Aug 18 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening down 39
points on Friday, according to financial bookmakers. 
    
    * ASTRAZENECA: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday expanded
the use of Lynparza, sold by AstraZeneca Plc and Merck & Co Inc,
to include ongoing treatment of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer who have
responded to platinum-based chemotherapy.
    * GLENCORE: U.S. energy company Chevron Corp and trading firm
Glencore on Thursday announced separate plans to enter Mexico's fuel
market, as the long-hidebound sector begins to attract major foreign players.

    * FDIC/UK BANKS: The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, which is responcible
for winding up banks that are failing, is suing European banks that include
Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Lloyds Banking Group,
Royal Bank of Scotland, in a London court over Libor-rigging scandal, FT
reported late Thursday. (http://on.ft.com/2fQaFyK)
    * METALS: Shanghai metals futures opened lower across the board on Friday,
weighed down by currency uncertainty and negative sentiment in metals markets
overnight.
    * GOLD: Gold was mostly steady on Friday amid weaker Asian stocks, with some
investors gravitating towards safe-haven assets on political uncertainty in the
United States and after a van mowed through crowds in Barcelona, killing 13
people.
    * OIL: Oil prices dipped on Friday as part of a broad-based selloff across
markets, and despite signs that crude markets are gradually
tightening.
    * The UK blue chip index closed 0.6 percent lower at 7387.87 points on
Thursday, breaking a three-day winning streak in the wake of European indexes,
which edged back after a set of cautious minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve.
    * For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
    
    * UK CORPORATE DIARY:
 Kellan Group                  Half Year 2017 Earnings Release
 CPPGroup                      Half Year 2017 Earnings Release
 Concepta                      Half Year 2017 Earnings Release
  
    TODAY'S UK PAPERS
    > Financial Times                     
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 (Reporting by Justin George Varghese; Editing by Sunil Nair)