FirstUp: EU summit to take place in Brussels and other headlines of the day

It is set to be a busy Thursday with several events lined up for the day.

Firstly, leaders of the European Union will gather in Brussels today for their regular fall summit. Meanwhile, a short assembly session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will commence today in Srinagar.

Some of the most famous items belonging to global musicians will be auctioned in London today. The second ODI between India and Australia will commence today. Meanwhile, the Indian Women’s cricket team will face the New Zealand team today.

Here is all that is set to take place around the world.

EU summit likely to clear sanctions on Russia

EU leaders will meet in Brussels today for the annual fall summit, where they are likely to clear sanctions on Russia. The session will begin with an address from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“Russia is paying a high and mounting economic price for its aggression and we will take stock of our efforts to further increase the pressure on it. Both support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia remain the two necessary requirements to achieve a just and lasting peace,” European Council President António Costa said.

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The primary goal is for EU leaders to task the European Commission with drawing up a legal proposal to use frozen Russian state assets for a loan to Ukraine. The plan is intended to provide a stable source of funding for Ukraine for the next three years, particularly if financial support from other countries decreases.

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly braces up for session

A high-voltage 7-day short Assembly session is set to commence from today in Srinagar. The autumn session is expected to witness intense debate, with opposition parties preparing to hold the NC-led government accountable on multiple fronts, including governance, unfulfilled election promises, statehood, and reservation issues.

As per the official calendar issued, Thursday (October 23) will mark the first day of the session, which comes at a politically crucial time — coinciding with the completion of one year of the Omar Abdullah-led government in Jammu and Kashmir.

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The upcoming session is expected to be one of the most explosive in recent years, with the Opposition parties fully prepared to corner the ruling dispensation on a series of governance, development, and security-related issues. Political observers say the session is likely to set the tone for the coming months as the government and opposition brace for an intense face-off.

Items owned by music icons to be sold in London

An auction will be held by Propstore where over 550 items of music memorabilia will be sold in London today. Memorabilia from iconic artists including John Lennon, Oasis, Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley will be auctioned away.

Noel Gallagher’s 1960 red Gibson ES-355 guitar, famously damaged during an argument within the band and later repaired, John Lennon’s prescription glasses from 1973–74, Jimi Hendrix’s original handwritten lyrics and Michael Jackson’s iconic white fedora are some of the things that will be on auction.

The auction, which will also offer items from artists like Rihanna and the Spice Girls, is expected to attract fierce bidding from collectors.

India vs Australia: 2nd ODI

The second match of the ODI series between India and Australia will take place today. They lost the first match of the series by seven wickets. It was also Shubman Gill’s first match as captain in the format and a comeback game for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, thus all eyes will be on India in the second match.

The first ODI was disrupted by rain, reducing the affair to a 26-overs-a-side match. Rohit and Kohli, along with Shubman Gill, were dismissed before the first rain delay, though and the Indian top three will be looking to make amends. No rain is forecast for the match day in Adelaide yet, but the lead-up might be rough. The entire state of South Australia, where the city is located, is expecting to get hit with some strong winds and lightning in the days just before the game.

ODI Women’s World Cup: India v New Zealand

The Indian women’s cricket team will face the New Zealand team today at the DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai. The pressure is mounting on the Indian team as they have lost three matches.

Meanwhile, New Zealand now needs to win the remaining matches both with India and England to be qualified for the semi-finals. They have won 34 out of the 57 ODIs against India, including six of their last nine encounters since 2022.

As for the weather, it is expected to rain in Navi Mumbai. Rain hit Navi Mumbai for over two hours in the evening two days before the match, cancelling India’s training session. A washout, however, would favour India, considering New Zealand has a tougher opponent in England to face in their last game.