Jan 23 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening 18 points higher at 7,733.1 on Tuesday, according to financial bookmakers. * PRUDENTIAL: Britain's largest insurer Prudential said on Tuesday it had agreed to sell its consumer finance business in Vietnam to a unit of South Korea's Shinhan Financial Group 055550.KS for $151 million. * SHELL: Anglo-Dutch oil company Shell has hired a former executive of U.S.-based First Solar to lead its solar energy business in Latin America, a source said on Monday, as the industry invests in renewable energy to address global concerns about carbon emissions. * COUNTRYWIDE: Estate agency Countrywide Plc could announce departure of its Chief Executive Alison Platt, Sky News reported on Monday. bit.ly/2n2r5Ed * DEUTSCHE BOERSE/BREXIT: Britain's departure from the European Union offers an historic opportunity for Deutsche Boerse to expand its business and to secure a larger portion of the euro clearing business, the exchange's new chief executive said on Monday. * BREXIT: Business leaders have criticised Britain's government for its failure to publish a long-delayed paper on the future of its financial services industry after Brexit. * The UK blue chip index was down 0.2 percent at 7,715.44 points at its close on Monday as strength in the pound weighed, while gambling companies suffered double-digit falls as fears of a government clampdown weighed on that sector. * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets * UK CORPORATE DIARY Marstons AGM trading update Pets At Home Group Q3 Trading Statement Release IG Group HY Earnings Release Cairn Energy Pre close update SSP Group Trading statement Paragon Group Trading statement TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra : visit topnews.session.rservices.com * For Top News : topnews.reuters.com (Reporting by Rahul B in Bengaluru)