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The article discusses a budget proposal from British Treasury head George Osborne that seeks to stimulate economic growth by cutting taxes on businesses and people who earn high incomes, and notes criticisms of the plan from Labour Party leader Ed Miliband.

The article focuses on Fred Goodwin, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC. A decision by the government of Great Britain to strip Goodwin of a knighthood awarded him in 2004 is discussed as a symbol of intense public anger in that country in the bank's role in the global financial crisis and its subsequent bailout by the government.

The article discusses the decision of Stephen Green, chairman of British bank HSBC Holdings PLC, to leave by the end of 2010 to accept a position in the government of Prime Minister David Cameron. Green's move has revived speculation over whether HSBC will relocate its headquarters to Hong Kong, China. No successor to Green has been named, although candidates include HSBC chief executive Michael Geoghegan and HSBC board member John Thornton.

The article discusses plans by the British government to regulate the press on topics including formal consent from England's Queen Elizabeth, the creation of an independent regulator by Royal Charter, and the 2013 telephone hacking scandal at News Corp.'s British newspaper unit.

The article offers world news briefs as of October 2013, on topics including former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Argentine President Cristina Kirchner, and the British construction industry.

The article gives information about Great Britain's Immigration Bill as of October 2013 which requires landlords to check on the immigration status of their tenants and restricts illegal immigrants' access to bank accounts.

News briefs on corporations are presented including the government of Great Britain's rejection of planned self-regulation by newspaper publishers, a U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) investigation of a hepatitis outbreak linked to a dietary supplement produced by USPLabs LLC and a decline in profits for chain restaurant company Yum Brands.

The article mentions Great Britain's economy as of October 4, 2013 has been strengthened by a High Court ruling in 2011 which forced big banks to compensate customers for a payment-protection insurance (PPI) scandal. The article notes the banks include Lloyds Banking Group PLC, Barclays PLC, and HSBC Holdings. It also notes the compensation has spurred consumer spending and the compensation claims have created jobs for the unemployed.

The article reports that as of September 9, 2013 former chief executive (CEO) Mark Thompson of the broadcaster BBC defended severance payments that were given to senior managers during his time at the publicly-funded firm, with chairman Chris Patten of the BBC Trust disagreeing on the issue.

The article notes that wage growth in Great Britain has been outpaced by inflation, and reports that the government of Prime Minister David Cameron has formed a working group aimed at developing policies and initiatives to mitigate the rising cost of living.

The article reports on the retail industry in Great Britain as of August 2013 as the country begins to recover economically from the European Sovereign Debt Crisis, discussing how unexpectedly hot weather is believed to have increased sales of summer clothes, food and alcohol.http://bkstrm.epnet.com:8080/ai/images/spellCheck.GIF

The article covers an August 8, 2013 report from the British Office for National Statistics which indicated that the birthrate in Great Britain reached a 40-year high in 2012, making it the fastest-growing country in the European Union and likely to surpass Germany in population within decades.

The article reports on the passage of a tax agreement between Great Britain and Switzerland in 2013 aimed at decreasing tax evasion between the two countries, discussing how the British Treasury may have overestimated the revenue that the bill will generate.

The article reports on the British Treasury chief George Osborne's forecast of the country economic growth on March 20, 2013.

The article mentions a 2011 press ethics scandal involving phone hacking in Great Britain and discusses the development of a regulatory body to oversee the news gathering tactics of newspapers and tabloids in Great Britain as of March 2013.

The article briefly discusses inflation in Great Britain, noting that there is reason to believe an annual rate of 2.7% recorded in December, 2012 will moderate in the second half of 2013.

The article discusses an economic forecast from the British Treasury, led by George Osborne, which acknowledged that economic recovery was behind schedule, debt goals would likely not be reached, and austerity measures will likely continue until 2018.

The article reports that the bank HSBC Holdings PLC has recommended that the British government regulate banks by licensing bank employees, in response to a request for comments by the British Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards.

The article reports that British banks including Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays, and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) have announce that they will be repurchasing their bonds and divesting their assets, and have drawn criticism for not doing enough to help the British economy out of recession.

The article reports that the British government was forced to borrow more money than expected during July 2012 due to lower tax receipts and increased spending on unemployment and other benefits, which may put its triple-A bond credit rating at risk if the country's deficit is not reduced.

The article looks at politics and government in Great Britain as of August 2012, discussing rising tensions between the two ruling-coalition parties, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats, and reporting that both state they will continue to address the country's economic problems.

The article discusses an industrial action strike by border officials of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union in Great Britain one day before the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England, with a focus on potential disruptions to the Games.

The article presents statistics regarding population growth in England, Wales, and other parts of Great Britain, with a focus on the 2011 census, population density, and the economic effects of population increases.

