Family Of UK Hostage Tell IS Captors: Contact Us

British Aid Worker Held By IS Militants

Updated: 6:10pm UK, Thursday 04 September 2014

David Cawthorne Haines is an aid worker with more than a decade of experience in areas including South Sudan, Libya and the former Yugoslavia.

A father-of-two, he was abducted in March 2013 at a Syrian refugee camp close to the Turkish border, according to aid workers.

The 44-year-old grew up in Perth, Scotland, but is believed to have lived in Croatia with his wife Dragana, where he was a consultant director at Astraea - a kitchen supply company.

He had previously been a security manager with the Belgium-based Nonviolent Peaceforce.

Tiffany Eastholm, of the group, confirmed Mr Haines had worked with the company for six months in 2012 in South Sudan.

She told NBC News he was "very familiar with insecure locations". She added: "He was very caring, had a good sense of humour."

Mr Haines is thought to have gone to Syria with Agency for Technical Co-operation and Development (ACTED), a French international relief agency founded in 1993.

The threat to his life came in a video which showed US hostage Steven Sotloff being killed by a masked militant.

In the video footage of Mr Sotloff's murder, a masked Islamic State (IS) militant says: "We take this opportunity to warn those governments who have entered this evil alliance with America against the Islamic State to back off and leave our people alone."

Mr Haines, wearing an orange jumpsuit, is shown to the camera as the militant grabs his collar and a caption underneath gives his name.

He is thought to have been captured along with Italian aid worker Federico Motka, 31, who was released in May.

British Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond said the UK was looking at "every possible option to protect" Mr Haines after he appeared in the video.

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'Great Depression' Warning For Scottish Voters

A leading bank's warning that a Yes vote could be a mistake akin to those that sparked the Great Depression has threatened to overshadow the biggest weekend of political campaigning in Scotland's history.

At least 2.6 million leaflets will be delivered to households in 48 hours as polls suggest Thursday's vote is on a knife-edge.

More than 10,000 people are expected to attend a rally by the Orange Order in support of the Union in Edinburgh - and their cause has been backed by Deutsche Bank.

The financial institution claims the economic arguments against independence are "overwhelming".

Alex Salmond arrives in Dundee on the latest leg of his Yes campaign

Chief economist David Folkerts-Landau said a Yes vote could be a "mistake as large as Winston Churchill's decision in 1925 to return the pound to the Gold Standard or the failure of the Federal Reserve to provide sufficient liquidity to the US banking system, which we now know brought on the Great Depression in the US".

Mr Folkerts-Landau said he found it "incomprehensible" that Scots were even contemplating withdrawal from the UK, and pointed to the "recessions, higher taxes, lower public spending and higher interest rates" that had afflicted nations seen as potentially heading for the eurozone exit.

But Scotland's SNP Government accused him of failing to take into account the country's "strong fiscal position".

Gordon Brown is applauded after his Glasgow speech supporting a No vote

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will be in Glasgow having promised on Friday to use the occasion to explain what independence will mean for jobs and wealth creation.

She said the Yes campaign's "momentum is still growing and will soon become unstoppable, as people reject the Downing Street-orchestrated campaign to talk Scotland down".

The Yes side was planning to have more than 35,000 volunteers on the streets of Scotland over the weekend, manning 473 registered street stalls.

Meanwhile, Labour big-hitters such as former prime minister Gordon Brown and shadow Scottish secretary Margaret Curran will be trying to persuade the public to vote No in the country's east.

Yes supporters have grafittied over a No campaign banner

The latest opinion poll by ICM in Saturday's Guardian put decided voters 51-49% in favour of No. 

Many of Britain's newspapers reported on comments by a former SNP deputy leader which appeared to threaten recriminations against businesses that backed a No vote.

Jim Sillars said there would be "a day of reckoning with BP and the banks" if Scotland votes Yes, adding that BP would "need to learn the meaning of nationalisation".

