March 20 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening higher on Friday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.1%.

* UNILEVER: Unilever ULVR.L is in talks to separate its food business and combine it with spice maker McCormick MKC.N in an all-stock deal that could come within weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported.

* BP: Workers at BP's BP.L Whiting, Indiana, refinery began picketing after the British oil major barred more than 800 union members from entering the facility, following months of stalled contract negotiations.

* Bridgepoint: Bridgepoint is drawing up proposals for an offer worth more than 1 billion pounds ($1.34 billion) for Spire Healthcare SPI.L, Sky News reported.

* RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto RIO.AX, RIO.L, the world's largest iron ore producer, temporarily shut its Amrun and Andoom bauxite mines in Northern Queensland as tropical cyclone Narelle battered northeast Australia.

* COMMODITIES: Oil prices fell, while gold prices rose. Meanwhile, copper is set to post its steepest weekly loss in months.

* FTSE: London's main indexes closed at multi-month lows on Thursday after the Bank of England's unanimous decision to leave rates unchanged.

* 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 Roshni Srivastava in Bengaluru)

((roshni.srivastava@thomsonreuters.com))