April 14 (Reuters) - Britain’s FTSE 100 (.FTSE) index is seen opening higher on Tuesday, with futures (FFIc1) up 0.03%. *HSBC: HSBC Holdings (HSBA.L) Chair Brendan Nelson said on Tuesday that a Middle East peace deal was essential to ensure a substantial resumption of global energy flows, with oil-driven inflation looming as a major risk to the world economy. * HSBC: HSBC is hiring Mark Augustynak, a metals trader at ICBC Standard Bank, to head its global metals trading business, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. * ANTOFAGASTA: Rising fuel prices remain Chilean miner Antofagasta Minerals’ main cost concern, even as the company keeps operations on track and pushes ahead with upgrades at its Centinela and Los Pelambres mines, Chief Executive Ivan Arriagada told Reuters. * VIRGIN ATLANTIC: Virgin Atlantic Chief Executive Corneel Koster has warned that elevated jet fuel prices are “here to stay”, and said that a prolonged war in the Middle East could dampen global travel demand, the Financial Times reported on Monday. * ENERGY: Britain will have enough gas and electricity supply this summer, the country’s network operators said on Tuesday, despite declining domestic gas production and fears over energy supplies from the Middle East. * FUEL PRICES: Surging fuel prices caused by the conflict in Iran weighed on British consumers last month, dampening household spending as travel plans were shelved, surveys showed on Tuesday. * COMMODITIES: Oil prices fell in early Asian trade on Tuesday, while gold rebounded, and copper prices climbed. * FTSE: London’s stock indexes closed lower on Monday due to uncertainty around the Middle East conflict following the end of a U.S. deadline to start a blockade of ships leaving Iran’s ports.
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<li>UK CORPORATE DIARY:</li>
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BP (BP.L) Trading update
Imperial Brands (IMB.L) Trading update
PageGroup (PAGE.L) Q1 trading update
<ul>
<li>For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: (LIVE/) TODAY’S UK PAPERS</li>
<li>Financial Times (PRESS/FT)</li>
<li>Other business headlines (PRESS/GB)</li>
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HSBA

ANTO

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Reuters

UK Stocks-Factors to watch on April 14