May 23 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is

seen opening higher on Friday, with futures up 0.17%.

* AJ BELL: AJ Bell posted a 12% year-over-year rise

in half-yearly profit before tax to 68.8 million pounds ($92.58

million), as the British investment platform benefitted from

increased client activity.

* GAMES WORKSHOP ( GMWKF ): British miniature wargames maker Games

Workshop GAW.L on Friday said it expects core operating profit

for the year ending June 2025 to be 18.3% higher than a year

earlier, as it benefits from robust demand for its popular

"Warhammer 40K" series.

* INTERNATIONAL PAPER ( IP ): International Paper ( IP ) said it

will close five packaging sites in Britain, cutting around 300

jobs, citing tough industry conditions.

* OFGEM: Millions of British households will see lower

energy bills from July after regulator Ofgem said its domestic

price cap would fall 7% to reflect lower wholesale energy

prices.

* RETAIL SALES: Sunny weather boosted British retail sales

in April and households grew cheerier this month, according to

figures published on Friday that suggested consumers might be a

bright spot in an otherwise drab outlook for the economy.

* RIO TINTO: Chile's state-run mining body ENAMI has tapped

Rio Tinto for a 51% share of the Altoandinos lithium

project, it said on Thursday, giving the global miner its second

major venture in Chile for extraction of the key battery metal.

* COMMODITIES: Oil prices slipped on Friday, gold prices

were poised for their best weekly gain in more than a month, and

copper prices in London edged higher.

* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please

click on:

TODAY'S UK PAPERS

> Financial Times

> Other business headlines

(Reporting by Amna Mariyam in Bengaluru)