Poisonous payments

The introduction of the euro presents a hidden health threat, said Klaus Ammann, director of the botanical garden at the University of Bern in Switzerland.

He warned that as euro banknotes are made from cotton, they could contain genetically modified varieties imported from the United States that express Bt-toxins to kill pests. He joked that each note should be labelled thus:

"May be hazardous to health: don't swallow and keep away from children."