Army to counter N-threat: Chief
NEW DELHI, Sept 30 — Gen. S. Padmanabhan, who today took over as the Chief of Army Staff, said that he would work towards modifying the Army’s tactical systems to meet the challenge posed by the advent of nuclear weapons in the neighbourhood.

Five of a family shot dead
JAMMU, Sept 30 — Militants struck in Gursain village in the Mendhar area of Poonch by killing five family members of a forest guard, Gulzar Hussain.

CPM no more national party
NEW DELHI, Sept 30 — The Election Commission today derecognised the Communist Party of India (Marxist) as a national party and froze the name and symbol of the Janata Dal. The commission, however, recognised the two factions of the Janata Dal, led by Civil Aviation Minister, Sharad Yadav and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda as state parties.

• JD(U) may move Supreme Court
• Cong poll observer asked to decide

India lays claim to UN seat
NEW DELHI, Sept 30 — India and Germany today staked their strong claim for permanent membership of a reformed and expanded United Nations Security Council. Jointly addressing a specially convened press conference here, the German Foreign Minister, Mr Joschka Fischer and the External Affairs Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh said India and Germany were not “competitors” and would work together for the enlargement of the UN Security Council.

Kashmir a problem of past: US official
WASHINGTON, Sept 30 — The issues regarding Kashmir, Korea and Taiwan are problems of the past and not future and should be resolved by the parties concerned themselves, a senior US navy official has said.

Governorship for SAD leader? LOPOKE (Amritsar), Sept 30 — Even as the Shiromani Akali Dal has failed to retain Udham Singh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, it has been trying to have one of its senior leaders as Governor of the newly created hill state of Uttaranchal to overlook the interests of Punjabis there.