British election budget seeks end to austerity era

Britain's economy is set for faster-than-expected growth this year, the coalition government predicted Wednesday as it vowed to move from austerity to prosperity in its last budget before elections. Finance minister George Osborne hiked Britain's 2015 growth forecast to 2.5 percent in the coalition's final budget before May's general election, up from a prior estimate of 2.4 percent after 2.6-percent expansion last year, and cut his deficit forecasts. To cheers and jeers from