Jan 4 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening higher on Thursday, with futures up 0.13%.

* NEXT: British clothing retailer Next raised its profit forecast for the year to end-January 2024 for the fifth time in eight months as it reported a better-than-expected 5.7% rise in full-price sales for the nine weeks to Dec. 30.

* JD SPORTS: British sportswear retailer JD Sports Fashion

lowered

its full-year profit forecast, citing higher costs, a slowdown in consumer spending and subdued demand for apparel amid milder weather conditions.

* SHELL: Shell PLC has joined BP PLC in its battle against Venture Global LNG, accusing the liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer of denying it and other customers access to supplies while exporting more than $18 billion worth of the superchilled gas, according to a filing with U.S. regulators.

* BP: European energy firms Equinor and BP terminated their agreement to sell power to New York state from their proposed Empire Wind 2 offshore wind farm, citing rising inflation, higher borrowing costs, and supply chain issues.

* OIL: Oil prices rose in early trade, extending the previous day's sharp gains on concerns about Middle Eastern supply following disruptions at a field in Libya and heightened tension around the Israel-Gaza war.

* GOLD: Gold prices steadied as investors looked out for more U.S. jobs data to gauge the Federal Reserve's next steps on its monetary policy, although higher U.S. bond yields kept a lid on bullion's upside.

* METALS: Prices of most industrial metals fell on a firmer dollar that was supported by a lack of clarity on the timeline and scale of U.S. interest rate cuts.

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

TODAY'S UK PAPERS

> Financial Times

> Other business headlines (Reporting by Anchal Rana in Bengaluru)