Reuters: Oddly Enough: Cash-strapped Berlin stalked by 450-year-old debt

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Cash-strapped Berlin stalked by 450-year-old debt Jul 19th 2012, 06:34 BERLIN | Thu Jul 19, 2012 2:34am EDT BERLIN (Reuters) - The sleepy hamlet of Mittenwalde in eastern Germany could become one of the richest towns in the world if Berlin were to repay it an outstanding debt that dates back to 1562. A certificate of debt, found in a regional archive, attests that Mittenwalde lent Berlin 400 guilders on May 28 1562, to be repaid with six percent interest per year. According to Radio Berlin Brandenburg (RBB), the debt would amount to 11,200 guilders today, which is roughly equivalent to 112 million euros ($136.79 million). Adjusting for compound interest and inflation, the total debt now lies in the trillions, by RBB's estimates. Town historian Vera Schmidt found the centuries-old debt slip in the archive, where it had been filed in 1963. Though the seal is missing from the document, Schmidt told Reuters that she was certain the slip was still valid. "In 1893 there was a debate in which the document was examined and the writing was determined to be authentic," Schmidt said. Schmidt and Mittenwalde's Mayor Uwe Pfeiffer have tried to ask Berlin for their money back. Such requests have been made every 50 years or so since 1820 but always to no avail. Reclaiming the debt would bring significant riches to Mittenwalde, a seat of power in the middle ages, which now has a population of just 8,800. Red brick fragments of medieval fortifications still dot the leafy town centre. The town's Romanesque church was once the provost seat for Paul Gerhardt, one of Germany's most prolific hymn writers. Gerhardt, who lived there briefly in the 17th century, is the only noted Mittenwalde resident to date. Schmidt and Pfeiffer met with Berlin's finance senator Ulrich Nussbaum, who ceremonially handed them a historical guilder from 1539. The guilder was put in a temporary display at the Mittenwalde museum. "This case shows that debts always catch up with you, no matter how old they are," Nussbaum told the Berliner Zeitung paper. The debt-laden German capital would have difficulty meeting Mittenwalde's demands anyway. According to a report released by the senate finance administration in June 2012, Berlin is already close to 63 million euros in the red. ($1 = 0.8188 euros) (Reporting by Sophie Duvernoy, editing by Paul Casciato) (This story was corrected to change years in the headline to 450 from 540) Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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Reuters: Oddly Enough: Cash-strapped Berlin stalked by 540-year-old debt

Reuters: Oddly Enough Reuters.com is your source for breaking news, business, financial and investing news, including personal finance and stocks. Reuters is the leading global provider of news, financial information and technology solutions to the world's media, financial institutions, businesses and individuals. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Cash-strapped Berlin stalked by 540-year-old debt Jul 18th 2012, 17:10 BERLIN | Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:55pm EDT BERLIN (Reuters) - The sleepy hamlet of Mittenwalde in eastern Germany could become one of the richest towns in the world if Berlin were to repay it an outstanding debt that dates back to 1562. A certificate of debt, found in a regional archive, attests that Mittenwalde lent Berlin 400 guilders on May 28 1562, to be repaid with six percent interest per year. According to Radio Berlin Brandenburg (RBB), the debt would amount to 11,200 guilders today, which is roughly equivalent to 112 million euros ($136.79 million). Adjusting for compound interest and inflation, the total debt now lies in the trillions, by RBB's estimates. Town historian Vera Schmidt found the centuries-old debt slip in the archive, where it had been filed in 1963. Though the seal is missing from the document, Schmidt told Reuters that she was certain the slip was still valid. "In 1893 there was a debate in which the document was examined and the writing was determined to be authentic," Schmidt said. Schmidt and Mittenwalde's Mayor Uwe Pfeiffer have tried to ask Berlin for their money back. Such requests have been made every 50 years or so since 1820 but always to no avail. Reclaiming the debt would bring significant riches to Mittenwalde, a seat of power in the middle ages, which now has a population of just 8,800. Red brick fragments of medieval fortifications still dot the leafy town center. The town's Romanesque church was once the provost seat for Paul Gerhardt, one of Germany's most prolific hymn writers. Gerhardt, who lived there briefly in the 17th century, is the only noted Mittenwalde resident to date. Schmidt and Pfeiffer met with Berlin's finance senator Ulrich Nussbaum, who ceremonially handed them a historical guilder from 1539. The guilder was put in a temporary display at the Mittenwalde museum. "This case shows that debts always catch up with you, no matter how old they are," Nussbaum told the Berliner Zeitung paper. The debt-laden German capital would have difficulty meeting Mittenwalde's demands anyway. According to a report released by the senate finance administration in June 2012, Berlin is already close to 63 million euros in the red. (Reporting by Sophie Duvernoy, editing by Paul Casciato) Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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Reuters: Oddly Enough: Needles found in food on four Delta flights to the U.S.