Nigel Farage attacked Alex Salmond but suffered protests from demonstrators

In a fiery interview with Sky News, Mr Sillars said he was simply using "robust" language to draw attention to the "orchestrated fear campaign coming from Downing Street".

Meanwhile, UKIP leader Nigel Farage arrived in Scotland on Friday and used a rally to hit out at what he described as Alex Salmond's "entirely false prospectus" being offered to voters north of the border.

New research revealed increasing polarisation among those on both sides of the border as the vote approaches.

A survey by debt management company PayPlan found a majority of Scots in debt are worried their debts will worsen after independence.

A separate poll among English voters for the Daily Mail found that while 70% want Scotland to stay in the Union, if they do go 53% believed Scotland should not be able to keep the pound, and 83% think Scotland should be forced to take its share of the multi-billion pound national debt.

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Scotland's Gender Divide Over Independence

How Yes Vote Would Change Scotland

Updated: 4:05am UK, Wednesday 29 January 2014

By Niall Paterson, Sky News Correspondent

Anyone who tells you they know with certainty what will happen in the advent of a 'Yes' vote is at best being disingenuous, at worst lying through their teeth.

Plenty of questions simply cannot be answered until the voters decide to make Scotland an independent nation.

Of course, a degree of informed speculation is taking place across the UK - so with the above in mind, here's what Scotland might gain or lose after the referendum on Thursday, September 18:

:: SCOTLAND GAINS: A NATIONAL ANTHEM

Officially, Scotland doesn't have one. Then again, neither does England. God Save The Queen is the British anthem, although it was long ago purloined by those south of Gretna Green, and sung with lusty glee at Twickenham and Wembley. Flower Of Scotland, by beardy Scottish folk heroes The Corries, was adopted by the Scottish rugby team back when they won things and is a strong contender, although references to sending the English home again might be considered a bit thirteenth century. A new anthem might well be commissioned, but having watched Eurovision over the past few years, few would bet on it being any good.

:: SCOTLAND LOSES: THE BBC

Nope, this isn't just a chance for me to lay into Auntie. Again. Obviously the BBC would retain a presence north of the border and Eastenders isn't going anywhere (unfortunately) but Alex Salmond has proposed a Scottish Broadcasting Service, a joint venture with the Beeb. It would initially be set up using BBC Scotland's facilities and staff, although one wonders what they would think of that. The SNP says it would have an annual budget of £345m, which would mean doubling the amount spend on public service broadcasting in Scotland. River City (Google it, Englanders) will continue ... to annoy me.

:: SCOTLAND GAINS: A PASSPORT AND BORDERS

Well, there will certainly be a Scottish passport after a 'Yes' vote, and borders seem increasingly likely. Theresa May has said there would need to be improved checks as the SNP intends to pursue a more liberal immigration policy. Any government would be able to do that, in fact, so some form of control would appear a necessity. Goodbye to the "Welcome to England" sign, hello annoying spot checks and cavity searches.

:: SCOTLAND LOSES: MEMBERSHIP OF THE EU

For now at least. No one really expects an independent Scotland wouldn't ultimately gain EU membership, but it might be a rather time-consuming process given the other member states would have to agree - and there are a few with their own issues around self-determination (see Spain and Catalonia) that might wish to make it rather difficult.

:: SCOTLAND GAINS: ITS OWN ARMED FORCES

As with the BBC, Alex Salmond seems intent on a bit of a land grab (don't worry, people of Durham, not literally), and there has been the suggestion that forces based in Scotland could switch allegiances. Defence secretary Philip Hammond says that is "laughable". In any event, the plan is to have a Scottish Defence Force, with a standing army of as many as 12,500 troops, close working relations with Scandinavian countries and between 20 and 25 ships. No word yet on whether any of those will be called Dignity.

