October 28, 2025 07:27 AM IST

First published on: Oct 28, 2025 at 06:41 AM IST

The Soviet Communist Party General Secretary, Mikhail Gorbachev, has expressed concern over Pakistan’s nuclear programme, the Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, said. Gandhi, shortly after his arrival from a 14-day overseas visit, said he had taken up the matter of Pakistan’s nuclear programme with both US President Ronald Reagan and Gorbachev.

Guerrilla bases hit

Israeli warplanes bombed two Palestinian guerrilla bases in the Syrian-controlled Bekaa Valley, Lebanese radios and Israeli authorities said. The twin attack five miles from the Syrian border was confirmed in Tel Aviv by the Israeli military command, which reported “accurate hits” in eight buildings. There was no immediate word on casualties. It was Israel’s 13th anti-Palestinian air raid in Lebanon this year.

Captain Kapil Dev

It’s Kapil Dev, of course. All the idle speculation on the choice of a captain for next month’s visits to Sharjah and Australia after the setbacks in Sri Lanka was put to rest by the selectors in Nagpur. And it took them only five minutes to decide to retain Kapil for the job. The formal announcement of the unanimous choice of Chandu Borde (chairman), Hanumant Singh, Kripal Singh, Amber Roy and Manmohan Sood was made by the Indian Board secretary, Ranbir Singh Mahindra. Chairman Borde said no other name was discussed.

Tackling inflation

The Union Finance Minister, V P Singh, said the present rate of inflation would be contained between 4.5 per cent and 4.7 per cent. He clarified that fears were expressed during the presentation of the Union budget that inflation would reach a double figure and the liberalisation of the tax policy would empty the coffers. He said that with the liberalisation of tax policy, people have voluntarily started paying taxes. “We have been able to surpass the target without taking recourse to bearer bonds and the like,” he asserted.