PRESS DIGEST- Financial Times - Jan 31

Jan 31 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Financial Times. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

Headlines

STRESS-TEST DEMANDS FLAG NEED FOR EUROPE BANK HIRING SPREE

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LONDON HOME REGISTRATIONS SOAR

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ROYAL DUTCH SHELL SUSPENDS ARCTIC DRILLING PLANS

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ZYNGA TO BUY UK MOBILE APP GROUP

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SERCO WARNS ON PROFITS AS GOVERNMENT BAN IS LIFTED

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Overview

European Union banks may have to hire more employees to cope with stress tests by regulators, accounting firm PwC said. The European Banking Authority has been conducting stress tests regularly in the past but has faced criticism for being too soft.

New-home building in Britain last year hit its highest level since the financial crisis but remains far too low to meet a strong recovery in demand, according to data from the National House Building Council released on Friday. New home registrations in the UK increased by 28 percent in 2013 to 133,670, the highest since 2007.

Anglo-Dutch oil company Royal Dutch Shell has suspended its controversial Arctic drilling programme as part of a wider drive to cut spending and streamline operations following a major profit warning.

Zynga said it will acquire NaturalMotion, which has created games like "Clumsy Ninja" for Apple mobile devices, for $527 million in cash and stock in a bid to grow its mobile game revenue.

Serco said 2014 profit could be as much as 20 percent below forecasts, a sign that the cost of rebuilding the outsourcing group from high-profile government contract failures is continuing to take its toll.