EUROPEAN Central Bank (ECB) council member Ernst Welteke said yesterday that the prospects for economic growth in the 12 nations sharing the euro had improved and that there was “no reason” to discuss changes in interest rates.

WAR-fuelled stock market increases stalled and the US dollar slid after US President George W Bush cautioned the war with Iraq "could be longer and more difficult than some predict".

In the Dutch town where European leaders agreed to adopt a single European currency almost 10 years ago, builders were today wrapping up preparations for the national E-Day celebration.