News: RIO UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Dec 20

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Dec 20 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening lower on Monday, with futures FFIc1 down 1.88%.

• STANDARD CHARTERED: The Bank of England said it will fine Standard Chartered STAN.L 46.55 million pounds ($61.51 million) for misreporting its liquidity position to the regulator and for failings in its controls.
• BARCLAYS: UK-based Barclays Plc BARC.L said it had received approval from Australia's prudential regulator to operate as a foreign bank in the country, as the lender continues its expansion into high-growth markets.
• GSK: GlaxoSmithKline GSK.L named former Tesco TSCO.L CEO Dave Lewis as non-executive chair designate of the new Consumer Healthcare company which will result from the proposed demerger from GSK in 2022.
• ANGLO AMERICAN: Anglo American Platinum AMSJ.J (Amplats), a unit of Anglo American AAL.L , said it agreed to sell its Bokoni Mine in South Africa to African Rainbow Minerals Ltd ARIJ.J for a cash consideration of 3.5 billion rand ($219.48 million).
• RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto RIO.L (RIO) tapped Canada's outgoing ambassador to China as its chairman, hoping the veteran consultant's links to its biggest market will help the global miner as it looks to move on from the scandal over its destruction of ancient rock shelters in Australia.
• ASTRAZENECA: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved AstraZeneca AZN.L and Amgen's AMGN.O drug, Tezspire, to treat severe asthma for those aged 12 years and older, the companies said.
• GOLD: Gold prices edged higher, hovering near a three-week high hit last week, as fears over the rapidly spreading Omicron coronavirus variant boosted the metal's safe-haven appeal.

• OIL: Oil prices slumped 3% on Monday as surging cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant in Europe and the United States stoked investor worries that new restrictions on businesses to combat its spread may hit fuel demand.
• UK's exporter-heavy FTSE 100 ended higher on Friday, helped by a weaker pound, but posted a weekly loss as concerns over the Omicron coronavirus variant and inflationary risks weighed.
• For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on:

  TODAY'S UK PAPERS > Financial Times > Other business headlines ($1 = 0.7568 pounds)