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Zelensky brings ‘victory plan’, integration plea to Nato talks in Brussels
President Volodymyr Zelensky will present his "victory plan" for Ukraine to Nato defence ministers gathering on Thursday in Brussels, under the long shadow of next month's US elections. Underscoring his plea for ramped-up western support, Zelensky will attend the Alliance talks after also presenting his much-touted proposal at an EU leaders' summit taking place across town from Nato. Nato chief Mark Rutte will hold a joint press conference with Zelensky at 6:20 pm (16:20 GMT), wrapping up the first of two days of talks between Nato's 32 member states. While calling it a "strong signal", the secretary-general cautioned on Wednesday that he was not endorsing Zelensky's "whole plan" - which calls first and foremost for an immediate invitation to join the US-led alliance, a plea widely seen as unrealistic. France 24, October 17

Israel struck near Beirut for the first time in days
Israel’s military carried out airstrikes yesterday in Hezbollah-dominated areas in southern Lebanon and outside Beirut. At least 16 people were killed and more than 50 were injured, Lebanese officials said. The Israeli military said that it had struck Hezbollah targets in and around Nabatieh, which many residents have fled after recent Israeli evacuation warnings. It comes a day after the US said that it had expressed concerns about the scale of Israel’s weekslong bombardment. “When it comes to the scope and nature of the bombing campaign that we saw in Beirut over the past few weeks, it’s something that we made clear to the government of Israel we had concerns with and we are opposed to,” Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman, said on Tuesday. New York Times, October 17

Finland calls for border fences to stop ‘instrumentalised’ migration from Russia and Belarus
Finland’s prime minister has called for a fence on Europe’s borders and Europe-wide legislation against migrants being forced across the bloc’s borders from Russia and Belarus. Speaking before a summit of EU leaders on Thursday, Petteri Orpo said Europe had to “strengthen our border security by building infrastructure like fences [along] the borders”. “We need European legislation against instrumentalised migration,” he said. Finland shut its border with Russia late last year after floods of migrants came across under pressure from Russia. Migration is a key topic at the summit, with many EU leaders calling on Brussels for new solutions to rising numbers of migrants such as third-country processing centres and stronger legislation on returns. Financial Times, October 17

UK chancellor to raise capital gains tax on sale of shares
Rachel Reeves will use her budget to increase capital gains tax on the sale of shares and other assets but will not change the rate for second homes. The Times has been told that capital gains on profits from the sale of shares, which is currently levied at a higher rate of 20 per cent, is likely to rise by “several percentage points”. Ministers have discussed going further but there are concerns that people would deliberately defer selling assets in a bid to avoid being hit by higher rates. As well as raising capital gains on share profits, Reeves is also expected to end some reliefs in the current regime to increase potential revenues as she seeks to repair the public finances and avoid a return to austerity. The Times, October 17

US 'click to cancel' rule to ban subscription traps
The US Federal Trade Commission has adopted a 'click to cancel' rule, which aims to make it easier for people to end subscriptions. It will force companies to make subscription sign-ups and cancellations equally straightforward. Businesses, including retailers and gyms, will also have to get consent from customers before renewing subscriptions or converting free trials into paid memberships. The new rule is due to come into effect in around six months' time. “Too often, businesses make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription,” said FTC chair Lina Khan. “The FTC’s rule will end these tricks and traps, saving Americans time and money. Nobody should be stuck paying for a service they no longer want.” Under the new rule, businesses will be banned from forcing customers to go through a chatbot or an agent to cancel subscriptions that were originally signed up to using an app or website For memberships that customers signed up to in person, businesses will have to offer the option to terminate them by calling by phone or online. BBC news, October 17

Meta fires staff for ‘using free meal vouchers to buy household goods’
Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, has reportedly fired about 24 staff at its Los Angeles offices for using their $25 meal credits to buy items such as toothpaste, laundry detergent and wine glasses. The tech firm, which is worth £1.2tn and also owns the messaging platform WhatsApp, is said to have dismissed workers last week after an investigation discovered staff had been abusing the system, including sending food home when they were not in the office. That included one unnamed worker on a $400,000 (£308,070) salary, who said they had used their meal credits to buy household goods and groceries such as toothpaste and tea. On the anonymous messaging platform Blind, they wrote: “On days where I would not be eating at the office, like if my husband was cooking or if I was grabbing dinner with friends, I figured I ought not to waste the dinner credit.” The worker admitted the breach when approached as part of a human resources investigation into the practice and was later fired. “It was almost surreal that this was happening,” the person wrote, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the story. The Times, October 17

