LONDON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 29 to 33 points higher, or up as much as 0.5 percent, on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.
* The UK blue chip index closed 1.5 percent stronger at 6,229.21 points in the previous session.
* The U.S. Federal Reserve will issue its latest rate decision at the end of a two-day policy meeting on Thursday. A rate hike would be the first in the United States in nearly a decade. Fed also will issue a fresh set of economic projections that will provide insight into the expected pace of any subsequent rate hikes and other key economic matters.
* GLENCORE GLEN.L - The company is in talks with Franco-Nevada Corp FNV.TO , Silver Wheaton Corp SLW.TO , Royal Gold Inc RGLD.O and two other companies to sell portions of the future production of three South American copper mines, two sources with knowledge of the talks said.
* PHOENIX GROUP HOLDINGS PHNX.L - Britain's largest consolidator of closed life funds is in talks to buy smaller rival Guardian Financial Services in a deal that could cost over 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion), Sky News said on Wednesday.
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