EURO-ZONE GROWTH STEADY IN FIRST QUARTER

The European Union’s Eurostat statistics agency said growth in the zone landed at 0.5 per cent in the first quarter, the same as for the previous quarter and on par with analyst forecasts. 
The fresh data lent credence to a survey last month suggesting the euro-zone economy was growing at its fastest pace since it emerged from the worst of the financial crisis six years ago.
Gross domestic product in the single-currency zone has seen a steady period of growth, expanding by 1.7 per cent in 2016. That was faster than the United States’ growth rate of 1.6 per cent last year.
The International Monetary Fund forecasts that the euro zone will maintain that pace in 2017 with annualised GDP growth of 1.7 per cent. – AFP 

APIRADI FOR BEIJING

Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn will join a Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation meeting in Beijing this month. Leaders and officials from almost 30 countries will attend on May 14 and 15, along with business leaders.
The meeting will focus on the collaboration required by countries participating in China’s “One Belt, One Road” development and trade initiative.

MOBILES HOG 50 MINUTES 

Thais spent an average of 50 minutes a day on their mobile phones last year, a survey by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has found.
The NBTC hired Chiang Mai University to do the survey, which was conducted on 7,619 people nationwide. Of the average daily total, the respondents spent an average of 24 minutes on tasks related to work or business.
Some 27.2 per cent of the respondents said they used their phones to generate income.

EXIM BANK APPOINTMENT

The Export-Import Bank of Thailand has appointed Warangkana Wongkhaluang as senior executive vice president to oversee the bank’s export credit and investment insurance services. She took up the role on Tuesday.
She had served as senior vice president of the international project department and executive vice president of Exim Bank, as well as being a senior executive vice president supervising the underwriting, claims and reinsurance departments at SouthEast Insurance. 
Warangkana had also worked as senior vice president of the finance department at Banpu.

TOYS ‘R’ US REVAMP 

Toys “R” Us Asia is to unify its business in Japan, China and Southeast Asia, with its headquarters in Hong Kong and in partnership with the Fung Retailing Group. 
The firm said this week its enlarged Asian joint-venture format would enable it more effectively to tap the fast-growing “children’s consumption” sector in the region.