Athens - Nearly half of all Greeks believe that there is nothing much people can do to reduce one's chances of contracting cancer, according to a recent study.

The study, carried out by the Athens Medical School and the Centre for Health Service Studies, found that nearly half of the 1,490 respondents interviewed were passive about cancer, saying there is nothing they can do to avert the threat of contracting cancer.

The findings, which were published in the Greek daily Kathimerini newspaper, came as researchers indicated a 25 per cent increase in the diagnosis of cancer over the past 10 years.

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Washington - The new "working poor" in the United States have all the things expected of average Americans: a house, a car and a television. Though they work to the point of exhaustion, they cannot make ends meet. Their refrigerators are empty, their bank accounts overdrawn.

"If you keep your nose to the grind, you can get ahead in this country," so goes the motto.

For nearly 25 per cent of the US middle class, this no longer applies. Victims of the economic crisis, they have turned the traditional concept of poverty on its head.

Take Vicky Gardner, a 44-year-old geriatric nurse. Every morning she drops her two children off at school on the outskirts of Washington, D. C.

Brussels - Grey office blocks and European Union civil servants - that's the common image of Brussels.

But behind this cliché lurks a colourful scene waiting to be discovered especially for followers of fashion. A walk through downtown Brussels reveals a palette that reaches from chic boutiques to shrill trendy shops.

"Most people think of fashion only in terms of haute couture from Paris or London, but Brussels is right at their doorstep," said Anne Weger of Belgium's tourist bureau in Cologne.

Stuttgart - The main thing to consider when buying hiking footwear is the kind of hiking for which it is intended, notes the Stuttgart-based magazine Outdoor in its October issue.

Multifunctional shoes are fine for day tours and long walks in uplands, the magazine's experts say. Similar to athletic shoes in form and wearing comfort, they provide nearly as much support as proper hiking shoes do.

Someone planning weekend hikes with a heavy pack should choose hiking boots, however. These boots are also suitable for simple hikes in the mountains and provide reliable support in difficult terrain. Waterproof inner lining keeps the hiker's feet dry.

Buenos Aires - Anyone out walking in a Buenos Aires park is bound to notice large packs of dogs numbering 10 or even 20 animals whose leads are held by a lone man or woman - an often stressed-looking "paseaperros."

Owning a dog in Buenos Aires is chic and the bigger the animal, the better. But taking the doggies out for long walks is not quite so popular.

So "paseaperros" or dog-walkers take to the streets with their barking hounds to save wealthy portenos - as the residents of Buenos Aires are known - the bother.

Buenos Aires boasts around 200 registered dog-walkers, and the activity is a popular side-job among young people and students, says Alberto Termine, a representative of the city's Environment Ministry.