Monday newspaper round-up: Neso, local authorities, Anglo American

(Sharecast News) - Britain's energy system operator is pulling the plug on hundreds of electricity generation projects to clear a huge backlog that is stopping "shovel-ready" schemes from connecting to the power grid. Developers will be told on Monday whether their plans will be dismissed by the National Energy System Operator (Neso) - or whether they will be prioritised to connect by either the end of the decade or 2035. - Guardian Local authorities in England and Wales have warned their finances are at "breaking point" with more councils expected to fall into bankruptcy in future, as they face a nervous wait to discover their government funding this month. Council leaders expect changes to annual funding arrangements will result in steep cuts for many local authorities, preventing many from balancing their books and providing basic services to citizens. - Guardian

One in three Gen Z workers expects to retire early because of health problems, amid a surge in conditions like anxiety, depression and ADHD. Some 35pc of employees aged 16 to 24 said they expected to have to stop working early for health reasons, a survey by Axa found. This was the highest share of any age group and Axa said it reflected widespread mental health problems among this age group. - Telegraph

Anglo American is braced for a backlash from investors over plans to award its boss a share bonus worth about £8.5 million if he secures its merger with a Canadian rival. The FTSE 100 mining group is seeking approval from shareholders this week to guarantee the share awards to Duncan Wanblad under long-term incentive plans (LTIPs) if the company delivers the $50 billion deal with Teck Resources. - The Times

Jobs, investment and Britain's energy security are under threat from punitive taxes on North Sea oil and gas producers, the chairman of Ineos's energy division has warned. Brian Gilvary lambasted the government for "leading by ideology without debate or logic" after ministers decided to maintain a levy of 38 per cent on the profits of North Sea oil producers in the recent budget. This means the headline rate of tax on UK oil and gas operations stands at 78 per cent. - The Times