5 SMS per day limit comes into effect

NEW DELHI: To check spread of rumours which has led to exodus of northeastern peoplefrom certain states, government banned from today bulk SMSes and MMSes for 15 days across the country.

"We have banned bulk SMSes and MMSes for 15 days," Union Home Secretary RK Singh told PTI.

The decision was taken after reports of widespread circulation of SMSes and MMSes containing misleading information about Assam violence, threats to

New system can predict solar flares, give advance warning

Scientists have developed a new method to predict solar flares more than a day before they occur, providing advance warning to protect satellites, power grids and astronauts from potentially dangerous radiation.

Researchers from the US have developed a system which works by measuring differences in gamma radiation emitted when atoms in radioactive elements "decay" or lose energy.

The new detection technique is based on a hypothesis that radioactive decay rates are influenced by solar activity, possibly streams of subatomic parti

Rs1 crore reward for Olympic silver medalist Sushil Kumar

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Sunday announced a reward of Rs1 crore for wrestler Sushil Kumar, who created history by winning silver medal in London Olympics.

"I on behalf of every Delhiite congratulate Sushil Kumar for creating history by winning the silver medal. The whole country is proud of him for through his dedication and hardwork. He has brought laurels for the country," she said.

He is the first Indian wrestler to strike silver in wrestling competitions at Olympics.

"Every Indian is proud of his most ambitious feat. His dedication, hard work and apt training yielded good result. Sushil has brought laurels for

UN staffer shot dead in Sudan's South Kordofan

KHARTOUM — A Sudanese driver for the World Food Programme has been shot dead in war-torn South Kordofan state, the UN agency said on Sunday, in the second attack against it in two days.

The killing came as officials announced an agreement on aid access to South Kordofan and Blue Nile, where the UN has described a worsening humanitarian crisis but has been severely restricted in its movement.

"Our driver was killed yesterday in an armed attack in an area some 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Kadugli," WFP spokeswoman Amor Almagro told AFP.

Jamal Al Fadil Farag Allah, married with five children, is the first WFP employee to be killed in Sudan, she said.

"He was driving fellow staff member Saad Yousif when their vehicle was attacked by two unknown assailants," Almagro said.

They were travelling in a marked UN vehicle on official business, she added.

Yousif was wounded but survived and was to be airlifted to Khartoum later on Sunday.

More than 200,000 refugees have fled a worsening humanitarian situation in South Kordofan and nearby Blue Nile states since fighting between government and rebel forces from the