(Adds futures, company news items)
Dec 23 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 futures FFIc1 were up 0.1 percent on Friday ahead of the cash market open.
European markets are expected to have a quiet session as it is only a half-day on the London Stock Exchange , with the British market shutting at 1230 GMT.
* The UK blue chip index ended up 0.3 percent on Thursday in thin pre-Christmas volumes, led by gains in the energy sector and among precious metals miners. BARCLAYS: The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday sued Barclays Plc BARC.L and two former executives on civil charges of fraud in the sale of mortgage-backed securities during the run-up to the 2008-09 financial crisis. Barclays said it rejects claims made in the complaint. DEUTSCHE BANK: Deutsche Bank DBKGn.DE has agreed to a $7.2 billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over its sale and pooling of toxic mortgage securities in the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis. CREDIT SUISSE: Credit Suisse CSGN.S had agreed in principle to pay U.S. authorities $2.48 billion to settle claims it misled investors in residential mortgage-backed securities it sold in the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis, the Swiss bank said on Friday. IAG: British Airways ICAG.L cabin crew have called off a planned Christmas strike, trade union Unite said on Thursday. MAIL.RU: Russia's second-biggest mobile operator Megafon MFON.MM said on Friday it would buy a majority stake in internet group Mail.ru MAILRq.L from the two companies' common shareholder Alisher Usmanov for $740 million. LSE: In advancing their planned merger, the German exchange operator Deutsche Boerse DB1Gn.DE and its London counterpart LSE LSE.L appear to be prepared for further compromises with the German state of Hesse and provide the regulator with a permanent veto right, FAZ reported citing unnamed sources.
* UK CONSUMER CONFIDENCE: British consumer confidence fell this month to its lowest level since the immediate aftermath of the EU referendum, crimped by worries around rising inflation pressures, a survey by YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research showed on Friday. OIL: Oil prices slipped on Friday in thin Asian trade ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays, eroding some of the gains in the previous session as traders took profits. METALS: London copper eyed a second week of losses on Friday, but was on track for its biggest annual gain since 2010 on signs of a global economic recovery as investors locked in profits on the final trading day before the Christmas break. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets
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