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It will be a busy Friday today.
Firstly, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will lead Friday prayers in Tehran. He is also expected to give a speech after the prayers which many believe will outline Iran’s approach toward Israel.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be visiting Sri Lanka. This will be the first engagement between India and Sri Lanka since the presidential elections in the latter.
The European Union (EU) is set to vote to finalise tariffs for China-made Electric Vehicles (EV) today. Reports suggest that top Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral will be held today in Beirut.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to unveil Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja’s statue in Kolhapur.
Here is all that is likely to take place throughout the day.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei to lead Friday prayers
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will lead Friday prayers in Tehran today following which he will give a sermon, reported Tehran Times.
The Leader will be appearing in public after several Western media outlets reported that Khamenei has been transferred to a ‘secure location with increased security measures’. This comes after Israel assassinated Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyad Hassan Nasrallah on September 27, the Tehran Times further reported.
Jaishankar to visit Sri Lanka
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be visiting Sri Lanka today to meet new Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. This will be the first visit by any foreign minister to the island nation since the presidential elections.
According to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian government hopes to build its outreach to Dissanayake. This visit presents a valuable opportunity for India to reinforce its commitment towards supporting the development of Sri Lanka amid potential shifts in its foreign policy under the new Marxist regime.
India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, was the first foreign diplomat to congratulate Dissanayake after the election results were announced.
Funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah
According to a report by India Today, top Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral is likely to take place in Beirut today. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on September 27.
His killing has escalated the conflict between Israel and Lebanon to a war-like situation in West Asia. Earlier, Lebanon had announced a five-day mourning for the leader.
Meanwhile, Israel launched aerial attacks in Beirut killing six people and injuring seven others on Wednesday. This came after Lebanon fired over 100 missiles at northern Israel.
EU to vote to finalise tariffs for China-made EVs
The European Union is set to vote on whether to introduce tariffs as high as 45 per cent on imported electric vehicles made in China, reported news agency Reuters citing Bloomberg News.
According to the report, the vote among the bloc’s member states was slightly delayed amid last-minute negotiations with Beijing to try to find a resolution that would avoid the new levies.
The European Commission is on the verge of proposing final tariffs of up to 35.3 per cent on EVs built in China, on top of the EU’s standard 10 per cent car import duty. The proposed final duties will be subject to a vote by the EU’s 27 members.
Rahul Gandhi to unveil Chhatrapati Shivaji statue in Kolhapur
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will be unveiling the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur today.
Congress MLC Satej Patil said at a press conference, “Rahul Gandhi will visit Kolhapur on October 4 and will stay in the city. On the same day, he will unveil the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Kasba Bavda area. We have appealed to people in the district to remain present on the occasion.”
The event will witness former Chief Ministers Prithviraj Chavan and Sushilkumar Shinde, Congress’ Maharashtra in charge Ramesh Chenithala, party state president Nana Patole, veteran leader Balasaheb Thorat and Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar in attendance.
On this day…
World Habitat Day
Birth anniversary of revolutionary Shyamji Krishna Varma
Birth anniversary of historian Ramchandra Shukla
Birth anniversary of cricketer Rishab Pant
Caliph al-Adil was assassinated in 1227
General George Washington’s troops launched an assault on the British at Germantown, Pennsylvania, resulting in heavy American casualties in 1777
Mexico adopted a new constitution and became a federal republic in 1824
The Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first man-made satellite, into orbit in 1957
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