May 1 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening 35 points higher at 7,454 on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers.
* RIO TINTO: Copper miner Rio Tinto Ltd, "firmly believes" that the United States and China will ink a trade deal, Chief Executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques told the CNBC television network on Tuesday.
* BP: Gambia's government said on Tuesday it had signed a contract with BP to explore oil and gas off its coast.
* OIL: Oil prices fell on Wednesday after a report showed a rise in U.S. crude inventories, but global markets remained tense amid an intensifying political crisis in Venezuela, tightening U.S. sanctions on Iran, and ongoing OPEC supply cuts.
* GOLD: Gold prices eased on Wednesday on overnight gains in U.S. equities, while a May Day lull gripped most of Asian markets ahead of a closely monitored Federal Reserve decision on the future trajectory of interest rates.
* The UK blue-chip index closed down 0.3 percent as an unexpected slowdown in China's April factory activity coupled with a firmer pound weighed on the FTSE 100 as miners and exporters weakened, even as Standard Chartered surged on buyback plans.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
RPS Group PLC RPS.L Q1 2019 Trading Statement Connect Group PLC CNCTC.L Half Year 2019 Earnings Endeavour Mining Corp EDV.TO Q1 2019 Earnings Rank Group PLC RNK.L Trading Statement J Sainsbury PLC SBRY.L Full Year 2019 Earnings Next PLC NXT.L Q1 2019 Trading StatementLondon Stock Exchange Group PLC LSE.L Q1 2019 Trading Statement Inmarsat PLC ISA.L Q1 2019 Earnings Persimmon PLC PSN.L Trading Statement GlaxoSmithKline PLC GSK.L Q1 2019 Earnings
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times
> Other business headlines (Reporting by Tanishaa Nadkar in Bengaluru)
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