exile
and fly back to Pakistan by the end of this month to
revive
his political career. He's wanted in Pakistan in connection with the murder of the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. He denies any wrongdoing.
The United States economy expanded at an annual rate of nearly 3% in the final quarter of 2011, showing its strongest growth for more than a year. The growth figures suggest that the United States is in a stronger position to emerge from the economic downturn than Europe. From Washington, Ian Pannell reports.
It will be wrong to think that the latest figures are
unbridled
good news, but they are seen by some as grounds for optimism. They show a small improvement in the US economy, and certainly given the news from Europe, America appears to be in a stronger position. Consumer confidence is up, and Americans blew the
cobwebs
from their wallets and purses and spent more on cars, trucks and durable goods at the end of last year. Companies stocked their shelves and invested in new equipment, and unemployment, though high, has fallen for six months
in a row
.
The credit ratings agency Fitch has downgraded the status of Spain and Italy. Three other countries - Belgium, Slovenia and Cyprus - were also marked down. Fitch, which is based in the United States, said the countries were
vulnerable to
monetary and financial shocks, and there was a 50% chance they would suffer further downgrades over the next two years.