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Needles found in food on four Delta flights to the U.S. Jul 17th 2012, 01:02 Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Needles found in sandwiches on four U.S.-bound Delta flights 8:31pm EDT UPDATE 2-Suspicious wires discovered, but no bomb on Delta plane Fri, Jul 13 2012 Analysis & Opinion Escaping Toronto: The hassles of traveling with gear World's new air giant taking off at turbulent time A Delta plane sits on a runway prior to takeoff at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York December 25, 2009. Credit: Reuters/Lucas Jackson Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:02pm EDT (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines said on Monday that "sewing-type" needles were found in sandwiches served on flights from Amsterdam to three U.S. cities over the weekend and that investigators were trying to determine how they got into the meals. The airline said the needles were found by passengers in four sandwiches on flights from the Dutch capital bound for Atlanta, Minneapolis and Seattle. Kristin Baur, a Delta spokeswoman, said local and federal authorities were investigating the incidents aboard four flights. She said the airline had taken immediate action with the caterer "to ensure the safety and quality of the food" served on its aircraft. Christina Ulosevich, a spokeswoman for Gategroup, the Swiss-based company whose Gate Gourmet unit supplies Delta with onboard meals, said the caterer was cooperating fully with investigators. But she declined to comment further, saying "details of this matter must remain confidential." (Reporting by James B. Kelleher; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Cynthia Osterman) Related Quotes and News Company Price Related News Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above.

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Reuters: Oddly Enough: Weather cuts short trip of U.S., Iraqi 'lawn chair' balloonists

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Weather cuts short trip of U.S., Iraqi 'lawn chair' balloonists Jul 15th 2012, 03:34 By Dan Cook BEND, Oregon | Sat Jul 14, 2012 11:34pm EDT BEND, Oregon (Reuters) - Two men sitting in lawn chairs tied to 350 helium-filled balloons failed in their bid on Saturday to set a world record for the longest two-man cluster balloon flight when bad weather forced them down well short of their destination. A crowd estimated at more than 1,000 people watched as American Kent Couch and Fareed Lafta of Iraq lifted off on Saturday morning from the parking lot of Couch's Stop & Go Mini Mart in the Oregon town of Bend. They soared into clear skies with light winds, perched underneath balloons in the colors of the U.S. and Iraqi flags. Half an hour later, they were a speck in the skies northeast of Bend, drifting toward Idaho. The pair was equipped with parachutes in case of emergency. They had been seeking to make a trip of at least 500 miles and register the feat with Guinness World Records. Couch, who had hoped to make it to Montana on the flight, said before taking off that Lafta, an experienced skydiver, contacted him a year ago and asked to join him on a cluster balloon flight to raise funds for children orphaned by the U.S.-led war in Iraq. But bad weather brought the trip to an early end about 30 miles from where it started. Previous flights had taken Couch much farther, including a 2008 flight in which he drifted 235 miles into Idaho. A post at the Facebook page for the project said wind had turned the balloonists around and pushed them back toward the town of Prineville, Oregon, and that thunderstorms heading toward the area were "simply too much" for the balloons. A later post said the two men landed near Prineville. To Couch, the real appeal of cluster balloon flight is the sensation of being in the open air at 15,000 feet. "There is perfect peace up there," he said before the flight. Asked if he contemplated meaning-of-life issues as the balloon rises above the earth, he replied: "I am a God-fearing man, a believer in Jesus Christ. But I don't consider cluster balloon flight death-defying. When people say that, it kind of just eggs me on." "Balloon flight is really quite simple." he added. You have 1,400 pounds (635 kg) of lift in the balloons, and 1,350 pounds (612 kg) of weight and ballast. What goes up must come down." (Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing By Cynthia Johnston and Peter Cooney) Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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Reuters: Oddly Enough: "Lawn chair" balloonist to set sail from Oregon, seeks record

