Afternoon.

It’s Wednesday 21st October: inflation is climbing again, the government has approved a controversial North Sea gas project and MPs say Britain isn't ready for another summer of wildfires.

Kettle on.

📅 On this day: In 1805, Admiral Lord Nelson's British fleet defeated the French and Spanish navies at the Battle of Trafalgar, off the coast of Spain. The victory helped secure Britain's naval dominance, although Nelson himself was fatally wounded during the battle.

Britain's inflation rate has risen to 3.5%, up from 3.1% in August, according to new official figures. It's the highest rate in nearly a year, with rising petrol and diesel prices helping push up the cost of living.

Inflation measures how quickly prices are rising. So 3.5% doesn't mean everything has suddenly become 3.5% more expensive this month. It means prices are, on average, 3.5% higher than a year ago.

Meanwhile, separate official figures suggest public debt has passed £3 trillion for the first time, although the estimate is provisional. The government borrowed around £24.5 billion in September alone.

Neither development is particularly welcome for Chancellor John Healey, who's delivering his Budget next Wednesday. Higher inflation puts pressure on household finances, while borrowing costs leave the government less room to spend or cut taxes. The Bank of England also faces a tougher decision on interest rates, which affect mortgages and other borrowing.

The government has given the go-ahead for production at Jackdaw, a major gas field in the North Sea, with supplies potentially reaching British homes and businesses by the end of this month.

The field is expected to increase Britain's domestic gas production by around 6% at its peak. Ministers argue that producing more gas at home will reduce reliance on imports and protect jobs.

There's a fairly important distinction here: producing more British gas doesn't necessarily mean cheaper energy bills. Gas is traded on international markets, so prices are still heavily influenced by what happens elsewhere in the world.

Environmental campaigners oppose the decision because burning the gas will add to greenhouse gas emissions. The project had to undergo a fuller environmental assessment following a court ruling on how emissions should be considered. The government says approval is compatible with its climate commitments and has announced a £2 billion Energy Wealth Fund to invest oil and gas revenues in cleaner energy.

Britain needs to take wildfires much more seriously, according to a new report from MPs.

Fire services in England and Wales have attended more than 1,300 wildfires this year, already exceeding the total for the whole of 2025. This summer saw homes destroyed, large areas of countryside burned and even the military called in to help tackle fires.

MPs say the UK isn't properly equipped for fires of this scale. They're calling for a national wildfire strategy, more specialist firefighting equipment and aircraft, and better public information about preventing fires.

They're also proposing tougher restrictions on disposable barbecues, which can start fires when used carelessly in dry conditions. With hotter, drier summers increasing the danger, the committee wants preparations improved before next spring.

Two Welsh organisations have been reprimanded after a 2024 cyberattack exposed personal information belonging to 3,300 people, most of them children. The attackers exploited an old test account protected by the password 'Password1'.

The account had existed for more than 12 years. The Information Commissioner's Office says the organisations failed to maintain basic security safeguards, including removing accounts that were no longer needed. A reminder that adding a number to the end of 'Password' doesn't make it a masterpiece of cybersecurity.

The government has proposed new protections in England that would make it easier to remove domestic abusers from social housing while allowing survivors to remain in their homes.

The changes would strengthen protections for people with joint tenancies and prevent survivors from having to prove abuse again where a protection order is already in place. The measures are part of proposed legislation and are not yet law.

Homeowners in England without driveways can now install cross-pavement EV chargers without planning permission, potentially saving up to £300.

Special channels allow charging cables to run safely across pavements to cars parked on the street. You'll still need authorisation from the local highway authority, but it's one less obstacle for people who can't park outside their front door.

A mystery involving a Roman stone coffin discovered at Westminster Abbey more than 150 years ago may finally have been solved.

The coffin carries the name of a wealthy Roman Briton who lived around 1,700 years ago. But archaeologists have found evidence suggesting the person buried inside lived hundreds of years later.

The most likely explanation is that the coffin was reused for an important medieval monk, possibly Ælfwig, an abbot who died around 1020.

So the Romans made the coffin, medieval monks recycled it, and modern archaeologists have been left to work out who was actually inside. Quite a long-running case of mistaken identity.

Enjoy your day.

See you tomorrow.

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