Sales are still sluggish in Germany, France and Italy, but publishers hope that things will improve once Europe's single currency moves from the preparation into the implementation stage.

ECONOMIST: G?tterd?mmerung postponed

The next stage will the preparation of the preliminary design and publication of the draft orders, which is expected by April 2014.

BBC: Traffic in the centre of Newtown

Thousands of late-stage prototypes have been built in preparation for full production starting late this summer.

FORBES: Can a network build a potentially huge new product?

Team boss Stephane Champeter will not be particularly perturbed he failed to win a stage as it was little more than preparation for the Tour de France.

BBC: SPORT | Other Sport... | Cycling | Cofidis, le Credit par Telephone

Issues and arguments are being lined up, but much of the activity is really preparation for a rematch when the bill goes back to the floor of the Commons for report stage.

BBC: An elaborate ritual

Certainly a great deal of preparation goes into a debate performance, but most of what a politician says up there on the stage is extemporaneous.

CNN: 'The Bush Dyslexicon' author Mark Crispin Miller