Jan 31 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is

seen opening higher on Friday, with futures up/down

0.09%.

* NHS: Britain's National Health Service (NHS) will provide

a cutting-edge gene therapy from Vertex Pharmaceuticals ( VRTX )

and CRISPR Therapeutics that aims to cure sickle cell

disease.

* LLOYDS SURVEY: British businesses turned more pessimistic

in January, extending a run of falling corporate confidence to

five months, but there were some more hopeful views about

trading prospects for the coming year, according to a survey.

* BREXIT: The delayed third phase of Britain's post-Brexit

border regime for imports from the EU will begin on Friday --

four years after Britain left the bloc's single market.

* WISE PLC: International money transfer company Wise

officially launched in Mexico on Thursday, offering a

new way for Mexican nationals to send money in and out of the

country.

* ITV: British broadcaster ITV has been holding

early-stage talks with Abu Dhabi-backed group RedBird IMI about

a possible merger of their respective production businesses, two

people with knowledge of the situation said.

* OIL: Oil prices rose as markets weigh the threat of

tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump on Mexico and Canada, the

two largest crude exporters to the U.S., that could take effect

this weekend.

* METALS: Most base metals slipped and copper prices were on

track for their worst week in two-and-a-half months, following

repeated tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.

* GOLD: Gold prices hit a record high and were set for their

best month since March 2024 as investors flocked to the

safe-haven metal due to heightened U.S. tariff concerns.

* FTSE 100: Britain's benchmark index closed at a record

peak on Thursday as investors cheered a healthy set of corporate

updates, while a surge in precious metal miners also boosted the

index.

* UK CORPORATE DIARY:

Newmark Security plc Interm results

* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please

click on:

TODAY'S UK PAPERS

> Financial Times

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(Reporting by Raechel Thankam Job)