* Britain's FTSE 100 was seen opening down on Friday after strong gains the previous session, with futures on the index easing 0.1 percent by 0623 GMT. Financial spreadbetters forecast losses of 12 to 17 points, or up to 0.3 percent in early trade.

* The UK blue-chip index closed up 83.64 points, or 1.6 percent, on Thursday, at 5,350.05 points, after a fall to fresh 2012 lows earlier in the week.

* Greece will continue to weigh on sentiment, with the latest opinion poll showing that anti-bailout leftist SYRIZA party is maintaining its poll lead ahead of a June 17 election that is deemed critical to the country's continued membership of the euro zone.

* Wall Street edged higher overnight, as did the Japanese market.

* There was some good news for UK retailers, with John Lewis reporting an 8.3 percent year-on-year rise in total sales in the week to May 19, and an 11.6 percent increase in department store trade.

* Markets may take heart from news that China's annual export and import growth showed signs of acceleration in the first 10 days of May.

* Oil was on track for its fourth weekly loss, and copper prices also fell, keeping pressure on Britain's heavyweight energy and mining stocks.

* Royal Dutch Shell may join Russia's Arctic Shtokman gas project, with Gazprom keeping its majority stake, sources told Reuters on Friday.

* InterContinental Hotels Group has picked Patrick Cescau to succeed David Webster as chairman upon David's retirement on Dec. 31.

* Among research alerts, HSBC raised Aggreko to 'overweight', while both Barclays and Nomura raised price targets on United Utilities to 665 pence and 751 pence respectively.

* No first tier UK data or corporate earnings were due on Friday.

TODAY'S UK PAPERS

> Financial Times

> Other business headlines Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra : visit* BridgeStation: view story .134(Reporting by Toni Vorobyova; Editing by Louise Ireland)