PRESS DIGEST-British Business - February 11

Feb 11 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

The Times

- BP BP.L said on Tuesday it has suspended its share buybacks to focus on cutting debt, as the oil major faces mounting shareholder pressure ahead of the arrival of its new chief executive.

- Clive Selley, the boss of BT's BT.L Openreach is to step down after almost a decade as the broadband provider braces itself for a regulatory decision next month that could threaten a target to expand full fibre coverage to 30 million homes by 2030.

The Guardian

- AstraZeneca AZN.L CEO Pascal Soriot on Tuesday welcomed a new NHS drug‑pricing deal but said the company will still keep its £200 million pounds ($272.9  million) Cambridge investment on hold.

- Britain signed government agreements with U.S tech giants OpenAI and Palantir PLTR.O after both companies were listed as clients of Global Counsel, the lobbying firm co‑founded by former minister Peter Mandelson, raising fresh questions over the UK's vetting of corporate ties to senior political figures.

The Telegraph

- Lloyds Bank LLOY.L was supported by an employment tribunal in its decision to take down employee posts about Israel, though the panel criticised the bank's response as "heavy‑handed".

The Independent

- Britain will double the number of troops it deploys to Norway to 2,000 over the next three years to bolster defences in the Arctic amid rising Russian military activity, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.

($1 = 0.7328 pounds)