ITV Lunchtime News

The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, defended the decision to allow drilling at the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea, saying it would support energy security and start supplying homes and businesses by the end of the month. The government said it would also look at removing standing charges on gas bills. The political correspondent reported that the field was first approved by the previous Conservative government in 2022, that environmental groups had launched a legal challenge, and that Labour's last manifesto had promised not to allow new oil and gas drilling. Environmental campaigners said the move would not bring down energy bills, while locals in Aberdeen welcomed the prospect of supporting jobs. US President Donald Trump also welcomed the decision. The Prime Minister told MPs it was a pragmatic decision intended to build a bridge to a renewable future and to help de-link gas and electricity prices.

The bulletin reported that inflation had risen to 3.5 percent, its highest rate in almost a year, up from 3.1 percent in August. Pump prices were the biggest contributor, with petrol and diesel up 29.8 percent, while food and drink prices rose 1.3 percent. The economics editor linked the inflation to the US President's decision to start a war in the Middle East, said Britain was highly dependent on imported energy, and noted that energy bills were set to rise by around 20 percent in January. He also reported that government borrowing was overshooting, that national debt had cleared three trillion pounds for the first time, and that investors expected an interest rate rise next month and four rises over the next 12 months. In Australia, MP Helen Haines had both legs amputated after being struck by a car outside her constituency office in Wangaratta, Victoria, on Monday. Her husband said she was stable and that her heart and mind were in good shape. A 43-year-old man, Brendan Nugent, appeared in court charged with intentionally causing injury by dangerous driving; police said they believed the act was deliberate but isolated. The Governor General called it a moment to pause and choose to be better. At Southwark Crown Court, the jury in Russell Brand's trial heard a woman say he had left her feeling like a piece of meat after he allegedly raped her at his home in 2009. Brand has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault against six women over 10 years. The court heard evidence about a consensual encounter, an alleged forced act, and later messages between them.

The bulletin marked the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster, in which 116 children and 28 adults were killed when coal waste slid down a hillside and engulfed a junior school. The King, the Queen and the Prince of Wales met survivors and bereaved relatives after a private service at the memorial garden on the site of the former Pantglas junior school, and Denise Morgan described the loss of her sister. An independent review said schools should explicitly include anti-semitism in safeguarding policies and be issued stronger guidance on political impartiality, identifying anti-semitism as a particular kind of hate rather than under a general commitment to tackling racism or prejudice. Actor Noel Clarke pleaded not guilty at Westminster Magistrates Court to six sexual offences, including sexual assault, voyeurism and exposure, relating to five women, and will appear at Southwark Crown Court next month. Plans were reported for a 12-mile tunnel near Windermere in the Lake District to stop sewage polluting the water, with United Utilities backing a 3.6 billion pound scheme to take sewage away from the lake for treatment and discharge in the Irish Sea, connecting 12,800 homes; government approval and who pays remain issues. The Met Office issued an amber wind warning for parts of southwest England as Storm Austin, the first named storm of the season, was expected to bring strong winds, travel disruption, power cuts and damage to buildings. Proposed laws for England in 2027 would restrict high-risk beauty treatments such as liquid Brazilian butt lifts, vampire facials and chemical peels to properly trained professionals, with unlimited fines and possible criminal court consequences for those flouting the rules. Finally, the bulletin reported that Finland's national broadcaster was running a 24-hour live stream of a dog, Hilke, and her six 11-day-old puppies, which had attracted around a million viewers and was expected to surpass the previous year's views.