Interesting Euro stuff

[April]

http://wire.ap.org/?FRONTID=HOME&SITE=CAVIC&enter=Go

Euro Slips Despite Chinese Support

By PAUL GEITNER
AP Business Writer


BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) ? The European Union's head office welcomed a vote of confidence from China in the new euro, but it wasn't enough to keep the single currency's New Year rally's going Monday.

After climbing to almost 91 U.S. cents last week, the euro dipped below 89 cents Monday returning to where it was on its Jan. 1 physical debut.

The decline followed a morning rally fueled by Chinese Finance Minister Xiang Huaicheng, who said on Sunday that he will urge switching more of China's $200 billion in reserves from dollars into euros.


``I will suggest to the relevant leaders in our government that we don't want to put all our eggs in one basket, but should consider buying more euros sooner,'' he said.

 

[April]

Now here's the interesting part

500,000 Euros Stolen

Paris - Thieves broke into a Paris bank and made off with a half-million euros ($445,000), the biggest euro theft in France since the single currency debuted on New Year's day, police said Monday.

Police said a manager at a branch of the Bank of China in northern Paris gave the alert late Sunday after receiving a call on his mobile phone from the bank's security firm. An investigation was under way.

Preliminary findings indicated an unidentified number of robbers entered the bank by climbing through an apparently open and unlocked window giving onto an inner courtyard, police said.

They then forced the locks on the vault, seized the euro notes and escaped through the bank's main entrance, after disabling a security shutter, according to the police account.

Hmm. Interesting, no?

 

[scrymettet]

Euro fact

I have my first set of Euros with me and I love the idea. Travelling from Belgium to Portugal with small stops in France and Spain without currency change. A dream come true

 

[Desert Amazon]

 

[Smilodon]

and they found the first forged euros in Germany on the 3rd or 4th!

Smiley

 

[p_p_man]

Early days yet...

When the UK with its connections and influence (albeit a largely historical influence) joins the euro zone then you'll see the currency grow in strength. Especially when the UK takes with it the Commonwealth. A Commonwealth which is waiting in the wings to trade with Europe through a fellow member of the euro zone with whom they already have long standing Trade Agreements.

Then Europe will fast become the largest and most powerful economic bloc on Earth.

I suppose we may allow America to trade with us under certain conditions.

 

[Barb Dwyer]

I read that same article DA

These working girls seem to be doing their part to ensure the economic health on the continent!

Euro Launch Cheapens Sex in Berlin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Sex has become cheaper to buy in Berlin since the January 1 launch of euro cash, with prostitutes saying Wednesday they were opting for a simple two-for-one exchange rate against the mark -- a price cut of 2.2 percent.

"We've rounded down. We're charging 60 euros for straight sex for half an hour when we charged 120 marks before,'' said a sex worker at the "Carena'' brothel in Berlin who declined to be named. "We're only taking euros now,'' she told Reuters.

That is 1.36 euros cheaper than if the mark's official exchange rate of 1.95583 to the euro were applied.

The "Sunshine Inn'' in eastern Berlin has the same policy, offering an hour of full body massage for 100 marks or 50 euros.

And at "Hindenburgdamm 76,'' the same rate applies for a half-hour session. "We're accepting both marks and euros until the end of February, the way you're supposed to,'' said one worker there who declined to be named.

But the generous approach appears not to be nationwide. A hidden price increase has emerged on Hamburg's Reeperbahn, Germany's most famous red light district, where Bild newspaper reported that the price of a 100 mark session has gone up to 60 euros -- an increase of 17.35 percent.

 

[p_p_man]

Re: I read that same article DA

These working girls seem to be doing their part to ensure the economic health on the continent!

Euro Launch Cheapens Sex in Berlin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Sex has become cheaper to buy in Berlin since the January 1 launch of euro cash, with prostitutes saying Wednesday they were opting for a simple two-for-one exchange rate against the mark -- a price cut of 2.2 percent.

"We've rounded down. We're charging 60 euros for straight sex for half an hour when we charged 120 marks before,'' said a sex worker at the "Carena'' brothel in Berlin who declined to be named. "We're only taking euros now,'' she told Reuters.

That is 1.36 euros cheaper than if the mark's official exchange rate of 1.95583 to the euro were applied.

The "Sunshine Inn'' in eastern Berlin has the same policy, offering an hour of full body massage for 100 marks or 50 euros.

And at "Hindenburgdamm 76,'' the same rate applies for a half-hour session. "We're accepting both marks and euros until the end of February, the way you're supposed to,'' said one worker there who declined to be named.

You see? Instant benefits already...

 

[Desert Amazon]