Germany Sees Brighter Outlook for Europe's Largest Economy

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) The German government on Wednesday said it expects to eke out economic growth this year instead of a decline as Europe's largest economy manages its energy divorce from Russia and shells out support for consumers and businesses hit by higher energy costs.

The outlook improved to an 0.2% expansion from a 0.4% contraction expected in October, when Germany feared that this winter it would run out of natural gas used to power factories, generate electricity and heat homes. Warmer-than-usual weather helped, as did a scramble to line up additional supplies of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, that comes by ship instead of pipeline from Russia.