Are you feeling depressed? You could take 'rape drug' Ketamine

A prescription drug that is also used as a powerful horse tranquiliser could offer an almost instant remedy for people suffering from depression, say scientists. Doctors at Ben Taub General hospital in Houston, Texas, are testing the effect of ketamine on patients with a severe form of the condition. The Class C drug, which is illegal to possess or sell, can cause a loss of feeling in the body and paralysis of the muscles sometimes giving users...

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Facebook: How to know anyone has unfriended you

Breaking up just got harder to do: How to tell if anyone has 'unfriended' you on Facebook A new browser add-on alerts Facebook users the instant that someone on their friends list 'unfriends' them - cutting off their link on the social network. It also alerts users when someone rejects or ignores a friend request. The script, called Unfriend Finder, is free, and has been a huge hit worldwide. Unfriend Finder has been downloaded 44 million times. It...

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Adnan Patrawala murder case: All accused freed

Mumbai: Four youths accused of kidnapping and killing teenager Adnan Patrawala here in 2007 were today acquitted by a local court on account of lack of evidence, a verdict dubbed by the victim's family as "shocking". The sessions court let off Sujit Nair, Ayush Bhat, Rajeev Dharaiya and Amit Kausha - aged between 25 and 31 - as the prosecution failed to prove the charges against them. The fifth accused, a juvenile, is being tried by the Juvenile...

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Attack on TOI office: South Asia Media Commission says it's a matter of concern

New Delhi: The South Asia Media Commission today expressed serious concern over the attack on The Times of India newspaper's office in Mumbai last week, saying the incident proved that there was "no thaw" in targeting of media by non-state players due to perceived grievances against it. "The attack on the office of Times of India group in Mumbai on Saturday is a matter of serious concern," K K Katyal, South Asia Media Commission President,...

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Student admission to AIIMS, Bubaneshwar, by August

Bhubaneswar: The much awaited All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, is set to become functional and admission of students will start by August next. This was stated by Union Health Secretary P K Pradhan who reviewed the progress of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar work at a meeting with top Odisha government officials besides visiting the institute site at Sijua here. "I reviewed the ongoing work for AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. The progress...

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Tax saving doesn't always pay back; sometimes it is better to pay tax

Tax saving is considered to be one of most important aspects of financial planning. With the financial year-end fast approaching, most investors would rush to fulfil their commitments so as to save as much tax as possible. Consequently, many investors also end up making very bad investments as well. That is, there is duplication of instruments or unwanted investments and so on. So while saving taxes is a legitimate aspiration, overdoing...

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Oxford University Press completes 100 years in India

Kolkata: With a series of new publishing initiatives, which includes releasing of Jim Corbett's unpublished writings, the Oxford University Press (OUP) is celebrating 100 years of operations in India this year. "As a department of the University of Oxford, OUP will celebrate by showcasing its rich history in India through re- issues of classics and by launching major new centenary year publishing initiatives in 2012," OUP India's Managing Director...

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Anushka Sharma Interview: 'Vishal Bhardwaj brings out the best in actors'

Mumbai: Actress Anushka Sharma, who has worked with some of the top guns of B-town in her four-year acting career, is all excited about her forthcoming project, Vishal Bhardwaj's 'Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola'. The 23-year-old model-turned Bollywood actress, who made her debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in a Yash Chopra production, says she was dying to work with the critically acclaimed filmmaker Bhardwaj as he "brings out the best in his actors". "I...

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India still a foreign investment hot spot - E&Y

Foreign direct investment in India is set to swell in coming years as investors stomach a lack of transparency, poor infrastructure and policy paralysis in their search for growth, professional services firm Ernst & Young (E&Y) said in a report. Overseas investment in Asia's third-largest economy rose for the first time in three years in 2011, the report noted, as global investors put their faith in rising salaries, an expanding middle-class...

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EPFO may fix minimum pension at Rs 1,000 at Feb 22 meeting

Retirement fund body EPFO is likely to fix the minimum pension for its subscribers at Rs 1,000 per month at the scheduled meeting the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) on February 22. "The CBT will take a call on the proposal to fix minimum pension at Rs 1,000 per month for its subscribers in a meeting scheduled on February 22," a source said. The meeting of CBT, the apex decision making body of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation's (EPFO)...

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Making Rushdie's visit public a tragic mistake: JLF producer

New Delhi: With much ruckus created over Salman Rushdie's visit that never happened, the producer of the Jaipur Literature Festival believes it was a "tragic mistake" on the organisers' part to have made public his attendance. The festival had earlier seen Rushdie's presence in 2007 without much fuss, and an unannounced visit by controversial Dutch-Somali writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali in 2010. Sanjoy K Roy said that perhaps it would have been better...

