Afternoon.

It’s Tuesday 13th October: Britain's growth forecast has been upgraded, hundreds more prisoners are being released early and Formula 1 is heading back to Africa.

Kettle on.

📅 On this day: In 1884, delegates at an international conference in Washington voted to make Greenwich the reference point for the world's prime meridian. The imaginary line running through the Royal Observatory in London became the basis for measuring longitude around the world.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has upgraded its forecast for the UK economy, predicting growth of 1.3% this year, up from its previous estimate of 1%.

The IMF is an international organisation that monitors economies and lends money to countries in financial difficulty. Its forecasts are closely watched by governments and investors, particularly when there's a Budget approaching.

The upgrade is welcome news for Chancellor John Healey, who is preparing to announce his spending and tax plans on 28 October. A growing economy generally means more money coming into the Treasury through taxes, potentially making those decisions a little easier.

There is, however, a catch. The IMF expects growth to slow to 1.2% next year, while higher energy prices are likely to push inflation upwards. Inflation measures how quickly prices are rising, so even if the economy grows, households could still find everyday life getting more expensive.

And these are forecasts, rather than guarantees. The overall picture is slightly better than expected, but nobody's declaring the economic problems solved just yet.

Hundreds more prisoners are being released early across England and Wales today, as the government tries to tackle severe overcrowding. Up to 650 people are expected to leave prison in this second wave, with around 2,000 due to be released over October. Some will have served just a third of their original sentence.

Under the new arrangements, certain prisoners can be released earlier than before, with the remainder of their sentence served in the community under probation supervision. That means they must follow conditions and can be recalled to prison if they breach them.

The government says the changes are necessary because prisons are running out of space. Without action, officials warned there could soon be nowhere to accommodate new prisoners, creating serious problems for the justice system.

The policy is controversial because some people convicted of serious offences are eligible, although certain offences are excluded from the scheme. Critics have raised concerns about public safety and whether the probation service can cope.

More than 150 doctors and other clinicians are urging ministers to investigate the health effects of classroom screen use. They argue that schools are increasingly relying on tablets, laptops and other educational technology without properly assessing the potential effects on children's health and development.

The clinicians also question whether spending on classroom technology is delivering the educational benefits promised. Their letter calls for independent assessment rather than simply assuming that more screens mean better learning.

It's worth distinguishing their concerns from established findings. The letter doesn't prove that classroom screens are causing all the problems identified, but it raises a reasonable question about how much technology children should be using at school.

Supermarket prices are rising faster again, with grocery inflation reaching 2.5% in the four weeks to 4 October, up from 2.3% in the previous report. According to market researchers Worldpanel, shoppers are increasingly relying on special offers to keep bills down. Spending on promotional deals was more than £250m higher than during the same period last year.

Prices are rising fastest for products including water, squash and skincare, while butter, cheese and chocolate have become cheaper. That last one is at least reasonably well timed for Halloween.

The company behind Hobbs, Whistles and Phase Eight is investigating a cyberattack that has disrupted its computer systems. The incident was discovered on Sunday, with some online operations affected. Shops remain open, but the company is investigating whether customers' personal information has been compromised. Orders placed before Sunday should arrive as normal, although newer orders could face delays.

It says there's currently no reason to believe payment details are at risk. The attack follows a separate data breach involving fashion retailer ASOS last week. If you've shopped with any of the affected brands, it's worth keeping an eye out for official updates and being cautious about unexpected messages claiming to come from them.

Formula 1 is returning to Africa for the first time since 1993, after agreeing a 10-year deal to stage races in Rwanda. The new African Grand Prix will take place at a purpose-built circuit near Kigali, the country's capital, with the first race expected in the early 2030s.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has spent years calling for F1 to return to Africa, the only inhabited continent currently missing from the calendar.

The decision isn't without controversy. Rwanda's government has faced longstanding criticism over human rights and political freedoms, and major sporting events can attract scrutiny over whether they improve a country's international image without addressing those concerns.

Still, for African motorsport fans, it's a significant moment. And for anyone wondering whether the calendar can accommodate another race, F1 has apparently decided that the answer is yes.

Have a great day.

See you tomorrow.