UK Stocks-Factors to watch on March 24

March 24 - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening up on Monday, with futures FFIc1 up 0.12%.

HEATHROW: London's Heathrow Airport resumed full operations on Saturday and ordered a probe into how it dealt with a power outage. Meanwhile, Britain's government has commissioned the national energy system operator to investigate the power outage, as experts questioned the airports contingency plans.

REEVES: British finance minister Rachel Reeves said on Sunday that Britain will stick to its fiscal rules despite global upheaval.

SPENDING CUTS: Rachel Reeves is eyeing spending cuts for government officials saving over 2 billion pounds ($2.58 billion) a year by 2029-30, a cabinet office source said on Saturday.

WOOD GROUP: British oilfield services and engineering firm Wood Group WG.L has agreed to extend a deadline for talks with Dubai-based Sidara for a possible takeover offer after a previous failed attempt, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

BARCLAYS: Barclays BARC.L won the dismissal on Friday of two U.S. securities fraud lawsuits stemming from the British bank's unauthorized sale of $17.7 billion more securities than U.S. regulators allowed.

CONSTRUCTION: Britain will invest 600 million pounds ($775 million) to train construction workers and help tackle severe skills shortages, it said on Saturday.

OIL: Oil prices slipped on Monday as investors assessed the outlook for a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire.

GOLD : Gold eased on Monday as the dollar ticked up.

METALS : Copper prices in London edged higher on Monday.

The UK blue-chip index .FTSE closed down 0.6% on Friday.

UK CORPORATE DIARY:

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TODAY'S UK PAPERS
> Financial Times PRESS/FT
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($1 = 0.7744 pounds)