Something as simple as going for a brisk stroll could play an important role in fighting depression, according to researchers in Scotland.

Vigorous exercise has already been shown to alleviate symptoms of depression, but the effect of less strenuous activities was unclear.

A study in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity showed walking had a "large effect" on depression.

One in 10 people may have depression at some point in their lives.

The condition can be treated with drugs, but exercise is commonly prescribed by doctors for mild symptoms.

Researchers at the University of Stirling scoured academic studies to find data on one of the mildest forms of exercise - walking.

They found eight studies, on a total of 341 patients, which fitted the bill.

A controversial anti-piracy agreement should be rejected by the European Parliament, a key Euro MP has said.

David Martin, the MEP responsible for its report on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (Acta), said the treaty threatened civil liberties.

His comments came less than three months after the previous rapporteur, Kader Arif, resigned from his post in protest at the plans.

To date, 22 EU member states have signed the agreement.

However, the treaty will need to be ratified by the European Parliament before it can be enacted.

Mr Martin has strongly advised that this ratification should not happen.

"The intended benefits of this international agreement are far outweighed by the potential threats to civil liberties," he said in a written recommendation to the European Parliament.

"Given the vagueness of certain aspects of the text and the uncertainty over its interpretation, the European Parliament cannot guarantee adequate protection for citizens' rights in the future under Acta."

Samsung refused to confirm, however, whether the announcement related to a much anticipated forthcoming phone or to a range of new devices.

The launch at London's Earl's Court will, nonetheless, be the closest Google's Android operating system comes to an event on the scale of an Apple launch.

The expectation is that the evening event will at least include the successor to the popular SII phone, although the name has not been released.

Unconfirmed rumours include a slight increase to the screen size of the product, enlarging the SII's 4.3" screen to 4.6", bringing it into line with Samsung's current flagship the Galaxy Nexus. Such an increase could be due to an "edgeless" design, rather than to an enlarged overall device. An improved camera, possibly up to 16megapixels, is also a possibility, and wireless charging has also been mentioned as a possibility.

Police in Brazil have arrested three people for allegedly killing at least two women, eating parts of their bodies and using their flesh to make stuffed pastries known as empanadas which they sold to their neighbours.

Police said the three suspects - a man, his wife and his mistress - belonged to a sect that preached "the purification of the world and the reduction of its population".

The man, Jorge Beltrao Negromonte, reportedly wrote a 50-page book titled Revelations of a Schizophrenic in which he says he hears voices and is obsessed with the killing of women.

^-A ⁺APublished 16 April 2012Tags advertising self-regulation alcohol social media

Leading producers from the beer, wine and spirits sectors are set today (16 April) to launch their first joint initiative in advertising self-regulation designed to combat abuses across the fast-growing social media.

Europe's eight largest alcohol manufacturers have agreed to work with the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), the European Commission and national associations to implement measures aimed to protect the young and vulnerable from targeted advertising.

The so-called Responsible Marketing Pact, to be launched in Brussels, will create common EU-wide guidelines designed to prevent minors from seeing alcohol `viral' adverts on social media, and prohibit the creation of ads which seek to allure young people.

The signatories include AB InBev, Bacardi, Brown-Forman, Carlsberg, Diageo, Heineken, Pernod Ricard and SAB Miller, which together represent a majority of European alcohol advertising spending.

"The Responsible Marketing Pact breaks new ground because it is the first time major companies from the beer, wine and spirits sectors have come together to seek unified responsibility standards for all alcohol beverage marketing communications," said Stephan Loerke, managing director at the World Federation of Advertising.

The initiative, he added, "marks a turning point" in the industry's commitment to responsible marketing.