(Sharecast News) - Andy Burnham was poised to hand England's devolved mayors sweeping new powers to take control of major planning decisions, enabling them to "call in" large‑scale developments and grant upfront permission for projects to proceed. According to the Guardian, he measures, backed by ten of the 14 mayors, would apply to schemes of more than 150 homes, commercial sites over 15,000 square metres, or buildings taller than 30 metres. The move brings regional leaders into line with London mayor Sadiq Khan, who received similar powers earlier this year to unblock stalled housing sites.
Applications for new onshore windfarms in England have climbed to their highest annual level in a decade after Labour scrapped the Conservatives' de facto ban, the Guardian reported. Around 45 projects were submitted in the year ended 31 March, with onshore wind capacity entering the planning system more than tripling since Labour took office. Monthly applications have risen from roughly nine megawatts before the election to about 36mw this year, marking a sharp revival from the sector's pre‑2023 lows.
Iranian‑linked hackers forced a British power plant offline for four days in an unprecedented cyber attack, according to The Telegraph. Officials declined to identify the facility, though the outage was contained and did not affect national power supplies. The incident coincided with cyber attacks on US water infrastructure across 12 states, prompting the UK government to brief energy executives and issue new guidance to businesses.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has again ruled out any coalition with Reform UK, according to the Telegraph, branding the prospect "monstrous" and warning that it would repel as many voters as it attracted. Her comments followed Reform's suspension of former Tory activist Tim Montgomerie, who criticised Nigel Farage's tone and accused him of having a "women problem". Reform said Montgomerie was suspended for persistent public criticism of the party.
Jaguar Land Rover has pushed back plans for a fully electric version of its flagship Defender, placing a two‑year pause on the model's full redesign as part of a wider cost‑cutting effort. The generational overhaul, previously expected around 2028-29, will now slip into the 2030s, The Times reported. JLR will still proceed with its smaller "baby Defender" EV, but says the current Defender's architecture cannot accommodate a battery without a full redesign.
WPP could receive more than £1bn from the sale of its remaining 40% stake in data group Kantar, with majority owner Bain Capital preparing a multi‑stage disposal. Bankers were expected to be appointed this autumn, The Times said, with Kantar's consumer data arm likely to be sold first at an estimated $5bn to $7bn valuation. The remaining core business would then be sold, following last year's $1bn disposal of Kantar's media arm.
Nigel Farage's Reform UK has taken in £20m from cryptocurrency‑associated donors since the general election, according to The Independent's analysis of Electoral Commission data. Around 60% of the party's funding this year has come from crypto‑wealthy individuals, led by billionaire Christopher Harborne, who has donated £15m. Other donors include BitMex founder Ben Delo, US investor Maria Rost, and several UK‑based Bitcoin entrepreneurs.
Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei warned of "earthquake‑like" retaliation if Donald Trump escalates action against Tehran, amid rising tensions over planned US sanctions. The Independent reported that Rezaei had also cautioned Gulf states against supporting Washington's "economic D‑Day", threatening to block oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran accused the US of "economic terrorism", while its foreign ministry said the sanctions represented an "assertion of extraterritorial sovereignty" over UN member states.