PRESIDENT elect of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet’s singled mindedness on stability once resulted in him being dubbed the “ayatollah of the strong franc.”

THE euro has started the week trading just below $1.18 against the dollar and Stg0.71p against sterling with activity limited due to holidays in Japan and the United States.

OUTGOING European Central Bank president Wim Duisenberg says the eurozone economy will not get into its stride before late next year and warned that currency adjustments — code for a dollar crisis — would make matters worse.

EUROPEAN Central Bank President Wim Duisenberg said Germany and France are putting economic growth and jobs at risk by flouting budget-deficit limits designed to boost confidence in the euro.

The European Central Bank said it has cancelled tomorrow's non-rate setting meeting of its governing council.

EUROPEAN Central Bank council member Ernst Welteke has said there is no reason to lower borrowing costs for now as three interest rate cuts in the past eight months should be enough to spur an economic recovery.

European Central Bank president Wim Duisenberg said the ECB is relieved that the euro's strong appreciation has been interrupted recently.

BANK of France Governor Jean-Claude Trichet has won the backing of European government leaders to become the next European Central Bank president.

EUROZONE interest rate futures are still pricing in a quarter point cut in European Central Bank (ECB) rates by September, with dealers undeterred by an apparent change of tone from the ECB chief.

THE ECB interest rate ought to be a cause for concern for those with an eye on the bigger picture.

WITH ECB bank rates still well ahead of the US — 2% against 1.25%, it would be wrong to rule out further cuts.

THE Government has urged banks to pass on the full cut in interest rates to customers as levels across Europe hit a 50-year low.

THE odds have shortened on a 0.5% cut in European interest rates when the ECB meets today, analysts said.

THE European Central Bank is set to disappoint markets by refusing to cut interest rates due to the expected quick end to the war on Iraq.

The European Central Bank today cut interest rates for the first time in three months, but the quarter-percentage point reduction was less than some economists had expected.

The European Union today issued a stern warning to a gathering of top financial officials, saying uncertainty over war in Iraq has damaged the world economy.

THE European Central Bank cannot judge how an economy already wracked by war fears would react to fighting, ECB President Wim Duisenberg said on Monday signalling interest rates will stay on hold awhile longer.

BANK OF FRANCE Governor Jean-Claude Trichet went on trial yesterday in a decade-old banking scandal that could thwart his bid to become the next president of the European Central Bank.

Bank of France Governor Jean-Claude Trichet went on trial today on charges that could ruin his bid to become the next president of the European Central Bank.

Bank of France Governor Jean-Claude Trichet went on trial today on charges that could thwart his bid to become the next president of the European Central Bank.

A war in Iraq would hurt the global economy, Europe’s top banker Wim Duisenberg said yesterday.

A war in Iraq would hurt the global economy, Europe’s top banker Wim Duisenberg said today.

A member of the European Central Bank’s governing council suggested today that the bank could cut interest rates by as much as a half percentage point next week, more than a year after it last made a change.

INTEREST rate cuts in the Eurozone are on the way next month most market analysts agree, but differ on whether the cut will be 0.25% or 0.5%.

ALL the attention of the international financial markets will be on Ireland in the week ahead. The referendum on the Treaty of Nice is attracting sizeable interest both at home and abroad, interest that is only likely to intensify as we approach next Saturday.

EUROPEAN Central Bank president Wim Duisenberg said the key to boosting the pace of economic recovery lies in boosting consumer and business confidence, and it is not interest rate cuts that will do this.

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Bank of Spain governor Jaime Caruana said euro zone inflation risks are on the downside.

A FRENCH magistrate plunged the future of Jean-Claude Trichet and the European Central Bank into disarray yesterday.

FOR the past couple of years there has been a sometimes worrying and sometimes entertaining sideshow over the single currency's fiscal policy bedfellow, the stability and growth pact.

European Central Bank president Wim Duisenberg said there is no evidence the introduction of the euro has had a significant inflationary effect.

European Central Bank President Wim Duisenberg today said he will step down in 2003 - before his term is completed.

European Central Bank President Wim Duisenberg said there is no guarantee a large nation such as France should have a seat on the ECB's executive board.

With attention focused on the launch of euro cash, the European Central Bank is today expected to avoid further excitement and leave key interest rates unchanged for the 12 countries using the new currency, economists say.

European Commission president Romano Prodi said he does not anticipate any "dramatic problems" will arise over the succession to Wim Duisenberg as president of the European Central Bank.

European Central Bank president Wim Duisenberg urged the UK, Sweden, and Denmark to join the euro, and said the introduction of the currency would quicken EU political integration.

European Central Bank president Wim Duisenberg has indicated he won't step down for at least a year.

The European Union held emergency talks today to see how it can stand by the United States and assess the political, financial and economic impact of the terrorist atrocities in New York and Washington.