Manufacturing data stokes fears of global spring turning cold

``Major economies in North America, Europe and Asia lost some momentum this month, a clutch of business surveys showed on Tuesday, raising concerns about the strength of the global recovery. China and Germany, the world's biggest exporters, both lost a step in April. Growth in Chinese factories slowed to a crawl as export demand dwindled, while the Euro zone's largest economy saw business activity decline for the first time in five months.''