WASHINGTON, July 29, 2008 (AFP) - US consumer confidence showed slender gains in July but still reflected a 'grim' assessment of economic conditions, the Conference Board reported Tuesday.

The business research firm said its monthly index of consumer confidence edged up to 51.9 percent from a revised 51.0 in June, but cautioned against reading too much into the gain.

PARIS, July 29, 2008 (AFP) - French families, in the midst of the annual holiday ritual, are the gloomiest for 21 years about what their wages will buy, living standards and jobs, official data showed on Tuesday.

The great exodus from the cities to the beaches, mountains and countryside is a high point in French family life and family budgets.

ATHENS, July 29, 2008 (AFP) - Greeks are still clinging onto nearly 250 million euros (393 million dollars) in old drachmas six years after the currency was phased out to be replaced by the euro, the Bank of Greece said on Tuesday.

'People should start checking their mattresses,' the Bank's head cashier

PARIS, July 29, 2008 (AFP) - French consumers turned even gloomier in July when various measures of how they feel about living standards hit the lowest level since 1987, official data showed on Tuesday.

ROME, July 28, 2008 (AFP) - The Italian competition authority said on Monday it had imposed a 54,100-euro (85,000-dollar) fine on Irish low-cost airline Rynair for false fare advertising.

The authority cited an April 2007 advertisement on the Ryanair website offering flights starting at 10 euros, one way, taxes included to several foreign destinations.

FRANKFURT, July 28, 2008 (AFP) - German consumer confidence has plunged to a five-year low as oil-fuelled inflation 'demolished' hard-won gains in employment and wages in the biggest European economy, a leading survey showed on Monday.

FRANKFURT, July 28, 2008 (AFP) - German consumer confidence has fallen to its lowest level since June 2003, a leading survey showed on Monday, as the effects of increased employment and wages were 'demolished' by inflation.

PARIS, July 23, 2008 (AFP) - Household consumption dropped 0.4 percent in June after a surprise, revised gain of 1.7 percent in May, official figures showed Wednesday.

Compared with a year earlier, household purchases of manufactured goods -- which accounts for about one quarter of all personal consumption in France -- were up 1.0 percent, the INSEE national statistics office said.

PARIS, July 23, 2008 (AFP) - Retailers' belief that customers like a price ending in a nine rather than a rounded-up zero -- 199.99 instead of 200.00, for instance -- has been borne out by scientific research on a restaurant menu.

BRUSSELS, July 17, 2008 (AFP) - The European Commission warned children and teenagers on Thursday to beware of mobile telephone ring-tone scams after hundreds of Internet sites were found to be charging too much for the services.