New York  - Hit with hard economic times, US residents are once again reaching for inexpensive Spam at the supermarket.

Hamburg  - Tanning in a solarium before going into the sun provides no appreciable protection against sunburn. However, it does raise the risk of skin cancer considerably, according to information from a German cancer support association and a German dermatological prevention organization.

As ultraviolet (UV) rays penetrate deep into the skin, they also accelerate the ageing of the skin. Despite these risks, 14 million Germans use solariums, making Germany Europe's top country for artificial tanning, according to a study conducted this year and recently published by the two groups.

Vienna - Temperatures may be falling and energy prices are still high, but an increasing number of Austrians living in low-energy houses have little to worry about this winter.

Essen, Germany - No room, no apartment or house can get by without light switches and although everyone needs them and uses them, these inconspicuous devices have been reduced to their simplest function for decades.

Now designers and manufacturers are discovering that all kinds of living spaces can be perked up by replacing the self-effacing rectangular plates of cream or white plastic with something more decorative.

Leipzig, Germany - Young adults are taking the offensive against undesirable body hair, according to a study of 314 students conducted by the University of Leipzig.

The study showed that 97 per cent of the women and 79 per cent of the men questioned regularly shave, epilate or otherwise remove hair from at least one part on their body. The average age of the study's participants was 23, and more than two-thirds of the participants were women. The study did not count the shaving of men's beards and moustaches.

Pforzheim, Germany - A watch should give the time, no more, no less.

But which watches will delight women's hearts and capture men's tastes is a question of design - and that changes over time. This year's line-up of watches feature glistening new colours, although some are transparent, prominently displaying the inner life of the timepiece.

This year, the trend in watches includes gold-plated rose-coloured finishes that have a technical look and feel, said Melanie Dummin of the jewellery chain Christ in Hagen, Germany. Alfred Schneider, director of Germany's jewellery and watch association in Pforzheim, agrees. Rose and reddish gold are the trendy colours for watch casings this year, he said, adding that copper alloys are responsible for the colour.