Flanked by interest rate decisions in Britain, Japan and Australia, the IMF’s annual meeting in Lima takes centre stage this week, with policymakers focusing on China’s economic slide and its impact on the rest of the world.

German exports posted their biggest fall in nearly a year, in March, and imports also dipped as the crisis in Ukraine and a slowdown in China weighed, narrowing the country’s trade surplus and confirming trade was a drag on growth at the start of 2014.

Domestic demand drove the strongest German quarterly expansion in more than a year between April and June, fuelling optimism Europe’s largest economy will outperform in 2013 and support the eurozone recovery.

Loyaltybuild, an Irish-owned Loyalty Marketing Company headquartered in Ennis, employing 70 people, has started a partnership with Nordea Bank in Finland.

EUROPEAN shares shed early gains and fell in late trade yesterday, dragged down

Most analysts expect the European Central Bank to keep interest rates on hold when it meets on Thursday.