Dolphin is national aquatic animal
Union government chalks out major strategy to fix Ganga mess
New Delhi, October 5
Dolphin is now India’s national aquatic animal. The decision was taken today following a suggestion by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at a meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to initiate steps to rejuvenate the holy river.

Rosaiah enters CMO, puts to rest speculation
Hyderabad, October 5
In a move loaded with political message, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah today formally entered the Chief Minister’s office at the state Secretariat here. The septuagenarian Congress veteran, who took over the reins of the state after the death of YS Rajasekhara Reddy on September 3, had been functioning from his old chamber of finance minister in the adjacent block.

Nation page: Andhra Pradesh seeks Rs 6,000-cr flood relief AICC chief Sonia Gandhi with Andhra Pradesh CM K Rosaiah in Hyderabad on Monday after aerial survey of flood-hit areas. — PTI

Quit playing games, SC tells Maya
New Delhi, October 5
In a clear warning on the controversial memorials issue, the Supreme Court today asked the Uttar Pradesh government not to “play games” or treat the court as a political opponent. “Don't behave with the court as you behave with your political opponents in the assembly. You don't play games.

Nation page: CJI under RTI? SC has 58 defences

Bodo killings trigger mob fury; Army called out
Guwahati, October 5
The Army was called out today in Bishwanath Chariali subdivision in Sonitpur district of Assam where situation turned for the worse with angry mobs taking to the street in protest against last night’s killing of innocent villagers by banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants at Bhimajuli village under Balichang police outpost near Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary.

UN’s Pak office attacked, 5 killed
Five persons, including two women and an Iraqi national, were killed and four others injured in a suicide bomb blast at UN’s World Food Programme office here on Monday. “Preliminary investigation shows that the bomber had disguised in the uniform of paramilitary Frontier Constabulary,” Interior Minister Rehman Malik said.

World page: UN shuts down all Pak offices

UK spy agency wanted to ‘get rid’ of Menon
Was gunning for Indian envoy due to his ‘pro-Soviet’ leanings
London, October 5
Britain’s spy agency MI5 made a determined bid to "get rid" of India's first High Commissioner to the UK, VK Krishna Menon, because of his “pro-Soviet” leanings but failed due to strong backing from then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, according to a new book.

India fares poorly in quality of life Slips to 134th rank among 182 countries on Human Development Index New Delhi, October 5 While this year China figures among the only five countries across the world that improved their Human Development Index (HDI) rankings by three or more points, India continues to cut a sorry figure, slipping six points (from the last compilation) in the latest UNDP Human Development Index.