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"Lawn chair" balloonist to set sail from Oregon, seeks record Jul 14th 2012, 13:56 By Dan Cook BEND, Oregon | Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:56am EDT BEND, Oregon (Reuters) - A balloonist who once flew 235 miles in a lawn chair tied to a bouquet of helium-filled party balloons will fly again on Saturday, this time with a co-pilot, seeking to set a Guinness World Record for the longest two-man cluster balloon flight. Gas station owner Kent Couch, dubbed the "lawn chair balloonist," will set off from his Stop & Go station in Bend, Oregon, carried by 350 multi-colored balloons and guided only by the wind. With him will be with Iraqi national Fareed Lafta, with whom he is preparing to partner in a similar flight from Baghdad in October. The pair will have parachutes in case of emergency. Previous flights have taken Couch as far as Cambridge, Idaho, in 2008 - his personal best. "It's a preflight for our trip to Iraq to bring more awareness to the orphans," Couch said. He said Lafta contacted him a year ago and asked to join him on a cluster balloon flight to raise funds for children orphaned by the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Couch, who hopes to make it to Montana this time, invited Lafta to pick out a comfortable lawn chair and join him. "A lot of people have contacted me over the years about flying, but Fareed was by far the most sincere," Couch said. "I went to the orphanages with him and saw the children there. And Fareed also has lots of sky-diving experience. Now I'll have someone to share my inflight experiences with." Couch lays informal claim to most of the world's records for cluster balloon flight, including highest altitude achieved and furthest distance traveled. This time, he wants to set a new distance record. But to Couch, the real appeal of cluster balloon flight is the sensation of being in the open air at 15,000 feet. "There is perfect peace up there," he said. "Even though the breeze is carrying you, you feel no wind at all." Does he ever contemplate meaning-of-life issues as the balloon rises above the earth? "I am a God-fearing man, a believer in Jesus Christ," he said. "But I don't consider cluster balloon flight death-defying. When people say that it kind of just eggs me on." "Balloon flight is really quite simple. You have 1,400 pounds (635 kilograms) of lift in the balloons, and 1,350 pounds (612 kg) of weight and ballast. What goes up must come down." The only question this year, as in the past, is exactly where Kent Couch will come down. (Editing By Cynthia Johnston and Vicki Allen) Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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Reuters: Oddly Enough: Berlin gripped by family feud over sausages

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Berlin gripped by family feud over sausages Jul 12th 2012, 10:27 BERLIN | Thu Jul 12, 2012 6:27am EDT BERLIN (Reuters) - Call it the battle of the bangers. A family feud over sausage succession rights is adding some spice to Berlin's summer. This week, after months of bitter legal wrangling with his mother, Mario Ziervogel opened a fast-food outlet serving Berlin's famous dish, the currywurst - fried pork sausage sliced up and smothered in ketchup and curry powder. His shop is just a few blocks away from his family's restaurant, Konnopke's Imbiss, one of the city's most famous eateries because it was the first to introduce the currywurst to then-communist East Berlin in 1960. Hungry Berliners would queue for up to an hour to buy the spicy sausage in communist times and Konnopke's remains a popular tourist destination to this day. Ziervogel's mother Waltraud, 76, has sued him for wanting to name his new outlet "Ziervogel's Cult Curry - since 1960". Her lawyer Fabian Tietz argued that the son, 48, was not even born in 1960, let alone serving sausages. The local court ruled on Tuesday that Ziervogel could keep the name for his new restaurant but must drop the year. "In this regard, Ziervogel was anti-competitive," Tietz told Reuters. "We are glad that we won." The son's lawyer, Christian Weizberg, also claimed victory, saying the mother had also wanted to prevent him naming his shop Ziervogel's Cult Curry. At the court hearing, Waltraud Ziervogel revoked her son's inheritance rights and said she would hand over the reins of the family business instead to her daughter. "In the end, it will be for the clients to decide whose currywurst tastes better," said Weizberg. On Thursday, under the headline "The new currywurst invasion", Germany's best-selling daily Bild said four new outlets serving the snack, including Ziervogel's, had opened in Berlin in the past week alone. The dish is said to have been invented by the late Herta Heuwer in 1949 after she obtained ketchup and curry powder from British soldiers based in West Berlin. (Reporting by Sophie Duvernoy; Editing by Gareth Jones and Pravin Char) Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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Reuters: Oddly Enough: Chinese city declares war on piranhas

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Chinese city declares war on piranhas Jul 12th 2012, 03:15 BEIJING | Wed Jul 11, 2012 11:15pm EDT BEIJING (Reuters) - A southern Chinese city is on the alert for piranhas after two people were attacked in a river, and is offering a 1,000 yuan ($160) reward for every fish caught, dead or alive, state media reported on Thursday. The government of Guangxi region's Liuzhou is asking people to hunt the alien South American species, which badly bit two people earlier in the week who were paddling in the Liujiang River, the China Daily said. "Fishing with nets is not allowed in the section of the river that flows through the city, but we have made an exemption. Five fishing boats with experienced fishermen have been deployed on the river since Monday," Liuzhou official Wei Yongwen told the newspaper. "In addition, more than 40 other fishermen from the local fishing association have joined us as well. They all use small pieces of pork as bait." Other people have taken up position along the river's banks with rods, it added. "It's horrible to know that the river has such fish. I will not swim there anymore," resident Liu Junjie was quoted as saying. "I'll pray they catch them soon." However, their days may be numbered anyway, as piranhas die when the water temperature drops below 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit), as it will do in Guangxi over the winter, the China Daily added. Chinese media has said the piranhas may have been released by people who had bought them as ornamental fish, and that authorities are now stepping up patrols of markets to ensure no more are sold. ($1 = 6.3686 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by Ben Blanchard, Editing by Jonathan Thatcher) Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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