:: SCOTLAND LOSES: TRIDENT

A biggie, this. Growing up not terribly far from the nuclear submarine base at Faslane, I was blissfully unaware of the Russian warheads targeting the UK's deterrent. And, whether true or not, the view lingers that it whilst it makes strategic sense to put the subs as far away from Westminster as possible, it's rather unfair, particularly given a strong historic opposition in Scotland to nuclear weapons. The problem is the SNP have only latterly recognised that Nato membership is important to Scotland's international standing - and it is, of course, a nuclear alliance.

:: SCOTLAND (POSSIBLY) GAINS: NORTH SEA OIL

Bit tricky, this one. At stake, there's as much as 24 billion barrels of oil and gas worth £1.5 trillion waiting to be extracted - and HM Treasury's coffers aren't exactly overflowing at the moment. Geographically, Scotland could claim up to 90% of this and one could argue the UK's position on the Falklands strengthens the SNP case. But the Government in Westminster could also argue it should be recompensed for decades of infrastructure investment. Frankly, I don't know. Sorry. Told you this was going to be difficult.

:: SCOTLAND (POSSIBLY) LOSES: THE POUND

Undoubtedly there will be a currency used in Scotland called the pound. The question is, whether or not it continues to be backed by the Bank of England. It would essentially mean a currency union between an independent Scotland and the remainder of the UK - and whilst the First Minister thinks it's an absolutely smashing idea, funnily enough that's not a view shared by, for example, the Chancellor nor the Governor of the Bank of England. True, a separate currency would make trading between the nations that bit more difficult, and that's got to be a factor when the recovery is so fragile. But the Governor, Mark Carney, is fond of pointing to the Eurozone crisis. One thing's certain - those funny-coloured banknotes so loved by London taxi drivers aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Which is a good thing. No trip to London is complete without a wizened driver turning up his nose at your purple twenty quid note.

So, in short, we don't really know. And we will only get to know in the passage of time after a 'Yes' majority in the referendum.

Some will vote with their heart, some with their head.

Some won't vote at all - and with so many unanswerables, who can blame them?

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Live Updates: Court Reaction To Guilty Verdict

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9:44am UK, Friday 12 September 2014

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Pistorius: Televised Trial Exposed Legal System

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent, in Pretoria

The live television coverage of the Oscar Pistorius trial has exposed a slow and sometimes bizarre criminal justice system and some shoddy policing.

It has allowed the two principal lawyers to showboat and frighten witnesses into choosing not to be seen on camera.

And it was unable to stop grim images of the victim's shattered head being flashed on screen.

But most here believe the bold decision to let cameras into a South African court for the first time was the right one.

It has allowed justice to be seen to be done, a right that's been denied to most of the population in this fledgling democracy where, for so many years, justice was colour blind.

State prosecutor Gerrie Nel

The judge deciding the Olympic athlete's guilt or innocence is a former tea girl from the Soweto township.

When Thokozile Masipa became a judge at the age of 43 she was only the second black woman to do so.

But she has presided over a trial that's been excruciatingly embarrassing at times.

It was supposed to last three weeks, but has limped on in fits and starts for six months and a tougher judge might have clamped down on the delays.

She has also, in some observers' views, allowed the principal lawyers, prosecutor Gerrie Nel and defence barrister Barry Roux, to play to the gallery.

There has been no jury to sway, so who else can their showboating have been aimed at but the television audience?

Pistorius' chief defence lawyer, Barry Roux

And Nel's mocking and goading of Pistorius in his cross-examination was courtroom behaviour that would never be tolerated in the Old Bailey or any British court.

But, oddly, the judge suddenly one day reprimanded the prosecutor for calling Pistorius a liar.

The whole trial was predicated on the prosecution's belief that the defendant was lying. If Mr Nel thought Pistorius was telling the truth, there would not have been a trial.

The witness translation was sometimes laughable, with interpreters translating from Afrikaans into English which was their third language.

So poor was it that some witnesses who had chosen to speak in Afrikaans gave up and delivered the rest of their testimony in often perfect English.

