Afternoon.

It's Thursday 15th October: Sally Rooney's books are disappearing from UK sale, antidepressants are getting clearer safety warnings and Britain's economy has delivered another surprise.

Kettle on.

📅 On this day: In 1881, P. G. Wodehouse was born in Guildford, Surrey. The writer went on to create Jeeves and Wooster, becoming one of Britain's best-known comic novelists, with a particular talent for making the upper classes look wonderfully ridiculous.

The bestselling Irish author behind Normal People and Conversations with Friends will no longer have her books supplied for sale in the UK. And the reason has nothing to do with book sales. Rooney has publicly pledged to use money from her work to support Palestine Action, a protest group that the UK government banned under terrorism legislation last year.

That creates a legal problem for her publisher, Faber. Under the current rules, it says it cannot legally pass earnings from UK book sales to Rooney. Rather than continue selling her work without paying her, the publisher and author have agreed to stop supplying it in Britain.

It's worth making an important distinction: the government hasn't banned Rooney's novels. This is a decision by her publisher because of the legal consequences of her support for Palestine Action.

The group's designation as a terrorist organisation has been heavily contested, with civil liberties campaigners arguing that the ban restricts legitimate protest. The government has defended the decision on security grounds. The result is an unusual situation in which one of the world’s best-known contemporary novelists can still have her books sold abroad, but not supplied in the UK by Faber.

Britain's medicines regulator is strengthening safety information for antidepressants, following concerns raised by patients and their families.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which checks the safety of medicines in the UK, wants to make two particular risks clearer: suicidal thoughts and behaviour, and sexual problems that can sometimes continue after treatment ends.

Patient leaflets will include more prominent warnings, with new information cards expected inside or on medicine packaging. A separate safety leaflet explaining the benefits and risks will also be introduced in 2027.

The regulator stresses that antidepressants remain effective treatments for many people, and patients shouldn't stop taking them without speaking to a healthcare professional. The aim is to make sure people have clearer information when deciding on treatment.

Britain's economy grew by 0.1% in August, surprising economists who'd expected a slight contraction. 

Growth over the previous three months was also revised upwards to 0.7%, with technology businesses helping to drive the improvement. Manufacturing performed well in August, although restaurants and hotels had a tougher time.

It's another encouraging sign after Tuesday's upgraded growth forecast from the International Monetary Fund. But the economy is still growing relatively slowly, and stronger national figures don't necessarily mean households are feeling better off.

Nearly 500,000 workers are set for a pay rise after the voluntary Real Living Wage increased to £14.10 an hour across the UK and £15.45 in London. Unlike the legal minimum wage, this rate is calculated using the cost of everyday essentials, including housing, food and transport. Almost 17,000 employers have signed up to pay it, including IKEA and Nationwide.

For a full-time worker paid the Real Living Wage, the increase is worth more than £1,250 a year. Participating employers have until 1 May 2027 to introduce the new rates.

The government has confirmed the site of Great British Railways' new headquarters in Derby, three years after choosing the city. The new building, planned for the Becketwell area, will accommodate up to 450 staff. There's also a new apprenticeship scheme offering up to 600 places over four years.

Great British Railways is being created to bring train services and railway infrastructure under one publicly owned organisation. The aim is to simplify the current patchwork of responsibilities, although whether that eventually means fewer delays and less confusion for passengers is the rather important test.

The UK has pledged £17m to help repair the protective structure covering the damaged reactor at Ukraine's Chornobyl nuclear power station. The enormous shelter was damaged by a Russian drone strike last year, raising concerns about its ability to contain radioactive material safely.

The funding will support repairs to the structure, which was built to contain the remains of the reactor destroyed in the 1986 nuclear disaster.

Major hospitality companies, including Nando's, Wagamama and Burger King, have pledged up to 100,000 opportunities for young people aged 18 to 24 who aren't in education, employment or training.

The three-year initiative includes jobs and short work placements designed to help young people gain experience and find employment. With nearly a million 16-to-24-year-olds currently outside education, employment and training, there's certainly no shortage of people who could benefit.

A black Labrador called Sgiath has been named animal of the year for helping protect Scotland's coastline from something rather unpleasantly nicknamed sea vomit.

She's trained to sniff out carpet sea squirt, an invasive marine creature that spreads across the seabed and can smother other wildlife. Sgiath has already helped locate hundreds of colonies, allowing conservation teams to identify where the creature is spreading.

Most dogs are happy finding a tennis ball. Sgiath has apparently decided to pursue a career in marine biology.

Have a great day.

See you tomorrow.