DEPRESSION

According to a study girls are more likely to enter into depression cause of academic failures. Researches from the University of Washington have found that boys are less likely to get depressed when compared with the girls.

The study found that the teenagers who are not able to complete their graduation because of various reasons such as drop outs, expulsion or suspension are likely to enter into depression which gets deeper and deeper by age 21. The probability of getting depressed in such a situation is higher for the female gender.

For the study 18 schools from the neighborhoods in Seattle, Washington that are known for the high crime rates were selected. 800 people from those schools participated in the study. The participants were divided equally gender wise and there were White 46%, Black 24%, Asian American 21%, Native American 6%, Others 3%.

The results reveled that 44% of the girls suffered depression when expelled from school as compare to 20% who were not expelled. 33% girls were depressed who dropped out from school as compare to 19% who did not. Girls who were suspended from school developed depression later accounted for 28% as compare to 19% who were not suspended.

Australian players urged to pullout of Champions Trophy

SYDNEY: Australia's cricketers should pull out of September's Champions Trophy in Pakistan despite a decision to go ahead with the tournament, the players' association said on Friday.

The Australian Cricketers' Association said that the security risks of travelling to troubled Pakistan were too great, and it would advise its cricketers against playing in the biennial event.

The International Cricket Council decided on Thursday to keep the Champions Trophy in Pakistan but said it will appoint a commission to ensure security.

The ICC's executive board held a teleconference to discuss the possibility of moving the premier tournament because of security fears raised by Australia, England and New Zealand.

But the ACA said despite the ICC's measures, it will maintain its recommendation to Australia's cricketers not to play in Pakistan.

"The ACA continues to have serious concerns with our players touring Pakistan for the Champions Trophy and we are disappointed with the ICC's decision," ACA chief executive Paul Marsh said in a statement.

"We are seeking clarity on the purpose and role of the proposed task force, so we are unable to comment on it at this stage. Based on the independent information and advice received, we maintain that the risks are simply too great for the ACA to recommend that our players tour Pakistan at this time."

"We would expect Cricket Australia to adopt the same position," he said. The year's biggest One-day tournament, featuring the top eight One-day nations, is due to be held in Pakistan from September 11 to 28, with Australia as the defending champions.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat sought to allay fears players might pull out of the event, saying the council would do all in its power to ensure their safety.

But Marsh said the ICC's decision was not a good outcome for cricket. "If it (the tournament) continues in Pakistan at this volatile time, unfortunately many of the world's best players won't participate, which is not a good outcome for cricket," he said.

Cricket Australia, which makes the final decision on whether to take part in the tournament, was expected to make a statement later on Friday.

Australia postponed a full tour of Pakistan in March-April this year due to the security situation. However, they agreed to reschedule the tour in two visits, ODIs in 2009 and Tests in 2010.

Google the Best!!!

At its Silicon Valley complex it's famed for pampering staff with gourmet free food and more flavours of smoothie than there are colours in the rainbow, but Google employees closer to home can now feel smug as its London GooglePlex has been named best workplace in Blighty.

Google topped the list of the 50 best workplaces in the UK, compiled by research and management consultancy The Great Place to Work Institute, which uses employee surveys to evaluate the level of trust between staff and their employers - so it's not just about bean bags and break-out areas.

With a passing mention to Google's 'stimulating and supportive environment' (such as allowing Segways in the office, for instance), the Institute commended Google for retaining its start-up ethos and embedding its brand into all aspects of the organisation - so much so that staff call themselves 'Googlers'.

It also highlighted the web behemoth's investment in staff development - via a 'Google University' and a European Learning and Development Team. Gifting every employee a bike last year to encourage staff fitness and highlight green issues also brought kudos.

Google was the only tech company to make the top 10 UK workplaces. Other IT companies in the rest of the list include search engine optimisation business BigMouthMedia, tech support company IT Lab and server hosting company Rackspace.

'Don't be evil' failed to win the best large workplace in Europe gong, however: that honour went to Microsoft, with Google in second place and networking giant Cisco third.

Nikesh Arora, president of European operations at Google, said in a statement: "Of course, the lava lamps, free food, dogs at work - all have become famous symbols of the fun yet serious workplace we have built. But the challenge we set ourselves - of hiring the best possible people and giving them the chance to reach extraordinary achievements, is what makes Google such a special place to work."