US judge blocks Georgia order to count votes by hand
A judge in the US state of Georgia has blocked an order for ballots in November's presidential election to be counted by hand. Judge Robert McBurney ruled poll workers would not have received adequate training to handle millions of ballots, adding that the last-minute change would have led to "administrative chaos". The hand count mandate was passed by the pro-Trump majority on the Georgia election board last month, and Tuesday's ruling was welcomed by Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Early voting began in Georgia on Tuesday, with record numbers casting their votes in the key swing state ahead of Election Day on 5 November. More than 328,000 people voted in person or by post on the first day of voting, officials said - more than double the previous record of 136,000 in 2020. Around five million votes for president were cast in Georgia that year, with Democrat Joe Biden winning the state by just under 12,000. Trump refused to accept the result and he has now been charged on eight counts of unlawfully trying to change the outcome, which he denies. BBC news, October 16

Pound falls as UK inflation declines more than expected to 1.7%
UK inflation fell more than expected to a three-year low of 1.7 per cent in September, prompting the pound to fall and traders to increase bets on further rate cuts from the Bank of England this year. Wednesday’s data release by the Office for National Statistics shows that inflation has come back under the BoE’s 2 per cent target for the first time since April 2021. The annual increase in consumer prices is less than the 1.9 per cent forecast in a Reuters survey of economists and compares with August’s figure of 2.2 per cent. The retreat was driven by lower airfares and petrol prices. The numbers will come as a boost to Sir Keir Starmer’s government just two weeks before what promises to be a tough Budget containing steep tax rises. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is looking to close a funding shortfall of £40bn, according to officials close to the Budget process. Financial Times, October 16

Cambridge surgical robot approved by US regulators
A portable surgical robot developed by a Cambridge-based company has been approved by US regulators. In a breakthrough for CMR Surgical in the world’s biggest healthcare market, the company said America’s Food and Drug Administration had granted marketing authorisation for its Versius Surgical System. The green light, a decade after the company was founded, means CMR Surgical can now prepare to sell Versius in the US for use for adult patients 22 years old and above for gallbladder removal surgery. Versius, designed to biomimic the human arm and assist surgeons, is already the world’s second-most utilised surgical robotic system, with 26,000 surgical cases completed, including in the UK. CMR Surgical was founded in 2014 and remains based in Cambridge where it also has a manufacturing site. It is backed by international investors including SoftBank. The Times, October 16

Employers should be fined for unhealthy workplaces, says thinktank
Employers should be fined if they create unhealthy workplaces, as part of Wes Streeting’s plan to get unemployed people fit to work, according to a leading thinktank. The Institute for Public Policy Research said employers that fail to provide a healthier work environment for their staff, such as subsidised nutritious food, should face regulatory action, including fines and public censure. The proposal comes after the health secretary announced that weight loss jabs, such as Ozempic, could be given to unemployed people to help them get back into work. Streeting added that this would also ease demands on the NHS caused by obesity. But Chris Thomas, head of the IPPR’s Commission on Health and Prosperity, said that it would not be effective to send people back to work after medical treatment into a workplace that was detrimental to their health. The Guardian, October 16

Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral grounds to get €55 million green revamp
As part of a broader city-wide transformation, the surroundings of the historic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris will be transformed into an ecological oasis - with 1,800 square metres of green space and a bouquet of new trees. The plans were announced by Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Tuesday. Beyond restoring the cathedral's iconic spire and medieval charm, the city announced plans to revamp Notre-Dame's surroundings - to the tune of 50 million euros ($55 million). The project echoes a broader, post-Olympics eco-facelift that’s reshaping Paris from its historic monuments to its bustling avenues. France 24, October 16