
Goldman Sachs Group Inc said first-quarter earnings nearly doubled, while in London Britain's financial regulator launched a formal probe related to civil fraud allegations against the Wall Street bank.

Prospects for the UK's economic recovery remain poor this year with output growth of 1% or less predicted in 2010, a leading forecaster has warned. It also suggested that although consumer spending is on the rise, it will remain too weak to sustain a recovery this year as consumers try to pay off debts as quickly as possible.