Italy economy returns to growth

Italy's economy posted a quarter-on-quarter growth of 0.1 per cent in the final three months of 2013, official statistics have shown Friday. The figure was in line with analysts' expectations. It was the first uptick in gross domestic product (GDP) since the second quarter of 2011, putting an end to the worst slump Italy has experienced since the end of World War II, dpa reported. National statistics institute Istat said output fell by 1.9 per cent over the course of 2013. On a yearly basis, GDP in the last quarter of the year was down by 0.8 per cent compared to the same period of 2012.