Cross-examination of police witnesses revealed some shoddy detective work.

The runner sold his house to pay for his legal team

An officer who handled a gun without gloves, a door that was kept in a senior detective's office instead of contamination-free storage, and a valuable watch that appeared to have been stolen from Pistorius' house in the early hours of the investigation.

Seemingly important evidence introduced early on, but never revisited.

The court was shown photographs of blood splatter on the wall above Oscar's bed and a bullet hole in a door frame.

The images hinted at a fight, but that was the first and last we saw or heard of them.

And the defence promised we would hear sound test recordings that would demonstrate that Oscar Pistorius screams like a woman. The recordings were never played.

For all its delays, faults, inconsistencies and omissions, few people who have followed the Oscar Pistorius trial could argue that it was wrong to televise it live.

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Oscar Pistorius Guilty Of Reeva's Manslaughter

Pistorius: Trial Of The Century?

Updated: 9:36am UK, Friday 12 September 2014

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent, in Pretoria

The live television coverage of the Oscar Pistorius trial has exposed a slow and sometimes bizarre criminal justice system and some shoddy policing.

It has allowed the two principal lawyers to showboat and frighten witnesses into choosing not to be seen on camera.

And it was unable to stop grim images of the victim's shattered head being flashed on screen.

But most here believe the bold decision to let cameras into a South African court for the first time was the right one.

It has allowed justice to be seen to be done, a right that's been denied to most of the population in this fledgling democracy where, for so many years, justice was colour blind.

The judge deciding the Olympic athlete's guilt or innocence is a former tea girl from the Soweto township.

When Thokozile Masipa became a judge at the age of 43 she was only the second black woman to do so.

But she has presided over a trial that's been excruciatingly embarrassing at times.

It was supposed to last three weeks, but has limped on in fits and starts for six months and a tougher judge might have clamped down on the delays.

She has also, in some observers' views, allowed the principal lawyers, prosecutor Gerrie Nel and defence barrister Barry Roux, to play to the gallery.

There has been no jury to sway, so who else can their showboating have been aimed at but the television audience?

And Nel's mocking and goading of Pistorius in his cross-examination was courtroom behaviour that would never be tolerated in the Old Bailey or any British court.

But, oddly, the judge suddenly one day reprimanded the prosecutor for calling Pistorius a liar.

The whole trial was predicated on the prosecution's belief that the defendant was lying. If Mr Nel thought Pistorius was telling the truth, there would not have been a trial.

The witness translation was sometimes laughable, with interpreters translating from Afrikaans into English which was their third language.

So poor was it that some witnesses who had chosen to speak in Afrikaans gave up and delivered the rest of their testimony in often perfect English.

Cross-examination of police witnesses revealed some shoddy detective work.

An officer who handled a gun without gloves, a door that was kept in a senior detective's office instead of contamination-free storage, and a valuable watch that appeared to have been stolen from Pistorius' house in the early hours of the investigation.

Seemingly important evidence introduced early on, but never revisited.

The court was shown photographs of blood splatter on the wall above Oscar's bed and a bullet hole in a door frame.

The images hinted at a fight, but that was the first and last we saw or heard of them.

And the defence promised we would hear sound test recordings that would demonstrate that Oscar Pistorius screams like a woman. The recordings were never played.

For all its delays, faults, inconsistencies and omissions, few people who have followed the Oscar Pistorius trial could argue that it was wrong to televise it live.

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Banks Exit And Higher Prices If Scots Quit UK

Orkney Fishermen Divided On Referendum

Updated: 3:53am UK, Thursday 11 September 2014

By Ian King, Business Presenter

The Orkney Islands are one of Scotland's most prosperous regions. Unemployment here is much lower than in the rest of Scotland and the quality of life - with house prices lower than mainland Scotland - is good.

Orkney has more young people, per head of population, than Scotland as a whole. Its children do better in school, on average, than most Scots and its people are also healthier, on average, than most Scots.

