Aug 13 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Wednesday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.2%.

* THAMES WATER: Hong Kong's CK Infrastructure Holdings $(CKI.UK)$1038.HK has emerged as a leading contender to take over Thames Water and could assume control within weeks if Britain's largest water utility is placed into special ­administration, The Times reported on Tuesday.

* PHP: Primary Health Properties PHP.L said on Tuesday it had secured acceptances for 62.9% of Assura AGRP.L shares in its takeover bid for the British healthcare real estate investor, a rare show of investor supportin the UK markets amid a wave of private equity buyouts in the recent past.

* SHELL: Venture Global VG.N has won a legal battle against Shell SHEL.L over its failure to deliver liquefied natural gas under long-term contracts starting in 2023, the U.S. LNG major said on Tuesday.

* COMMODITIES: Oil prices were steady, Shanghai copper prices ticked up, and gold edged higher on Wednesday.

* FTSE: Britain's blue-chip index climbed on Tuesday as equity markets worldwide cheered a milder U.S. inflation print that kept alive hopes for interest rate cuts in the world's largest economy.

* 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 Nithyashree R B in Bengaluru)

((NithyashreeRB@thomsonreuters.com;))