Australia's current account surplus widened sharply in the December quarter as iron ore and coal exports surged, a much-needed boost to the economy that lessens the risk of recession. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday showed the current account surplus jumped to A$11.8 billion ($7.68 billion) in the fourth quarter, from an upwardly revised A$1.3 billion the previous quarter. That compared to forecasts of a A$5.6 billion surplus. The ABS said net exports would add 0.6 percentage points to gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter, when analysts had thought they would add only 0.2 ... (full story)