuters.com