Growth in the country's services sector slowed to an 11-month low in October following a sharp fall in expectations about future business. The Investec Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) slipped to 57.5 from 58.7 in September, but remained well above the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction, as it has done since August 2012. | US President Donald Trump has nominated Fed Governor Jerome Powell to become head of the US Federal Reserve. Mr Powell will replace Janet Yellen when her term expires in February 2018. Powell was appointed to the Fed board in 2012 by then-President Barack Obama. He emerged as Trump's choice from a five-person slate of possible nominees that included Yellen as well as others who would have represented a sharp change in monetary policy. | Telecoms company Eir has reported falling revenue but rising earnings over the three months to the end of September. Revenue in the quarter was down 2%, or €7m, to €322m on a yearly basis. The company said that was mainly due to a decision to exit some low margin business lines. It said it quarterly earnings were up 2% to €125m. In a statement, Eir said its first quarter results were in line with expectations and continue to show the progress of the group. | Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed to him an expansion of several hundred jobs in at the company's base in Ireland. Mr Varadkar met Mr Zuckerberg in Silicon Valley as part of his trade mission to the west coast of the United States. The jobs will be created across a number of teams next year, according to Facebook. Ireland has the largest Facebook office outside of California. | Quarterly revenue at Virgin Media rose by 2.4% to €103.8m in September, when compared with the same period last year. The company said the performance was driven by higher sales, improved customer retention, accelerated network expansion, and continued momentum in its TV3 business. Virgin also added around 3,500 fixed-line customers and 3,900 mobile customers during the three-month period to September. | Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will meet the head of Apple, Tim Cook, as part of his trade mission to the west coast of the United States. Mr Varadkar is expected to discuss the company’s existing operation in Cork, as well as the proposed data centre in Athenry, Co Galway.   |||