Dec 13 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is

seen opening lower on Friday, with futures down 0.26%.

* HSBC ( HSBC ): HSBC ( HSBC ) is reviewing its retail banking

operations outside the UK and Hong Kong, which could see it

substantially scale back operations in other countries,

including Mexico, the Financial Times reported on Thursday,

citing people familiar with the discussions.

* RIO TINTO: The head of global mining group Rio Tinto

, pledged to act if wrongdoing was discovered

following the filing of sexual harassment lawsuits against the

company.

* TULLOW OIL ( TUWLF ): U.S. oil and gas company Kosmos Energy ( KOS )

said on Thursday it was in early talks for an all-share

acquisition of West Africa-focused Tullow Oil ( TUWLF ).

* UK ENERGY: Britain launched a plan to make it easier for

developers to build clean energy projects which it hopes will

help the country meet its climate targets and create jobs.

* UK ENERGY: U.S. start-up Last Energy said it had received

a tentative offer of $103.7 million in debt financing from

Washington to set up the first of four planned quick-build,

micro-sized nuclear power plants in Britain.

* UK ECONOMY: British consumer morale hit a four-month high

in December as households grew cheerier about their finances, a

survey showed, in good news for finance minister Rachel Reeves

after other indicators showed a post-budget slide in business

sentiment.

* OIL: Oil prices stabilised, heading for their first weekly

rise since the end of November, as additional sanctions on Iran

and Russia ratcheted up supply worries, while a surplus outlook

weighed on markets.

* GOLD: Gold prices edged higher and were set for a weekly

gain, driven by reports of top consumer China resuming gold

purchases, and heightened expectations of an interest rate

reduction by the Federal Reserve at its Dec. 17-18 meeting.

* METALS: London copper prices nudged lower and were on

track for weekly losses on the back of a stronger U.S. dollar

and lack of clarity around China's stimulus measures.

* FTSE 100: Britain's FTSE 100 index inched higher on

Thursday, boosted by Diageo after a brokerage upgrade, while

SThree weighed on the midcap index as it dropped to a more than

four-year low on a profit warning.

* For more on the factors affecting European stocks,

please click on:

TODAY'S UK PAPERS

> Financial Times

> Other business headlines

(Reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru)