Frankfurt, Germany  - Drinking water before a meal appears to curb the appetite, according to researchers at Virginia Tech in Blacksbury, Virginia.

The researchers reported the findings of a study they conducted involving overweight and obese people in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, a trade magazine published in the United States.

The study was discussed recently at a forum on drinking water in Frankfurt.

Munich  - The longer young people watch television, the greater the risk of developing depression later in life, a US study shows.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh recorded the number of hours 4,140 participants in the study watched television in the year 1995. They also recorded how long they played at the computer or listened to the radio. The average age of the participants was then 14.8 years, and there was no indication any of them had depression.

Seoul  - Do you need something to refresh your mind and body? If you live in the hustle and bustle of the South Korean capital, Seoul, this may be the time to warm up and go out for a walk along the river bank.

A one or three-hour stroll along the Yangjae River becomes a pleasant experience during which you can enjoy nature, ride a bike, walk your dog or indulge in conversation or romance.

Defying the reputation of Seoul as a city of dynamism and speed with its population of 10 million, the Yangjae River flows slowly at the heart of the city's most affluent southern district of business and commerce.

The river and its surroundings in the city centre are an unlikely hub of bio-friendliness.

The ongoing global financial crisis adversely impacted Indian tourism sector, resulting in declining in the number of foreign tourists visiting India to 4.87 lakh in January as compared to 5.91 lakh during the same period last year.

Number of foreign travelers declined 12.5% in December 2008, posing a threat to country's hospitality industry, already facing tough situation in the midst of recessionary waves across the world.

London  - It must have been one of Britain's most passionate places but now the rule in Warrington Bank Quay's station is: "No kissing, we're British."

No-kissing signs were put up at the station's taxi and drop-off zone designated for rail travellers, as outbreaks of passion appeared to threaten the punctuality of traffic at the station operated by - yes - Virgin Rail.

The company declared Monday that the signs were "a light-hearted way" of encouraging travellers not to clog the often crowded station, which is located on the rail lines between London and Glasgow as well as Birmingham and Scotland.

However, some commuters were less than amused at the idea of a cold farewells from their loved ones.

New Delhi  - Indian police detained up to 600 right-wing Hindu activists on Saturday, following sporadic protests and harassment against young couples celebrating Valentine's Day, news reports said.

Members of the hardline Shiv-Sena group, blackened the faces of couples at a park at the Moradabad city in northern Uttar Pradesh, the NDTV network reported.

They also attacked three couples and cut their hair at India's famous monument to love, the Taj Mahal in the state's Agra city.