UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Feb 15

Feb 15 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 (.FTSE) index is seen opening 35 points higher at 7,248.8 on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers. * ANTOFAGASTA: Chilean mining company Antofagasta (ANTO.L) received environmental approval for a major, $1.1 billion revamp of its Los Pelambres copper mine, the regional government of Coquimbo said on Wednesday. * GVC/LADBROKES: Online gambling company GVC (GVC.L) has given away its Turkey business, hoping the move will help smooth its takeover of Ladbrokes (LCL.L)after GVC's lenders baulked at its exposure to a country where internet betting is illegal. * SKY: Hedge fund Polygon Global Partners, which is an investor in Sky (SKYB.L) , said the outcome of the English Premier League soccer rights auction supported its view that the takeover by Twenty-First Century Fox(FOXA.O) undervalues the British company. The decision by regulators that Twenty-First Century Fox would be a "fit and proper" owner of Sky will be challenged in court, campaign group Avaaz said on Wednesday. * Shire: Shire (SHP.L) , the pharma firm splitting its rare disease and hyperactivity drugs into two units, said sales would grow in the mid-single digits and profits by a lower percentage than the top line this year after earnings per share rose 16 percent in 2017. * SHELL-NIGERIA: The Court of Appeal in London ruled on Wednesday that two Nigerian communities cannot pursue Royal Dutch Shell(RDSa.L)in English courts over oil spills in Nigeria's Delta region. * OIL: Oil prices on Thursday extended gains from the previous session, pushed up by a weak dollar and by comments from Saudi Arabia that it would rather see an undersupplied market than end a deal with OPEC and Russia to withhold production. * GOLD: Gold prices rose further on Thursday, supported by a weaker dollar and as investors bought the yellow metal as a hedge against inflation after a faster-than-expected rise in U.S. consumer prices last month. * COPPER: London copper rose for a fourth day to the highest in 10 days on Thursday, supported by a decline in the dollar and robust prospects for global growth. * BRITAIN-EU: The European Union's remaining member states want a "close and deep" relationship with Britain after its departure from the bloc, but it is for Britain to make proposals as to how it imagines that relationship, a German government spokesman said. * EX-DIVS: AstraZeneca (AZN.L) , BP (BP.L) , Hargreaves Lansdown (HRGV.L) , Royal Dutch Shell A(RDSa.L) , Royal Dutch Shell B(RDSa.L) , Unilever(ULVR.L) will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 24.4 points off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters calculations * The UK blue chip index ended the day up 0.6 percent on Wednesday, as investors shrugged off a hotly anticipated data release showing higher than expected U.S. inflation. * Full Year 2017 Earnings Release Lancashire Holdings Ltd (LRE.L) Q4 2017 Earnings Release Indivior PLC (INDV.L) Full Year 2017 Earnings Release ConvaTec Group PLC (CTEC.L) Full Year 2017 Earnings 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) * For Top News : (http://topnews.reuters.com)