March 6 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Thursday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.53%.
* BUDGET: British finance minister Rachel Reeves could have to choose between tax rises and a return to austerity when she delivers a budget update this month, The Institute for Fiscal Studies said, while the BBC reported that Reeves is planning cuts to welfare and other departmental spending.
* RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto RIO.L said it will invest $1.8 billion in its Brockman Syncline 1 iron ore project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
* DEFENCE: Top trade bodies for Britain's financial services and defence industries crafted a wishlist of policy reforms to drive more debt finance and equity capital towards Britain's defence sector, sources said.
* SOUTHERN WATER: UK's Southern Water has entered into talks with creditors to reshape its capital structure and avoid debt woes, Bloomberg News reported.
* COMMODITIES: Oil rose, gold prices were little changed and London copper touched a near three-week high.
* EX-DIVS: HSBC Holdings HSBA.L, Rio Tinto RIO.L, Dr Martens DOCS.L, PZ CussonsPZC.L and Berkeley Group BKGH.L will trade without entitlement to its latest dividend pay-out.
* The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed flat on Wednesday after a sell-off in the previous session.
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Schroders PLC | SDR.L | Full Year Earnings Release |
Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC | RKT.L | Full Year Earnings Release |
ITV PLC | ITV.L | Full Year Earnings Release |
MRON.L | Full Year Earnings Release | |
Entain PLC | ENT.L | Full Year Earnings Release |
Hunting PLC | HTG.L | Full Year Earnings Release |
Admiral Group PLC | ADML.L | Full Year Earnings Release |
RTO.L | Full Year Earnings Release | |
Robert Walters PLC | RWA.L | Full Year Earnings Release |
Informa PLC | INF.L | Full Year Earnings Release |
Harbour Energy PLC | HBR.L | Full Year Earnings Release |
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/
TODAY'S UK PAPERS> Financial Times PRESS/FT> Other business headlines PRESS/GB
(Compiled by Simone Lobo in Bengaluru)
((Simone.Lobo@thomsonreuters.com; +919920570373;))
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