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Farhan Akhtar will come in ads on crime against women

After a newspaper campaign, actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar will be the likely face of Delhi Police for an audio-visual advertisement to educate people about crime against women. Thirty-eight-year-old Akhtar, who directed the recently released Bollywood movie 'Don 2', has already appeared in a newspaper campaign in which he exhorted Delhiites to help end violence against women. "Now we are planning an audio-visual campaign with the actor on the...

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In Facebook IPO, investment bankers look for more prestige than money

Social networking site Facebook's historic initial public offering (IPO) is likely to set a new standard for how low investment banks are willing to go on advisory fees to win big business. The world's largest online social network is expected to tap public markets for $10 billion in the coming months in an offering that will value the company at up to $100 billion, according to sources familiar with the planned IPO. It will be one of the...

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Fruit juice and cancer: The link is established

A glass of juice in the morning is believed to be the healthy way to start a day, but Australian scientists have claimed that some fruit juices contain so much sugar that they actually increase the risk of certain cancers, rather than preventing them. They said, in fact, by the time the drink has been processed and packaged, many of the ingredients in fruit that protect against tumours have been lost, the Daily Mail reported. The researchers...

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Republic Day drama: Who the hell cares? Indians bought more national flags during Anna Hazare fast

The tricolour sale this Republic Day was a dampener, say stationary shop owners and flag manufacturers. Traders note that the tricolour sold better during the Anna agitation as against now. Rameth, a seller at Paradise signal said, "I sell flags here every year. I buy them for Re 1 each and sell them for Re 2 each. This time, I only made a profit of Rs 200 because very few people bought the flags this year." Even the suppliers of cloth flags reported...

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Apple beats expectations, profit rises, shares jump

Makers of iPads and iPhones, Apple Inc's quarterly results went past Wall Street's expectations after US consumers snapped up near-unprecedented numbers of iPhones and iPads, sending its shares up 8% into record territory. The world's most valuable technology corporation returned to form after a rare miss in the previous quarter, assuaging investors' worries that its sheer size meant it was headed into a period of slower growth. It sold...

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Politicians in bed with extremists for electoral gains: Rushdie

Salman Rushdie, whose Jaipur Litfest video conference was cancelled on Tuesday, expressed disappointment that politicians are in bed with religious extremists groups and hence unwilling to oppose or stop them. "My overwhelming feeling is a disappointment on behalf of India, which is a country that I have loved all my life and whose long-term commitment to secularism and liberty is something I've praised for much of my life. And now I find an...

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Sunny Leone is just perfect for 'Jism 2' role: Pooja Bhatt

Bollywood producer Pooja Bhatt believes that casting plays an important role in moviemaking, and an actor's personality must match with the character one plays. That is precisely the reason why she chose Indo-Canadian porn star Sunny Leone for the lead part in " Jism 2". "We have done authentic casting in 'Jism 2'. We have taken Sunny Leone because we want a girl who plays that kind of part and persona," said Pooja on the sidelines of an event. "It...

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What is Sopa and why it matters

The tech industry is abuzz about SOPA and PIPA, a pair of anti-piracy bills. Here's why they're controversial, and how they would change the digital landscape if they became law. What is SOPA? SOPA is an acronym for the Stop Online Piracy Act. It's a proposed bill that aims to crack down on copyright infringement by restricting access to sites that host or facilitate the trading of pirated content. SOPA's main targets are "rogue" overseas sites...

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What Deepika Padukone eats for breakfast, lunch & dinner to maintain her svelte body

What does Deepika Padukone eat? Yes, it's a question many people ask when they see the svelte beauty. Here is the answer to what the Bollywood actress maintains her figure. Blessed with an athlete's body, Deepika Padukone does her bit to continue looking like the lean, toned stunner that she is. Former model and national level badminton player, 25-year-old Deepika Padukone, one would agree, has an enviably toned and lean body. The leggy actress...

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Education cannot be a business product: Kalam

Former President APJ Abdul Kalam said education cannot be categorised as a business product or system and only great teachers can inspire quality learning. Addressing the students of Maharaja Sayajirao University and Prince Ashokraje Gaekwad School at two separate functions here last night, Kalam said, "It is not the great building or a great facility or great advertisements which give quality, but loveable education and great teachers do." "Education...

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It's official: Sunny Leone is in 'Jism 2'

Director Pooja Bhatt has ended the mystery about the naked girl behind the wet white sheet in the teaser poster of 'Jism 2' by confirming Canadian porn star Sunny Leone as the lead. Leone came to the limelight in India with her stint in the fifth season of controversial reality show 'Bigg Boss'. She was offered a role in the movie when Mahesh Bhatt entered the show briefly to meet her. But it was not official. "Promised the mid-night hour but...

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Greece on verge of default... what happens if it does?

Greece is expected to announce a bond swap deal with private sector creditors which will see at least half the value of their investments in its debt written off. Such a deal is likely to tip the country into default, although that could mean several different things. Greece's current ratings The three big credit rating agencies - Fitch, Moody's and Standard & Poor's - downgraded Greece in July after the debt swap plan was unveiled, assigning...

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