Yet, in common with the rest of Scotland, Orkney's people are divided over whether it should become an independent country - nowhere more so than among the ranks of its fishermen, a sector less important to the Orkadian economy than was once the case, but still one that defines the islands and their rugged character.

Neil Mathheson, a scallop fisherman and a strong supporter of the Yes campaign, has no doubt fishing will do better in an independent Scotland.

He said: "With independence, everything will be closer to the people. These would be our issues.

"The last UK fisheries minister couldn't tell you the difference between a haddock and a whiting, or a haddock and anything. I do believe an independent Scotland should have a dedicated fisheries minister that deals with the fisheries.

"If there is a mess, it will be our mess, not one we can blame on somebody else. We are not much better off than Greece at the moment."

His colleague Sean Dennison, a crab fisherman, agreed. He said: "We all have to make decisions every day of our lives.

"If you are closer to the people that are putting forward [legislation] then I think we are as well-placed... through Holyrood as Westminster.

"You're closer to everything you do on the sea, entitlements for catching fish, whatever."

But that is not everyone's opinion.

Robert Smith, a lobster fisherman, is firmly in the No camp.

He said: "Scottish politicians are anti the fishing industry."

He warned that a Yes vote for independence will not leave it there, suggesting that it would be quickly followed by demands for independence from the neighbouring Shetland Islands, where an "Our Islands, Our Future" movement is already gaining ground.

Between them all sits John Welles, a prawn fisherman, who has yet to make up his mind.

He said: "We haven't been given enough information. If we say yes and it all goes wrong, where do we go from there?

"We are ok at the moment, I'm not saying it's great, but we are ok. If we vote yes and it goes bad, where do we stand then?"

And this is very much the point that appears to be on the minds of the "Don't Knows" - this is a decision, once made, that cannot be reversed.

How will the quartet explain the way they have voted to their children and grandchildren and especially if an independent Scotland struggles?

Mr Mathheson said: "How do I explain to my grandchildren if Boris Johnson or Nigel Farage was Prime Minister?

"That would really worry me, far more than Alex Salmond or Nicola Sturgeon, or any Liberal Democrat [the Orkneys are a traditional Liberal stronghold].

"Even that nice Tory lady [Annabel Goldie] that used to be there, she'd be better than them, at least she was what it said on the packet. I'd be more embarrassed about Boris or Nigel."

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Pistorius: The Charges And Possible Sentences

If the judge convicts Oscar Pistorius of the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, he faces a lifetime in jail with no possibility of parole for 25 years.

But the judge can give a reduced sentence if she finds "substantial or compelling evidence".

State prosecutors have insisted that the shooting involved a level of planning in that the runner had time to arm himself, disable the gun's safety catch, walk down the bedroom corridor towards the bathroom and fire four times into the toilet cubicle - a period in which he had time to consider what he was doing and the effects of his actions.

If Judge Thokozile Masipa finds no evidence of premeditation, she could consider finding him guilty of a legally less serious form of murder: that he fired the shots intending to kill, but did not plan it.

The prosecution has argued that even if he didn't plan it, he believed there was an intruder in the toilet cubicle and fired his gun intending to kill whoever was behind the door - making him guilty of murder.

If the judge agrees, the athlete faces a minimum mandatory jail sentence of 15 years in prison - which is, again, unless the defence provides "substantial and compelling" reasons to deviate from the prescribed sentence.

Pistorius weeps in court as he listens to the judge summing up

This does give Judge Masipa the option of finding Oscar Pistorius guilty of murder but free to impose an alternative to jail, such as correctional supervision or a suspended sentence.

But the judge may find the state has not proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the runner intended to kill. If so, she cannot convict on murder but may consider a verdict of culpable homicide - known as manslaughter in other countries.

This is where the court rejects the state's contention that the accused intended to kill, but finds him guilty of killing through negligence.

