Nov 6 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 21 points lower at 5,885 on Friday, according to financial bookmakers.
* SAINSBURY: British supermarket Sainsbury 's SBRY.L said it could have to cut its range of offering in Northern Ireland unless it gets clarity on the province's trading status after the end of Britain's Brexit transition period on Dec. 31. RSA: RSA RSA.L is in talks with a consortium of Canadian insurer Intact Financial IFC.TO and Danish insurer Tryg TRYG.CO about a possible break-up deal that values the British firm at about 7.2 billion pounds ($9.46 billion). ASTRAZENECA: AstraZeneca Plc AZN.L plans to start early and mid-stage clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in China this year, a senior executive said, as it prepares a global rollout of the vaccine. BRITISH AIRWAYS: British Airways, part of the International Consolidated Airlines Group ICAG.L will reduce its flight schedule this month after the UK government put further restrictions on leisure travel to try to curb the spread of coronavirus. GOLD: Gold fell after surging in the previous session, as the dollar gained, but was set for its best week since late July on hopes for more central bank economic support as investors bet on a divided U.S. Congress under a Biden presidency. OIL: U.S. oil fell nearly 2% as new lockdowns in Europe to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease raised questions about the outlook for crude demand, while markets remained on edge over the drawn-out vote counting in the U.S. election. The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed 0.4% higher on Thursday after the government and Bank of England both ramped up stimulus programmes to cushion the struggling economy as England goes into a second national lockdown. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Plc
HY earnings Morgan Advanced Materials Plc
Q3 trading statement Beazley Plc
Q3 earnings
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