Newly released figures show that the eurozone (countries that use the Euro) has gone into recession for the first time in its history. Germany went into recession on Thursday, prompting fears that other major economies might follow suit. Greg Morsbach has more:

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The Spanish government also reported its first negative growth in fifteen years.

But France bucked the trend of gloomy news today: they defied economic forecasts and narrowly escaped recession by announcing minimal growth for the period between July and September.

Greg Morsbach, BBC

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figures
here, official statistics

officially in recession
'recession' means a period, shorter than a depression, when there is a stable decline in a country's economy; a country is officially in recession when its economy declines, or becomes smaller, for two consecutive quarters

consecutive quarters
periods of three months each, one following the other

negative growth
when economy declines

shrank
declined, became smaller

posting
finishing with, registering, announcing

bucked the trend
didn't do what most others did

gloomy
leaving no hope, causing despair

defied economic forecasts
showed different - better - results than many expected

narrowly escaped
only just managed to avoid

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