PRESS DIGEST-British Business - April 14

April 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

- Providence Equity Partners, an American private equity firm advised by Lord Coe, has fallen short of its investment target for its ninth fund as the industry stalls in the face of a sharp drop in mergers and acquisitions.

- The Trades Union Congress and Make UK, the manufacturing trade body, have written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves warning that it may need to repeat its British Steel rescue act if it does not promptly bring down the "exorbitant electricity prices" crippling British manufacturers.

The Guardian

- Hedge fund billionaire investor Ray Dalio said he is worried the U.S. will experience "something worse than a recession" as a result of U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies.

- Neil Woodford, the discredited asset manager, has defended his Guernsey listings tactic and his controversial asset swap gambit, which raised eyebrows in the months leading up to the collapse of his 17 billion-pound ($22.3 billion) empire.

The Telegraph

- Britain's local government secretary, Angela Rayner, has called in the Army to tackle the Birmingham bin crisis after a strike by bin workers, which has lasted over a month, left more than 17,000 tons of waste rotting in the streets.

Sky News

- Last-minute efforts to keep British Steel operating are to be carried out today as the plant races to secure a supply of raw materials, including coking coal, to keep it operational and ensure all staff are paid.

($1 = 0.7631 pounds)