The article offers world news briefs as of May 30, 2012, on topics including the British government budget, an investigation of a Chinese diplomat by Japanese police, and French parliamentary elections scheduled for June 2012.

The article discusses a budget proposal to be introduced by British Treasury head George Osborne, with commentary presented on whether he will lower Britain's 50% tax rate on high earners, as well as political considerations informing the tax debate.

The article discusses British supermarket chain Tesco PLC's expected March 5, 2012, announcement that it would create 20,000 jobs in Great Britain between 2012 and 2014.

The article reports that figures from Great Britain's Office for National Statistics show gross national product in Britain declined between October and December 2011, putting Britain at risk for a recession.

The article reports on the plan of the government of Great Britain to enhance its borrowing activities as its economic growth slows down in 2011.

This section offers world news briefs as of August 17, 2011, including a crackdown on violent Islam by Chinese security forces in Xinjiang province, the acceleration of inflation rate in Great Britain in July, and criticisms from nations against Israel's plans to construct thousands of housing units in East Jerusalem.

The article reports on the unexpected slow down in the manufacturing sector in Great Britain in July 2011, which fell to its lowest level in over two years.

The article reports that witnesses will be summoned by the judicial inquiry into the British media culture and will investigate beyond reporting practices at News Corporation's closed "News of the World" tabloid.

This article reports on the trade deals between China and Great Britain which were signed by Chinese leader Wen Jiabao and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

The article deals with the support gained by Great Britain's program of fiscal tightening from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The article reports on the decision of British voters to reject the Liberal Democratic Party led by Nick Clegg in local elections and keep the current voting system known as "first pass the post."

The article reports that a speech by British Prime Minister David Cameron has highlighted tensions in the coalition government on the immigration issue.

The article reports on the investigation being conducted by the British Office for National Statistics on whether market-sensitive inflation figures were leaked to traders ahead of their official release.

The article reports that Icelanders voted down a deal to pay-back Great Britain and the Netherlands related to the 2008 financial collapse.

This section offers world news briefs as of March 30, 2011, including the decision of Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council to postpone the release of a preliminary vote count, a drop in the take-home pay of British workers in 2010, and a move by Belarus to allow its ruble to drop 10 percent against the U.S. dollar.

The article reports on the poor performance of the economy of Great Britain in the fourth quarter of 2010.

The article reports on the use of a high-profile speech by British Prime Minister David Cameron to promote his proposals for aggressive deficit-reduction and social responsibility for individuals at the 2010 annual conference of the Conservative Party in Birmingham, England.

The article reports on the plan of Great Britain Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne to eliminate child benefits for more than one million British households.

The article reports on the call made by British deputy prime minister and Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg for its members to hold on to their faith in the party as the economy is being rebuilt amid concerns that the party is losing its identity after it formed a coalition with the Conservative Party in May 2010.

The article reports that British Prime Minister David Cameron has mentioned his plan to launch a new inquiry into public sector pay and into government spending during a guesting in the television program "Andrew Marr Show."

The article reports on the plan of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to push new plans and legislation to protect consumers and to reform the House of Lords.

The article reports on the decision of Setanta Sports Holdings Ltd. to place its unit in Great Britain in administration on June 23, 2009, after it failed to refinance its secured debt and claims from commercial parties and counter-parties. Setanta also failed to acquire the right to air some of the soccer games of the English Premier League. The company is said to have missed payment to the English Premier League and Scottish Premier League.

The article reports that Icelandic firm Baugur Group has withdrew its petition to protect its prized British retail assets and placed them in administration under British law. PricewaterhouseCoopers was appointed as administrator over Baugur's subsidiary BG Holdings. Landsbanki Islands hf, one of Baugur's main creditors, filed an emergency petition with the High Court in London, England, to put BG Holdings into administration under British law.

The article focuses on the net loss reported by EMI Group Ltd. for the six months ended September 30, 2008, which amounted to £155 million. The net loss of the British music group is said to narrow from a £324 million loss in the same period in 2007, when EMI took a £192 million write-down on advances paid to its artists. Under the ownership of private-equity firm Terra Firma Capital Partners, EMI has reduced marketing spending and has paid musicians smaller advances, although the cost cuts appear to be affecting EMI market share.

The article discusses a series of financial policy measures taken by the British government as of June 15, 2012. The article states that British chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne and Bank of England governor Mervyn King announced plans to initiate lending to British citizens and businesses. According to the article, the action was aimed at protecting the British financial system and economy from the euro zone's economic crisis.

The article reports that The Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee of Great Britain's House of Commons stated in a report that financier Rupert Murdoch was not fit to supervise a large international business enterprise. The committee also found that three former executives of News Corp., the mass media industry firm owned by Murdoch, had misled legislators in testimony on their involvement in telephone hacking by News Corp. journalists. INSETS: Phone Hacking;Probe Panel.