News: RIO UPDATE 1-UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Feb 8

(Adds futures, company news items)

Feb 8 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 futures FFIc1 were up about 0.1 percent ahead of the cash market open on Wednesday.

• The UK blue chip index .FTSE closed up 0.2 percent at 7,186.22 points on Tuesday, boosted by a weak sterling and a surge in services company DCC DCC.L , while UK mid-caps posted a record closing level.
• RIO TINTO: Global miner Rio Tinto (RIO) , RIO.L said on Wednesday it will pay a bigger-than-expected annual dividend of $1.70 per share on the back of a strong recovery in mineral commodities markets in 2016 and cost-cutting.

  Rio Tinto wants to cut its debt further, as the company looks to ensure it can withstand any volatility in global commodity markets, Chief Financial Officer Chris Lynch said.

• CO-OPERATIVE GROUP: Britain's Co-operative Group 42TE.L said Richard Pennycook, its CEO who played a key role in steering the group through a 2013 crisis, is to step down on March 1 and be succeeded by Steve Murrells, the current boss of the group's food business.
• SHIRE: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against Shire ViroPharma on Tuesday, accusing it of abusing government processes in order to fend off generic competition to its antibiotic Vancocin HCI, the agency said in a statement.
• TULLOW: Africa-focused Tullow Oil TLW.L reported a loss for a third consecutive year in 2016 after it was forced to write off further exploration costs, the company said on Wednesday.
• BHP: Workers are set to strike on Thursday at BHP Billiton Plc's (BHP) BLT.L Escondida copper mine after contract talks mediated by the Chilean government failed to reach a deal, the main union at the world's largest copper mine told Reuters.
• TESCO BANK: British banking executives and security experts are growing frustrated at the dearth of information available more than three months after 2.5 million pounds ($3.09 million) was stolen from Tesco Bank in the UK's biggest financial cyber heist. The bank is owned by supermarket chain Tesco Plc TSCO.L .
• BRITAIN ECONOMY: British employers struggled to find the staff they needed in January, forcing them to increase starting salaries for permanent staff at the fastest pace in nine months, a survey showed on Wednesday.
• For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets