FirstUp: Trump to meet Zelenskyy in White House, Tejas Mk1A's maiden flight... The news today

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

Firstly, US President Donald Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at White House today. In India, the country’s indigenous fighter jet  Tejas Mk1A will take off from Nashik today.

The Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple will open today for their monthly pooja. The Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, will travel to Guwahati to pay his tributes to the late singer Zubeen Garg.

Here is all that is set to take place throughout the day.

Trump to meet Zelenskyy in White House

US President Donald Trump is set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House today. The visit is part of Zelenskyy’s Washington trip, during which a senior Ukrainian delegation is already engaging with US defence and energy firms to lay the groundwork.

Key agenda items are expected to include air defence, long-range missile systems, sanctions on Russia, energy security, and broader discussions of US support in Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia. Zelenskyy has said Ukraine has completed its “homework” for the meeting, spanning both military and economic proposals, and hopes these talks can bring the war closer to resolution.

More from Explainers

I’m good at solving wars, at making peace, I save millions of lives: Trump | Watch video Why Trump is unlikely to win Nobel Peace prize despite nominations from several countries

Tejas Mk1A to take off from Nashik

India’s indigenous fighter jet Tejas Mk1A will take off from Nashik today. The aircraft will take off from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) plant, in what many call a defining moment for India’s military self-reliance.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to flag off the flight, symbolising the dawn of a new era in the nation’s fighter jet production. HAL will officially hand over the inaugural pair of LCA Tejas Mk-1A jets to the Indian Air Force (IAF), kickstarting the induction of the country’s next-generation indigenous fleet.

The Tejas MK-1A comes equipped with the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. This also features a new electronic warfare suite with built-in jammers and passive sensors.

Editor’s Picks

1

‘If a war can be stopped…’: Zelenskyy calls Trump to seek help brokering peace in Ukraine 2

Zubeen Garg's death: Assam police arrest two personal security officers over financial transactions of Rs 1 crore

Sabarimala temple to open

The Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple will open for the monthly poojas today, the Travancore Devaswom Board said. The ceremony will take place at 4 pm on Friday, when chief priest Arun Kumar Namboothiri will open the temple doors and light the ceremonial lamp in the presence of head priest Kandararu Mahesh Mohanaru, the board said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the temple will open at 5 am for darshan on October 18, the first day of the Malayalam month of Thulam. Adding to the morning’s rituals, the draw to select the next chief priests for the Sabarimala and Malikappuram temples will be conducted at the Sannidhanam (temple complex).

Rahul Gandhi in Assam to pay tribute to Zubeen Garg

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is scheduled to arrive in Guwahati today to pay tribute to popular singer Zubeen Garg.

“Gandhi will arrive in Guwahati on October 17 to pay tribute to Assam’s beloved artist and heartbeat of the people - Zubeen Garg”, Chairperson of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee’s Media Cell Bedabrata Bora said.

Garg died in Singapore while swimming in the sea on September 19. The Assam government, however, formed an SIT that is investigating the circumstances that led to his death.

ODI Women’s World Cup: South Africa v Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan women’s cricket team will face the South African team today. The match will be played at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Sri Lanka has so far had two games in the tournament. The team’s batting has been just handy, with Harshitha Samarawickrama and Nilakshika Silva lacking the big scores needed. Meanwhile, the bowling has been a one-woman show, with Inoka Ranaweera carrying the entire attack on her shoulders.

South Africa, on the other hand, has won three matches straight, beating even India. The South Africans have had contributions from almost all of their batters, while Nonkululeko Mlaba and Nadine de Klerk have been impressive with the ball.

With inputs from agencies