July 4 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is

seen opening lower on Friday, with futures down 0.19%.

* ASTRAZENECA ( AZN ): AstraZeneca ( AZN ) is in talks with Summit

Therapeutics ( SMMT ) to license an experimental lung-cancer

drug under a deal worth as much as $15 billion, Bloomberg News

reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

* PENSION INSURANCE CORPORATION: Specialised life insurance

group Athora has agreed to buy UK insurer Pension Insurance

Corporation, for about 5.7 billion pounds ($7.78 billion), both

companies said on Thursday.

* FLIGHT DISRUPTION: A walkout by French air traffic

controllers to protest against staff shortages and ageing

equipment forced airlines to cancel hundreds of flights on

Thursday, just as the summer season gets under way.

* WIZZ AIR ( WZZAF ): European low-cost carrier Wizz Air ( WZZAF )

confirmed on Thursday that it was the latest airline to be

investigated by Spain's Ministry of Consumer Affairs over

practices such as charging for larger cabin bags.

* OIL: Oil prices fell slightly on Thursday as investors

worried that U.S. tariffs could slow energy demand ahead of an

expected supply boost by major crude producers.

* GOLD: Gold edged up on Friday, poised for a weekly gain as

U.S. President Donald Trump's tax-cut and spending bill passed

in Congress, raising fiscal concerns.

* COPPER: Copper prices on the London Metal Exchange and

Shanghai Futures Exchange were set for a second straight weekly

gain on Friday, despite minor fluctuations.

* FTSE: The UK blue-chip index was up 0.6% on

Thursday as political tensions appeared to ease after Finance

Minister Rachel Reeves said she's "totally" up for the job,

drawing support from Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please

click on:

TODAY'S UK PAPERS

> Financial Times

> Other business headlines

(Reporting by Ankita Bora in Bengaluru)