Euro

The European Central Bank raised interest rates yesterday for a sixth time in a year, striving to boost the euro and prevent its slide from fanning inflation in the 11 nations sharing the currency. The bank's president, Wim Duisenberg, warned that high oil prices and a weak currency could lead to higher prices at the corner store. Policymakers raised the floor rate on short-term loans to commercial banks by one-quarter percentage point to 4.75 percent, extending the total increase since the central bank started raising rates 12 months ago to 2.25 percentage points.

Here is what a U.S. dollar buys (in commercial trades; consumer rates may be lower). Australia (dollar)   1.13   1.32    Austria (euro)   0.75   0.75    Belgium (euro)   0.75   0.75    Britain (pound)   0.68   0.67    Canada (dollar)   1.06   1.17    Denmark (krone)   5.91   5.57    France (euro)   0.75   0.75    Germany (euro)   0.75   0.75    Greece (euro)   0.

What a U.S. dollar buys (in commercial trades; consumer rates may be lower) Country   Mar. 22 Year ago    Australia (dollar)    0.96   0.98    Austria (euro)    0.76   0.71    Belgium (euro)    0.76   0.71    Britain (pound)    0.63   0.62    Canada (dollar)    0.99   0.98    Denmark (krone)    5.63   5.26    France (euro)    0.76   0.71    Germany (euro)

KIEV, Ukraine - Soccer fans planning to go to the European Championship in Ukraine this summer should be vaccinated for measles. That's the advice Tuesday from Ukraine's Health Ministry following an outbreak of the disease. The ministry adds that in addition to measles foreigners are advised to be immunized for rubella, tuberculosis and other diseases if they haven't been already. Ukraine is experiencing a measles outbreak, with more than 1,300 cases registered last year compared with less than 40 in 2010.

BRUSSELS - After more than 12 hours of talks, the countries that use the euro reached an agreement early Tuesday to hand Greece $170 billion in extra bailout loans to save it from a potentially disastrous default next month, a European Union diplomat said. The euro surged as the news broke, climbing 0.7 percent to $1.328 within minutes. Though much depended on the details of the deal, a final agreement on the bailout for Greece would take some pressure off the 17-country currency union, which has been battling a debt crisis for two years.

Dutch prince, 43, hurt in avalanche VIENNA, Austria - An avalanche buried and seriously injured the second son of Dutch Queen Beatrix while he skied off marked trails Friday in the westernmost corner of Austria, and he was rushed to the intensive-care unit of an Innsbruck hospital, officials said. The Dutch government, which initially said that the life of Prince Friso, 43, was in danger, later issued an update saying "his condition is stable but not out of danger. " The Austria Press Agency cited Lech Mayor Ludwig Muxel as saying Friso was buried for about 20 minutes by a snow mass that measured more than 30 yards by 40 yards when it hit him. Spokeswoman Pia Herbst of the Lech region tourist authority said rescuers found Friso through signals of an avalanche transceiver on his body.