UK economy grew unexpectedly easing recession fears

There will need to have been a fairly sharp fall in output in December for Britain to record the two consecutive negative quarters of GDP

The World Cup and increases in telecoms helped boost output.

Britain's economy unexpectedly eked out some modest growth in November after a boost from World Cup drinkers and video game sales, reducing the chance that it has already slipped into recession, despite a gloomy broader picture for 2023.

Gross domestic product rose 0.1% in November from October, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday, stronger than the average forecast for a fall of 0.2% in a Reuters poll of economists.