Feb 8 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen...

Feb 8 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening 8 points lower on Wednesday, according to financial bookmakers.

• The UK blue chip index 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• UK CORPORATE DIARY: Victrex Plc VCTX.L Q1 2017 Redrow Plc RDW.L Half Year 2017 Earnings Release Dunelm Group Plc DNLM.L Half Year 2017 Earnings Release Hargreaves Lansdown Plc HRGV.L Half Year 2017 Earnings Release Tullow Oil Plc TLW.L Full Year 2016 Earnings Release GlaxoSmithKline Plc GSK.L Q4 2016 Earnings Release