March 12 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Wednesday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.39%.

* RIO TINTO: The world's biggest iron ore producer Rio Tinto RIO.AX, RIO.L is offering $9 billion in U.S. investment-grade bonds as the miner seeks funding for its recently-closed buyout of Arcadium Lithium LTM.AX, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday.

* DIRECT LINE GROUP: Shareholders in Direct Line Group DLGD.L have voted in favour of its proposed takeover by larger rival Aviva AV.L, a deal which values the London-listed personal line carrier at 3.7 billion pounds ($4.79 billion) and is set to close in mid-2025.

* FCA: Britain's Payments System Regulator will be abolished and its remit absorbed by another financial regulator, the government said.

* ROSEBANK: British investment firm Rosebank Industries ROSE.L said it was withdrawing its bid to buy U.S.-based Electrical Components International, which makes wire harnesses, citing political and equity markets volatility.

* ELECTRICITY: The National Energy System Operator announced that Britain's auction to secure sufficient electricity capacity for 2028/29 has cleared at 60 pounds per kilowatt (kW) per year.

* OIL: Oil prices edged up, buoyed by a weaker dollar, but mounting fears of a U.S. economic slowdown and the impact of tariffs on global economic growth capped gains.

* GOLD: Gold held steady ahead of a key U.S. inflation data that could help gauge the Federal Reserve's interest rate path amid trade tensions and economic slowdown fears, while attention was also on a potential ceasefire deal in Ukraine.

* The UK blue-chip index .FTSE fell 1.2%on Tuesday notching its lowest closing level since January 16.

* UK CORPORATE DIARY:

* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: LIVE/

TODAY'S UK PAPERS> Financial Times PRESS/FT> Other business headlines PRESS/GB

(Compiled by Simone Lobo in Bengaluru)

((Simone.Lobo@thomsonreuters.com; +919920570373;))