Hamburg - From morning sickness to ultrasound examinations, the symptoms and medical treatment that pregnant women experience are well known.

But what about pets? What should owners do when their dogs and cats get pregnant? Firstly, they should recognize that, as in humans, pregnancy is not an illness, said Thomas Steidl, a veterinarian from Tuebingen, Germany. But at the same time, owners should not take

their pet's condition too lightly.

Buenos Aires - Half-an-hour's train ride from Buenos Aires lies the suburb of Jose Leon Suarez, with its dirt streets and homes made of wooden planks and scraps of metal.

The path passes by a river containing more rubbish than water. Here and there, the garbage piles up and the stench of burning plastic pollutes the air.

This path leads to the Vicente Catalano Centre for mothers and families.

Gottfried Stein, a correspondent for Germany's ARD radio based in South America, and his wife, Renate, opened the facility in 2007. They obtained funds from the Stuttgart-based International Network of Centres for Mothers and Families, in whose executive committee Renate sits.

Kuala Lumpur - Living in the bustling Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur can often be a lonely - and in recent years even dangerous - existence as many families lead lives far apart from those of their neighbours.

But in the past few years, a rise in crime and particularly in burglaries has forced many Malaysian neighbourhoods to resort to the benefits of a close-knit community, but with a modern twist.

Berlin/Leipzig - Autumn is a time when nature prepares to rest, and a lot of people begin to withdraw into themselves too. They have no desire to meet with friends after work, preferring to sit lethargically in front of the television before going to bed early. And the next morning they find it hard to get up.

For most people, this period of languor passes without any major effects. But a small minority suffer from out-and-out winter depression. Apart from lethargy and fatigue, the latter group often has symptoms uncharacteristic of depressive disorder.

Sydney - Farms are being bought up on Sydney's western fringes and turned into housing estates. Most locals don't like it.

Some of those upset at the encroachment of Australia's largest city on their traditional lands have legitimate concerns. The greenery is disappearing, the extra traffic is disruptive, the semblance of country life is lost.

Others just fear strangers. The new families often come from the suburbs where Muslim immigrants congregate - and bring with them demands for mosques and Islamic schools.

Wellington - Single women have a problem finding a husband or partner in New Zealand - they outnumber men.

There are 35,000 more women in the prime marrying age group of 20 to 45, according to Statistics New Zealand and the situation is so bad that a 32-year-old Kiwi woman has as much chance of finding a partner her age as an 82-year-old.