* BARCLAYS: Britain's financial regulator is investigating Barclays Plc for suspected failings in its compliance and anti-money laundering systems, the Financial Times said.
* STANDARD CHARTERED: First Abu Dhabi Bank said that it was not evaluating an offer for Britain's Standard Chartered
* NATWEST: NatWest said on it would immediately stop all reserve-based lending for new customers financing oil and gas exploration and extraction, before phasing it out entirely by the end of 2025.
* DELIVEROO: Deliveroo said it would cut around 9% of its workforce, or 350 roles, as it struggles to become profitable in a tougher consumer environment that has caused orders to slow.
* STRIKE: Teachers in Wales postponed strike action planned for next week to consider an improved pay offer, their union said.
* GOLD: Gold prices edged lower on Friday and were headed for a second straight weekly fall, as investors remained wary of impending interest rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve to tame high inflation.
* OIL: Oil prices fell in early trade on Friday but were still set for a weekly gain with the market continuing to seesaw between fears of a recession hitting the United States and hopes for strong fuel demand recovery in China, the world's top oil importer. Britain's FTSE 100 index rose for the third straight session on Thursday after breaching its record-high level again, buoyed by a slate of upbeat earnings and merger talks tied to Standard Chartered. UK CORPORATE DIARY:
Q4 results Lancashire Holdings
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines (Reporting by Sruthi Narasimha Chari in Bengaluru)