His trial has attracted considerable media attention from around the world

The prosecution has argued that Pistorius was grossly negligent, as no reasonable person would have fired four times through a door after hearing a noise, especially without ascertaining who was behind the door first.

There is no minimum sentence for culpable homicide in South African law, which allows the judge to look at options including a jail sentence, a suspended jail sentence, correctional supervision and even a financial penalty - or a combination of several of those options.

But even if the athlete is acquitted on the murder charge, he still faces the possibility of a jail sentence on the other three charges.

The two charges of illegally discharging a firearm in a public place carry a maximum sentence of five years in jail each if he is found guilty, but no minimum sentence.

Meanwhile, the final charge of illegally possessing ammunition carries a maximum sentence of 15 years, but again there is no minimum sentence.

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Oscar Pistorius Trial: Judge Delivers Verdicts

M'Lady: The Trial Judge Who Rose From Nothing

Updated: 8:38am UK, Thursday 11 September 2014

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, in Pretoria

The fate of Oscar Pistorius lies in the palm of one Thokozile Masipa, a woman who grew up in poverty but rose to become only the second black female to be appointed a judge in South Africa.

From day one of the trial, the irony of this elderly black woman standing in judgement over a rich, privileged young white man cannot have been lost in a country with a racial history like South Africa.

The 66-year-old grew up under the apartheid system in Soweto - the most well-known disadvantaged township of them all at the time. 

She would have had to obtain permission from her white employers to travel to certain areas. She would have had to show her passbook when asked to by the police, which would have been often.

She would have been confined to all-black schools with deliberately limited opportunities and she would not have been allowed to vote.

Judge Masipa would have been 29 years old when a peaceful march by thousands of students in Soweto was broken up after police fired tear gas and live bullets. The Soweto uprisings as they became known led to similar protests across South Africa.

These events would have shaped Thokozile Matilda Masipa, who was the eldest of 10 siblings.

She already had two main careers and had two young children by the time she started studying law in her forties - achievements which would be considered exceptional and remarkable for a white woman in South Africa (or anywhere), but were utterly unheard of for a black woman then.

Although she worked at a string of odd jobs beforehand, including as a nursing assistant and a tea lady, she sought largely vocational careers where her friends say she hoped to change the unequal South African landscape she was born into.

She became first a social worker and then a newspaper reporter, at one stage working as a crime reporter. It was a tough time to be a journalist.

Once she spent a night in the cells having been arrested for protesting at the unfair detention of some of her male journalist colleagues.

During her time as women's editor of The Post, she broke with tradition and wrote about female empowerment and the victims of police brutality rather than cooking recipes and fashion.

It seems she has been breaking with tradition ever since.

She graduated from law school in 1990, the same year that Nelson Mandela was freed from prison and eight years later became only the second black woman judge appointed to the High Court.

The woman known as "Tilly" to her longtime friends is known to be a quiet, diligent, conscientious, reserved person.

Her boss for 14 years is the former Judge President, Bernard Ngoepe, who remembers her being quick to help, uncomplaining and absolutely passionate about justice.

He was part of the process which saw her appointed judge.

He said: "I felt her past experiences in social work and journalism meant she had a certain empathy, a real feeling for the people she was dealing with. I liked that in her."

And what about being at the centre of South African legal history?

The Oscar Pistorius trial is the first to be broadcast live in South Africa - and around the world.

Mr Ngoepe said: "I rang and asked her whether I should do this interview with you.

"And you know what she said? She said it's neither here nor there. She said she hasn't read any of the newspapers or followed events on the television during this trial so it's neither here nor there.

"I don't think it's made any difference to her that it's been broadcast live."

In one rare interview a few years ago, Judge Masipa admitted her background affected the way she viewed the mainly poor, mainly young men who came before her in court.

She said: "I understand them because they are from the same place I come from. I wouldn't say I am too lenient but I am more understanding."

Certainly judging from at least one of her decisions, she is anything but lenient. She once sentenced a serial rapist to 252 years in jail for leaving his victims traumatised for life.

