Europe

FRANCE: Believe it or not, the American fast-food chain McDonald's is the role model for a food-selling venture in France.

BRITAIN: Have a party with your girlfriends. Drink a little wine. Make a little money selling unwanted gold jewellery. What’s not to like? The high price of gold is prompting women in the UK to join the “gold party” trend.

SWEDEN: In Malmö, shoes on display in shop windows have been disappearing. The police have no idea who's taking them. The thieves haven't set a foot wrong.

IRELAND: Hey, want to buy a racehorse? If you happen to have a lot of spare cash, Irish horse breeders would like to hear from you. The current financial crisis has hit the racing and breeding industry hard.

UK: Bankers, investors and other highly paid professionals have been called the “wealth creators” in Britain. But are they really? A new report states that such workers actually destroy value. Other occupations are worth much more to society.

BRITAIN: Despite the strict penalties that were introduced two years ago, the percentage of drivers in the UK who text or phone while behind the wheel of a car has risen sharply.

BRITAIN: In the current financial crisis, people are becoming more aware of prices and are looking for ways to cut costs wherever possible. The latest trend for the savvy UK shopper is buying using discount vouchers.

BRITAIN: The financial crisis has been blamed for the fact that many people are choosing to spend their holidays in their home countries. Tourism in Britain has also been hit by the trend, but the industry has chosen to see it as positive.

BRITAIN: Thirty years ago, Chrissie Maher started the Plain English Campaign. The aim of the group is to reduce the amount of financial and bureaucratic jargon. Maher says the need is now greater than ever.

Britain: Are you looking for the UK's coolest new product? You might want to see the latest creation by British inventor Sir James Dyson: a powerful air fan — with no blades.