Growth in the first quarter euro-zone confirmed to 0.8% (AFP)

Brussels (AFP) - economic growth of euro 17-state area was 0.8 per cent in the first three months of the year of output in the last quarter of 2010, the European Union said Wednesday.

Final confirmed figures of the Office of the EU data, Eurostat, showed an acceleration in the rate of recovery of the euro between January and March of growth of 0.3% in the previous quarter - an increase of 2.5% on the corresponding period 12 months earlier.

The figure for the euro area, despite his battle with a deep and persistent debt crisis, compares favourably with that for the United States, which has posted growth of 0.5%, and the Japan, where the economy decreased by 0.9%.

When counted up, the full EU, which also includes powerful but non-euro Member States Britain and the Poland, also logged growth of 0.8%, having hit just 0.2 percent over the last three months of last year.

In retail, household expenditure increased by only 0.3% in the euro area, the same as in the previous quarter, while exports increased by 1.8% and imports also up to 1.9 per cent.

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US stocks head for the first day in more than a week (AP)

NEW YORK - a jump in US exports sends stocks up sharply after a trail of losing a week.

The Dow Jones index is 93 points, or 0.8%, to 12,141 in midday trade Thursday. The S & P 500 index is up to 10 or 0.8 percent, to 1,289. The Nasdaq composite is up to 10 or 0.4%, to 2 684.

US exports reached a record in April, narrowing the trade deficit. Sold more than business computers, telecommunications, foreign equipment and heavy machinery. Imports declined because fewer cars were purchased from Japan after the plants have been damaged by the disaster of the earthquake and tsunamis.

The market rally comes after the longest losing streak for the Dow Jones index in more than a year. Index S & P 500 has fallen for the longest period since February 2009.

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British economy returns to growth in the first quarter (AFP)

London (AFP)-l' British economy returns to growth in the first quarter of 2011, as planned, official data showed Wednesday, but economists warned that a weak outlook in deep reductions in government spending.

Gross domestic product (GDP) - the total value of goods and services produced in the economy - has increased by 0.5% in the first three months of 2011, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement.

The economy has rebounded after a slowdown in abrupt and unexpected 0.5 per cent in the last three months of last year.

The NSO warned that growth has been largely unchanged since the third quarter of 2010, after freezing weather last December had taken a GDP estimated 0.5 percentage points in the fourth quarter.

"The figures suggest that underlying the activity in the economy stagnates fairly well," said Capital Economics Vicky Redwood Economist in response to the data.

Analysts have argued that the modest recovery was not yet strong enough to persuade the Bank of England to raise interest rates to combat high inflation, the concern about the impact of the deep state spending cuts and high prices of fuel.

"The gain of 0.5% is in line with consensus, but the increase to compensate for the decline of 0.5% in the fourth quarter - therefore GDP was flat in the last six months," capital VTB Economist Neil MacKinnon told AFP.

In the meantime, economic performance was 1.8 per cent more high between January and March, compared to the first quarter of 2010.

"In my opinion, is that the economic recovery this year is unlikely to be strong enough to justify a tightening of monetary policy, the tax reduction and the impact of high energy prices will be strong winds"said MacKinnon.

And Economist, IHS Global Insight Howard Archer described the dissemination of the data in the first quarter "disappointing".

"It is a somewhat disappointing performance, pointing to the economy being only standing together during the last two quarters."

He added: "this fuels concern on the underlying strength of the economy and its ability to resist the tax reduction."

The Bank of England voted this month to maintain his record of 0.50% low interest rates, as weak growth offset the worries of inflation.

Recent data showed that annual inflation in Britain dropped unexpectedly to 4.0% in March of 4.4% in February, reduce the pressure on the BoE to follow the European Central Bank to raise rates to combat the high prices.

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Economy British rebounds from 0.5% in the first quarter (AFP)

London (AFP)-l' British economy increased by 0.5% in the first three months of 2011, official data showed Wednesday, rebounding in accordance with the expectations of the market after a sharp decline from the end of last year.

"Gross domestic product (GDP) has increased by 0.5% in the first quarter of 2011, following a decline of 0.5% in the fourth quarter of 2010," the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement.

"The effect of abnormal weather conditions in December 2010 is estimated to have subtracted 0.5% growth in the fourth quarter."

She added "GDP is estimated today to have returned to the level of the third quarter of 2010."

Economists said activity was largely flat - and argued that the modest recovery was not strong enough to convince the Bank of England to raise interest rates to combat high inflation, the concerns of the deep state spending cuts and high prices of fuel.

"The gain of 0.5 per cent is in line with consensus, but the increase to compensate for the decline of 0.5% in the fourth quarter - so GDP was flat in the past six months," Economist VTB Capital Neil MacKinnon told AFP.

Between January and March, economic production was 1.8 per cent higher compared to the first quarter of 2010, according to the ONS.

"In my opinion, is that the economic recovery this year is unlikely to be strong enough to justify a tightening of monetary policy, the tax reduction and the impact of high energy prices will be strong winds"said MacKinnon.

And Economist, IHS Global Insight Howard Archer described the dissemination of the data in the first quarter "disappointing".

He said: "it is a somewhat disappointing performance, pointing to the economy being only standing together during the last two quarters."

"This fuels concern on the underlying strength of the economy and its ability to resist the tax reduction."

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