UK Stocks- Factors to watch on October 30

Oct 30 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Friday, with futures up 0.2%.

* UK'S DEFENCE SUPPLIERS: Britain will require overseas defence suppliers winning selected military contracts worth more than £50 million ($67 million) to deliver jobs, investment, skills or other economic benefits in the UK, under a new policy announced on Friday.

* INFLATION: The British public's expectations for future inflation fell for the first time in two months in October,though this was unlikely to stop the Bank of England hiking rates next week, analysts at Citi said on Thursday.

* EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK: The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged in a well-telegraphed move on Thursday but clearly hinted at another hike in December with a warning that high and rising energy costs were fuelling inflation risks.

* UK'S BUDGET: British finance minister John Healey's first budget passed with barely a ripple in financial markets, a contrast with the leaks of sensitive details, U-turns and jitters for bond investors that marked the run-up to his predecessor's budget a year ago.

* RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto RIO.AX, RIO.L on Friday said it had paused underground operations at its Oyu Tolgoi copper project in Mongolia after seismic activity along a rock fault zone caused ground vibration.

* OIL: Oil prices fell on Thursday in a choppy session as hopes for peace talks between the US and Iran offset some concerns over Middle East supply disruptions from an escalating regional conflict.

* GOLD: Gold prices slipped on Friday as higher oil prices and robust US inflation data strengthened the case for another Federal Reserve interest rate hike later this year.

* METALS: Copper drifted lower on Friday, and was set to end the week little changed, with higher oil prices threatening to weigh on demand and a technology stock slump dampening risk appetite.

* FTSE 100: London's FTSE 100 rose on Thursday as strong profit growth at Shell lifted energy stocks, while upbeat US economic data did little to alter bets on interest rate hikes.

* UK CORPORATE DIARY:

* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/

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