Jan 22 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 13 points lower at 7,717.6 on Monday, according to financial bookmakers.
* RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto RIO.L , RIO.AX will set up a new office in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar, separate from its Oyu Tolgoi mine division, to focus on exploration and building local ties. BARCLAYS: U.S. hedge fund Tiger Global Management has invested more than $1 billion in Britain's Barclays Plc BARC.L , the Financial Times reported on Sunday. GKN/MELROSE: GKN GKN.L , the British engineering company trying to fend off a hostile bid from Melrose Industries MRON.L , increased its sales forecast for its electric driveline unit on Sunday, saying it had won significant contracts from major global automakers. BHP/ANGLO AMERICAN/GLENCORE: The largest union at Cerrejon, Colombia's top thermal coal mine, will begin a 10-day voting period this weekend to decide whether to strike following failed salary and benefit negotiations with the company, the head of the union said on Saturday. Cerrejon, a joint venture equally owned by BHP Billiton BLT.L , Anglo American AAL.L and Glencore GLEN.L , produces about 37 percent of coal in Colombia, the world's fifth-largest exporter of the mineral. DIXONS CARPHONE: Dixons Carphone's DC.L CEO has quit Britain's largest electricals and mobile phone retailer to run the Boots chain in the country, Dixons said on Friday. IWG: The UK's Takeover Panel has extended the deadline for a consortium of companies to make an offer for British office firm IWG Plc IWG.L until 1700 GMT on Feb. 2. RBS/CARILLION: The Royal Bank of Scotland RBS.L on Friday announced a range of measures for individual customers hit by the collapse of construction outsourcing company Carillion CLLN.L . KIER/CARILLION: British construction and services company Kier Group KIE.L said on Friday that it was now a 50/50 joint venture partner with Eiffage FOUG.PA on the contract to help build Britain's High Speed 2 railway. All 51 Carillion employees, working on the CEK HS2 joint venture had been offered the opportunity to join Kier-Eiffage with continuous service being maintained, Kier said. BRITAIN/GAMBLING: The stake on gambling machines in British betting shops is set to be cut to two pounds ($2.77) to tackle the risks that the terminals can pose to problem gamblers, the Sunday Times reported, citing an ally of new culture secretary Matt Hancock. SERCO/CARILLION: Serco Group Plc SRP.L Chief Executive Rupert Soames said the government had played a part in the collapse of Carillion by forcing companies to take huge risks when carrying out public services, The Telegraph reported. CARILLION: Labour has warned that the crown representatives who are supposed to police public sector suppliers such as the failed construction company Carillion Plc CLLN.L face potential conflicts of interest, as its own research showed that several hold external directorships and one is a Tory donor, the Guardian reported. IQE: Marshall Wace, the hedge fund that cashed in on Carillion's fall, has made a big bet against IQE Plc IQE.L , a supplier for Apple AAPL.O . Marshall Wace has a 3.8 percent short position in IQE, a Financial Conduct Authority disclosure showed.
* BREXIT: Britain must stay in a comprehensive customs union with the European Union in order to preserve trade in its biggest markets after Brexit, the business lobby group CBI said on Sunday. BREXIT: French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday Britain would be able to have a bespoke deal with the European Union after Brexit, one of Prime Minister Theresa May's objectives. BREXIT: Britain wants to have a comprehensive trade deal with the European Union as well as a defence pact in place once its leaves the bloc, Prime Minister Theresa May said in remarks published in a German newspaper on Saturday. BRITAIN MOTOR INSURANCE: The cost of a comprehensive motor insurance policy fell 1.3 percent on average in Britain in the fourth quarter from the previous quarter, though premiums rose 8 percent for full-year 2017, a survey said on Monday. BRITAIN INFLATION: British households turned gloomier about their finances in January as their expectations about future inflation hit a near four-year high and they relied more on borrowing, according to a survey which underscored the strain on many consumers. OIL: Oil prices climbed on Monday, pushed higher by comments from Saudi Arabia that cooperation between oil producers who are currently withholding supplies would continue beyond 2018. COPPER: London copper on Monday edged higher from the $7,000 level that has marked support so far this year, as an upbeat mood among Japanese manufacturers added to a brightening picture for global metals demand. GOLD: Gold prices held steady on Monday amid a softer dollar as the U.S. government shutdown due to a funding impasse unnerved investors. The UK blue chip index closed 0.4 percent higher at 7,730.79 on Friday, as strong metals prices boosted miners and investors sought out makers of consumer staples following fresh evidence of a slowdown in consumer spending. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
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