PRESS DIGEST-British Business - February 13

Feb 13 (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

- Four EY partners have left the firm after breaching independence rules during its audit of Shell SHEL.L that led to the termination of a $66 million-a-year contract.

The Guardian

- A senior trade union leader has urged Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner to replace Keir Starmer, warning the party risks losing to Reform UK in an upcoming Gorton by-election she expects Labour to forfeit.

- Britain's culture minister Lisa Nandy said on Thursday she had decided to issue a public interest intervention notice to the proposed acquisition of the Telegraph Media Group by Daily Mail owner DMGT.

The Telegraph

-The BBC is preparing to make about 600 million pounds ($816.78 million) in cuts that could hit jobs and programming across the broadcaster, its director-general told staff, as the corporation scrambles to close a growing gap in its finances.

Sky News

- NatWest Group NWG.L has awarded about 500 million pounds in bonuses for 2025, roughly 10% more than a year earlier, as the lender steps up payouts after the government sold down most of its stake.

- Europe must assume greater responsibility for its own defence as global militarisation accelerates, a senior U.S. official said, while stressing that Washington remains committed to its NATO allies.

($1 = 0.7346 pounds)