(Adds Serica Energy , BP and ICAG news items)
Oct 9 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 15 points higher at 7,249 on Tuesday with FTSE 100 futures .FFIc1 up 0.01 percent ahead of the cash market open, according to financial bookmakers.
* BP, SERICA ENERGY: BP BP.L and Serica Energy SQZ.L received a conditional licence from U.S. authorities to continue operating a North Sea gas field partly owned by Iran's national oil company, Serica said in a statement. NORWEGIAN AIR SHUTTLE: Norwegian Air Shuttle NWC.OL has overtaken British Airways as the biggest non-U.S. airline on transatlantic routes to and from the New York area, in the latest illustration of the low cost carrier's move into British Airways territory. ROBERT WALTERS: British recruiter Robert Walters Plc RWA.L reported an 11.6 percent rise in quarterly net fee income and said recruitment activity levels remain highest across Britain. GREGGS: British baker Greggs GRG.L reported a 3.2 percent rise in like-for-like sales for the third quarter, an improvement on its first half, after its drinks range and new focaccia-style pizzas proved popular during a particularly hot summer. AVIVA: The chief executive of Aviva AV.L is stepping down from his role after directing a sweeping restructuring of the British insurer during his six years at the helm. THALASSA: Thalassa Holdings THAL.L said on Tuesday it was creating a new unit in Luxembourg to get a listing on the country's stock exchange ahead of UK's departure from the European Union. WPP: Ford Motor Co F.N has chosen Omnicom's OMC.N BBDO as its lead creative advertising agency in a blow to its long-time partner WPP WPP.L . TESCO: Two former senior executives of Tesco TSCO.L abused their positions to encourage practices that resulted in a 250 million pounds ($327 million) overstatement of expected profits and misled the stock market, a prosecutor told a London court on Monday. RPC: Plastic packaging maker RPC Group RPC.L said on Monday that it had given two private equity firms that are considering rival takeover offers more time to make bids. BP: Italy's ENI ENI.MI is set to acquire a 42.5 percent stake in BP's BP.L Libya acreage, according to a statement on Monday. GOLD: Gold prices edged higher on Tuesday drawing some safe-haven bids from risk-averse investors as Asian stocks fell amid worries over a potential slowdown in China's economic growth and as the dollar eased against the yen. OIL: Oil prices rose on Tuesday as more evidence emerged that crude exports from Iran, OPEC's third-largest producer, are declining in the run-up to the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions and as a hurricane moved across the Gulf of Mexico. The UK blue chip index fell 1.2 percent on Monday as political risk gripped Europe and caution set in again on Brexit, weighing on sterling. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
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