Federal Reserve officials divided on whether to raise interest rates

Central bank says US economic growth has slowed, adding weight for officials who want to delay first interest-rate hike since global recession

The Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that growth in the US economy had slowed and officials were divided on whether to raise interest rates for the first time since the global recession.

Releasing the minutes of its March meeting, the Fed said officials had discussed the moderation of gross domestic product - the broadest measure of the economy - in the first quarter, even as the job market continued to improve.