PRESSURE on the European Central Bank to start printing money like its US and British peers has eased, a Reuters poll has showed, while the Bank of England will expand its asset purchase programme next month by less than first thought.

A FLARE-UP over the European Central Bank and political turmoil in Italy kept the eurozone on edge last night on the eve of today’s summit meant to confront the currency bloc’s worsening sovereign debt crisis.

IRELAND, Greece and other struggling countries should leave the euro zone to return their economies to full health, the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Germany’s involvement in euro rescue schemes told a news conference yesterday.

THE European Central Bank (ECB) signalled it would raise interest rates again next week as data showed inflation in June stabilised well above the bank’s target.

IRELAND’S low corporation tax rate is the most positive element that attracts foreign direct investment into Ireland, according to a new index launched today by Matheson Ormsby Prentice (MOP).

STORMING performances by the German and French economies propelled growth in the eurozone well above forecasts in the first quarter while also highlighting the yawning gap between the bloc’s strong and weak.

Mortgage holders are bracing themselves for higher home loan repayments amid speculation that the European Central Bank will increase interest rates today.

A EUROPEAN Central Bank interest rate increase may “put a lid” on consumer spending in Ireland and Portugal and other peripheral euro area countries, said Carsten Brzeski, an economist at ING Group.

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi pleaded with MPs for his political life today on the eve of crucial confidence votes.

THEY will probably be complaining about the extra workload and inconvenience of having to play on a Thursday night by the time they reach the group stages in the autumn.

The ISEQ made a modest gain this afternoon of 25.12 points to 8023.08 as warnings from the International Monetary Fund urged the European Central Bank to move cautiously on interest rate hikes.

EUROZONE unemployment fell to five-year lows in June, data showed yesterday, heralding stronger domestic demand and strengthening the case for European Central Bank interest rate rises.

IRISH inflation is expected to tick higher in September and continue to rise in coming months given impending price rises in sectors such as electricity and gas, a Reuters survey of economists showed yesterday.

Eurozone retail sales fell 1.9% in November from October, and were down 1.6 year-on-year, EU statistics office Eurostat said.

FEARS of a retail slow down in December compared to previous years are not reflected in the credit figures released yesterday by the Central Bank of Ireland.

EUROPEAN interest rates are set to fall, the latest economic data shows.

The Consumers Association of Ireland (CAI) is currently engaged in “massive research” into the best possible means of staging a consumer backlash at greedy retailers and service providers who engaged in a rip off with the change over to the euro.

More than two-thirds of eurozone citizens expect to be cheated on prices, according to the new survey.

The European Central Bank has predicted that the predicted global economic