* SMMT: British new car registrations rose for the ninth
consecutive month in April, when it increased by more than 10%
in April from a year earlier, according to preliminary industry
data released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
(SMMT).
* VODAFONE: Vodafone and CK Hutchison are
close to agreeing to a 15 billion pounds (about $19 billion)
combination of their UK telecoms businesses that would create
the country's biggest mobile operator, the Financial Times
reported on Thursday.
* GSK: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved
GSK Plc's respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, the
British drugmaker said on Wednesday, making it the first shot to
be cleared for protection against a common respiratory disease
that can be fatal for older people.
* REGULATION: Britain is launching a review of the
artificial intelligence market, including the models behind
popular chatbots such as ChatGPT, Competition and Markets
Authority (CMA) chief, Sarah Cardell, told Financial Times on
Wednesday.
* OIL: Oil prices recovered slightly but were unable to claw
back the more-than-9% decline in the previous three days as
demand concerns in major consumers overrode signals that the
U.S. may pause its interest rates increases.
* UK stocks steadied on Wednesday, a day after a sharp
selloff, as investors keenly awaited the U.S. Federal Reserve's
monetary policy decision, while Lloyds fell following the
lender's quarterly results.
* UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Trainline FY results
Virgin Money HY results
Rio Tinto AGM
Hargreaves INTERIM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT
Rathbones INTERIM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT
BAE Systems Trading update
Shell Q1 results
Mondi Trading update
Next Trading update
Derwent Trading update
Hiscox Q1 results
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines (Reporting by Muhammed HUsain in Bengaluru)
