July 31 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening up 3 points at 7271.3 on Monday, according to financial spreadbetters. * RYANAIR/ EASYJET/ WIZZ AIR: A transatlantic alliance between three global airlines will shore up their position in the lucrative UK-U.S. market, shielding them from low-cost rivals and the uncertainties of Britain's exit from the European Union. * BAT: British American Tobacco said on Friday it was not surprised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's announcement that it plans to reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes. * HSBC: A U.S. judge on Friday said investors may pursue part of their nationwide antitrust lawsuit accusing 12 of the world's biggest banks of conspiring to rig the $275 trillion market for interest rate swaps. * BT: British telecoms provider BT has offered to invest up to 600 million pounds ($778 million) to provide faster broadband services to remote parts of the country, Britain's government said on Sunday. * SHELL: Loadings of oil products from Royal Dutch Shell's 404,000 barrels per day Pernis refinery in the Netherlands have been suspended following a fire at the plant, the company said in a statement to traders on Sunday. * OIL: Oil prices hit a two-month high on Monday, lifted by a tightening U.S. crude market and the threat of sanctions against OPEC-member Venezuela. Brent crude futures were at $52.82 per barrel at 0443 GMT on Monday, up 30 cents or 0.6 percent. Prices hit $52.90 per barrel earlier in the day, their highest since May 25. * COPPER: London copper rallied to within a whisker of its highest in more than two years on Monday after manufacturing data from top user China confirmed growth tempered slightly but stayed firm in July. * Britain's major share index posted its first weekly loss since June on Friday after a late-session slump in tobacco stocks, falls among banking stocks and a disappointing update from telecoms firm BT. The FTSE 100 ended the session 1 percent lower at 7,368.37 points, in line with a broader decline in the European market. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets * UK CORPORATE DIARY: Brave Bison Group PLC Half Year 2017 Brave Bison Group PLC Earnings Release Arix Bioscience PLC Half Year 2017 Arix Bioscience PLC Earnings Release Keller Group PLC Half Year 2017 Keller Group PLC Earnings Release Senior PLC Half Year 2017 Senior PLC Earnings Release HSBC Holdings PLC Half Year 2017 HSBC Holdings PLC Earnings Release Fidessa Group PLC Half Year 2017 Fidessa Group PLC Earnings Release Coats Group PLC Half Year 2017 Coats Group PLC Earnings Release HSBC Holdings PLC Half Year 2017 HSBC Holdings PLC Earnings Call Coats Group PLC Half Year 2017 Coats Group PLC Earnings Call Trinity Mirror PLC Q2 2017 Trinity Mirror PLC Earnings Call Keller Group PLC Half Year 2017 Keller Group PLC Earnings Presentation Senior PLC Half Year 2017 Senior PLC Earnings Presentation TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra : visit http://topnews.session.rservices.com * For Top News : http://topnews.reuters.com (Reporting by Sanjeeban Sarkar in Bengaluru)