Hamburg - Are you an oniomaniac - a shopping addict? Up to 10 per cent of all consumers in Western industrialized countries are addicted to shopping to some degree, according to German researchers, who say they have developed the first anti-shopping-addiction therapy that actually works.

Oniomania, the scientific term for "pathological addiction to shopping," was first recognized a century ago by the Leipzig psychiatrist Emil Kraeplin, who wrote a scientific treatise about people in large cities who simply could not resist the urge to buy pretty things which made them feel better - even if they stashed away the items at home unopened, never to be used.

Berlin - Germans have become more and more concerned at the rise in reports of underage drinking and cheap alcohol parties for young adults.

But German teenagers are in fact consuming less alcohol than their peers did in the 1970s, according to Germany's Federal Union for the Protection of Young Persons.

Their information is based on data produced by Germany's Federal Centre for Health Education, a public body that promotes healthy lifestyles.

Hanover, Germany - Paul McCartney has been a vegetarian for years. The same applies to French actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot.

Go back in history and the list of famous vegetarians grows even longer and includes St Francis of Assisi and Roman author Lucius Annaeus Seneca.

A recent survey in Germany found that 6 million people in the country do not eat meat. People who decide to join their ranks quickly find a large variety of items as alternatives to animal-based products.

Hamburg - Horses, dogs and cats make children happy, topping the wish list of most children under 10 years, a survey conducted by the German Toy Manufacturing Association found.

Although there were differences according to age and sex, some 21.9 per cent of the children interviewed said that having a horse, dog, cat and even a tiger would make them happy.

The wish list changes among children over 10 years with boys especially preferring to have a computer, according to the poll.

Hamburg - Taking time out for a hike lasting several weeks is becoming an increasingly popular pastime with the 900-kilometre St James Way in Spain experiencing a renaissance with thousands of people reviving a tradition dating back to the early Middle Ages.

Such a "pilgrimage" is no easy walk in the park and need plenty of advance preparation.

If you heed a few common hikers' guidelines and are reasonably healthy, you can walk such a long route without having to give-up in frustration with blistered feet, backache or other physical limitations.

Melbourne, July 26: Forget gold, silver or diamonds, the latest jewellery fad among teenage girls in China's Chengdu is “live fish”.

Much to the disappointment of marine biologists, the youngsters are standing in long queues to buy plastic pendants containing the small marine creatures.

Vendors say the fish can live up to three months in the sealed containers, which contain water, fish food and two solid oxygen balls.

After three months the fish can be released in ponds or tanks by breaking open the pendants, reports the Daily Telegraph.

The ornaments, which cost less than 50cents each, are popular as necklaces or bag decorations.