Japan's economy grew at a faster-than-expected pace in the first quarter of 2013, driven by export gains and higher household consumption.
Another sign that the British economy is on the path of recovery has emerged on Wednesday, when data showed stabilization in the labour market, report from the Office for National Statistics showed.
Industrial output in the world's largest economy tumbled in April by the most in eight months, reflecting cutbacks in U.S. manufacturing that show factories will provide little support for the economic growth.
The 17-nation economy has slumped into its longest recession ever, as the economic activity in the region fell for a sixth quarter in a row.
According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan's tertiary industry activity slowed in March, with the respective index falling a seasonally adjusted 1.3% to 98.6 compared to expectations of 0.7% decline after a 1.1% increase a month earlier.
Australian government unveiled its annual budget on Tuesday, which showed a $18 billion deficit, while analysts forecasted a figure of around 20bn Australian dollars ($20bn) for the financial year 2013-14.
Another evidence that Britain's property market is gaining pace has emerged as data published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors showed that house prices soared to the highest level in almost three years, as government measures to support the housing market spurred demand.
The Federal Reserve is likely to announce a slowdown of its monthly bond purchases as soon as its next policy meeting, Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser said Tuesday.
Confidence among businesses in Europe's largest economy improved slightly this May, however, less than expected, adding to signs the economic outlook worsens as the Euro region remains mired in recession.
Japan's machine tool orders improved slightly last month, suggesting measure introduced by the Bank of Japan are boosting investors' and businesses' confidence.
Sales at Swiss retailers fell more than initially was expected in March, raising concerns that the debt crisis in the neighbouring Eurozone weighed on Swiss consumers, the Federal Statistical Office showed Monday.
Confidence among British companies is improving rapidly, indicating that the economy is reviving and gaining pace.
The better-than-expected improvement in the U.S. retail sales is pointing to underlying strength in the economy, the Commerce Department said on Monday.
The Eurozone economy is most likely to shrink in the first three months of this year, suffering the longest recession since the single currency's creation.
Japan's key business confidence index dropped for a first time in six months in April, as bad weather conditions weighed on demand for spring clothing, the government said on Friday.
British trade deficit narrowed slightly in March, as exports to countries outside the EU rose.
The Fed's Chairman Ben Bernanke warned that risks of shadow banking system persists the and are still posing a serious threat to financial stability, and raised concerns that funding markets might still not be able to deal with a major default.
The pace of hiring in the Canadian economy accelerated in April, albeit slower than expected, signalling the long winter of labour market contraction may be at an end, Statistics Canada said in a report.
Exports from Europe's largest economy increased in March, adding to signs German economy is starting to recover from a contraction at the end of the last year.
Australian labour market improved significantly last month, undermining central bank's efforts to relieve pressure on manufacturers and exporters.
Japan's current account surplus increased to the highest level in a year as weaker Yen brightened the outlook for exporters.
The Bank of England during its monthly policy meeting decided to leave its stimulus programme unchanged and kept the main refinancing rate on hold, as the economy is showing signs of recovery.
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits dropped to the lowest level in more than five-years, suggesting the improvement in the labour market, the Labor Department said Thursday.
The number of unemployed people in Portugal soared to a fresh high in the first three months of 2013, the data published by National Statistics Institute showed Wednesday.