Munich - In-line skaters should always wear proper helmets a and protect their wrists, elbows and knees to ward off injury in a fall, Germany's product safety and testing organization said.

Hamburg - Buds are sprouting, birds are twittering and the convertibles and sunglasses are coming out.

Milan - Natural and organic materials are current trends in furniture design, but in the coming months synthetic materials that were popular in the 1980s are to make a comeback.

Stuttgart - Outdoor enthusiasts should always have a meal before sleeping in the great outdoors, according to the Stuttgart- based magazine Outdoors.

Milan - The environment and climate change have become current and definitive topics in the design of home furnishings.