Is Germany still the champion?
By Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) – A week on from its World Cup soccer victory, Germany may return to center stage, though this time not with fan celebrations but concerns over the health of Europe's economic motor. “We've seen a delayed impact of China and the Ukraine crisis,” said ING economist Carsten Brzeski. The Ukraine/Russia issue was already there.” In a week relatively light on U.S. indicators, economists are looking for further signs that Europe's recovery and even German growth may be stalling, putting more pressure on the European Central Bank to act. Across the Channel, minutes from the Bank of England may be the last to show unanimous backing for a stable bank rate of 0.5 percent.