News In Brief

Early Statistics indicate a robust US economy

The US economy is roaring ahead again with a 7.2 percent rate of growth for the gross national product in the current first quarter, a jump from the 5 percent pace at the end of last year, the government projected Tuesday. The economic expansion under way is surprisingly robust compared with the expectations of many leading forecasters.

The figures, expressed in seasonally adjusted annual rates, were contained in the ''flash report,'' a tentative forecast of current economic growth based on partial data. The report is made four times a year by the Commerce Department.