(Adds company news items and futures)
Sept 22 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening down 23 points at 7,241.1 on Friday, according to financial bookmakers, with futures FFIc1 down 0.4 percent ahead of the cash market open.
* LAMPRELL: Oil rig builder Lamprell Plc LAM.L reported a 64.7 percent fall in revenue in the first half of the year and cut its full-year forecast, hurt by lower activity levels across the industry. RIO TINTO: Flush with cash, Rio Tinto RIO.L said it would buy back an additional $2.5 billion worth of its shares, dishing out the proceeds from a sale of coal assets earlier than some had expected. RYANAIR: Ryanair RYA.I boss Michael O'Leary on Thursday scrambled to placate pilots and reassure investors as the airline's annual general meeting was dominated by the cancellation of 2,000 flights in a "cock-up" that exposed major staffing issues. COBHAM: Former Airbus UK President Paul Kahn is set to be appointed to a top sector position at Cobham Plc COB.L , helping Chief Executive David Lockwood lead a turnaround of the struggling British defence supplier, two industry sources said. CAPITA: Capita CPI.L staff represented by trade union Unite have voted to go on strike for six days from Oct. 5 in protest at changes to the company's pension scheme, Unite said on Thursday. GOLD: Gold rebounded from a four-week low on Friday as the latest twist in tensions between the United States and North Korea prompted investors to seek out the safe-haven asset. OIL: Oil prices were mixed in early Asian trade on Friday as the market waited to see whether major oil producers would extend supply cuts beyond March at a meeting in Vienna later in the day. The UK blue chip FTSE 100 .FTSE index closed 0.1 percent lower at 7,263.90 points on Thursday, as concerns about consumption dragged on the index, partly offset by gains among banks after the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled that another rate rise was on the cards this year. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
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