The lawyer for the New York hotel maid who accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn of trying to rape her has appealed on French television for other women with claims against the former IMF chief to come forward. "If there are any other women in France or in Africa who may have been abused by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, please,

Poor minority parents in the United States are spending a sizeable chunk of their income on bottled water based on unfounded beliefs that it's safer, sometimes giving up other things to do so, according to a study. A poll of 632 parents visiting an emergency department in Milwaukee, Wisconsin showed that black and Hispanic children

Greenpeace said on Wednesday it had evidence that Barbie doll packaging comes from Indonesian rainforests, accusing toy manufacturers such as Mattel and Walt Disney Co of contributing to the country's rapid deforestation. On Tuesday, Greenpeace activists dressed as Ken dolls rappelled down the side of Mattel headquarters near Los Angeles to unfurl a banner saying

Shavasb Bohdjalian German news magazine Der Spiegel reported on Sunday that the new Greek bailout under negotiation could end up costing more than EUR100 bln. Spiegel cited estimates by experts from the German Finance Ministry and the "troika" of the EU, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank. Greece agreed its first, 110 billion-euro, bailout

– EU to mint 10th anniversary commemorative euro coin  – Citizens to choose design for the two-euro piece  – Coins to enter circulation in Jan. 2012 It may not be the most popular currency in Athens, Lisbon or Dublin at the moment, but that isn't going to stop the European Union from celebrating the 10th

Britain plans to sell public land worth an estimated 10 billion pounds ($16.35 billion) to address a chronic housing shortage and help erode its record budget deficit. All government departments with significant landbanks will be asked to identify, by the autumn, land suitable for sale for homes, Housing Minister Grant Shapps will say on Wednesday.

People using short messaging service Twitter to deliberately breach gagging orders could face prosecution, the UK government's senior legal adviser said. Since the introduction in 1998 of human rights legislation enshrining individuals' right to privacy, a number of celebrities have sought injunctions in British courts to prevent media organisations publishing details about their private lives.

Europe must take tough decisions before the IMF can release its next block of aid for Greece, the Fund warned on Tuesday, while ratings agencies and German banks cast doubt on whether private investors can be expected to help. Plans for a second international bailout of Greece are taking shape, with a proposal for a

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that euro zone members share a mutual interest in ensuring that problems with one member do not shake the stability of the common currency as a whole. "If a country is in danger and therefore endangers the euro as a whole, it is in each and every country's

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that if there were an "uncontrolled spiral" and default in the euro zone it would be disastrous for the global economy. "We need to make sure that all the best ideas are brought on the problem," Obama told a joint conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.