Aug 13 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is

seen opening higher on Wednesday, with futures up 0.2%.

* THAMES WATER: Hong Kong's CK Infrastructure Holdings ( CKISF )

has emerged as a leading contender to take over

Thames Water and could assume control within weeks if Britain's

largest water utility is placed into special ­administration,

The Times reported on Tuesday.

* PHP: Primary Health Properties ( PHPRF ) said on Tuesday it

had secured acceptances for 62.9% of Assura shares in

its takeover bid for the British healthcare real estate

investor, a rare show of investor supportin the UK markets amid

a wave of private equity buyouts in the recent past.

* SHELL: Venture Global ( VG ) has won a legal battle

against Shell over its failure to deliver liquefied

natural gas under long-term contracts starting in 2023, the U.S.

LNG major said on Tuesday.

* COMMODITIES: Oil prices were steady, Shanghai copper

prices ticked up, and gold edged higher on Wednesday.

* FTSE: Britain's blue-chip index climbed on Tuesday as

equity markets worldwide cheered a milder U.S. inflation print

that kept alive hopes for interest rate cuts in the world's

largest economy.

* UK CORPORATE DIARY:

Persimmon HY results

Beazley HY results

Evoke HY results

Balfour Beatty HY results

* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please

click on:

TODAY'S UK PAPERS

> Financial Times

> Other business headlines

(Compiled by Nithyashree R B in Bengaluru)