But her views on the six-month-long Pistorius murder trial have been difficult to decipher.

She has said little, intervened only when absolutely necessary and astonished many of the watching media by her ability to maintain a poker face through some of the most dramatic moments of the 41 court days.

She has shown she is no pushover - admonishing the media, the public, the two advocates and publicly humiliating the defence's legal assistant when his mobile phone inadvertently went off.

"He apologises, m'lady," defence lawyer Barry Roux said.

"Well he can stand up and apologise himself," retorted the indomitable Judge Masipa. And he did.

Over the next two days, the inscrutable m'lady will take us through her thinking, her assessments, who she believes and who she doubts - and at the end of that, she will finally conclude whether Oscar Pistorius committed murder or not when he shot his girlfriend four times through the toilet door.

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Scotland: Can Party Leaders Turn The Tide?

By Faisal Islam, Political Editor, In Edinburgh

The visit of the Westminster party leaders to a rebellious Scotland could turn out to be the biggest gamble in British political history.

The United Kingdom's territorial integrity is up for grabs, and in the last eight days of a long campaign the leaders have turned upside down a central tenet of the No campaign's two-year strategy.

Yet with the poor personal ratings of Mr Cameron, Mr Clegg and Mr Miliband in Scotland, it is far from certain that the gambit will come off.

Since its inception, the No campaign in Scotland has been adamant about one thing: to allow the referendum to turn into Scotland vs England, or Scot versus Tory would be completely disastrous.

The campaign avoided TV showcases that framed the debate as a battle between nations. David Cameron was advised, told really, not to even contemplate a debate with Alex Salmond.

The arrival of Cameron and co. is a change in tactics

It was a conviction shared for many years by Alex Salmond. In his first months as First Minister, launching a National Conversation on independence in 2007, he acknowledged that turning the less than a third of the population backing independence into the majority required one necessary but not sufficient condition: a Conservative government.

In his dreams, the First Minister could not have imagined then or even last year, or even last month, that he would be neck and neck, facing a visiting Tory Prime Minister fighting for the preservation of the Union.

As we head to the last week of this campaign, will flags, flights and flattering words really ensure the survival of the union?

Polls seems to give Alex Salmond the upper hand now

The Saltire is flying above Downing Street and Whitehall departments and will do so until the end of the referendum campaign.

The party leaders will be stressing their commitment to an enhanced timetable for new powers for Scotland.

And above all, expect a lot more fine words about the relationship between Scotland and the rest of the UK. "Stay with us" and "let us stay together to change Britain together" are among the gentle invocations from leaders. It sounds a little like an Al Green back catalogue.

Voters go the polls on September 18

The Scottish nationalists are struggling to contain their glee. Alex Salmond offered to pay for a bus for the leaders to come to Scotland and again challenged Mr Cameron to a debate.

Leading pro-independence politicians claimed to be staggered that the No campaign were "wrapping themselves in the flag" at the last minute when their campaign had not.

The key to this gamble is establishing what has caused the surge in the Yes vote's polling over August.

Can Gordon Brown make a difference?

Clearly the TV debates have played their part, especially the second one.

Labour voters have come over to Yes, attracted to Mr Salmond's vision of a progressive centre-left Scotland, free of Conservative influence from Westminster. The Yes campaign have moved to an emotional argument based on vision, confidence and hope.

That is how ex-prime minister Gordon brown has managed to seemingly take charge of the No campaign. He incredibly bounced Downing Street into backing his Burns Night timetable for what he calls "Home Rule" for Scotland. The leaders are expected to offer a new constitutional convention.

And that is why the Westminster leaders are attempting today's love-bombing blitz. The United Kingdom has seen nothing like it before.

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What Happens If Scotland Leaves The Union?

Supporters of both sides of the Scotland referendum debate are mounting a final push for votes before the ballot on September 18. Sky News looks at what will happen if Scotland votes Yes to exit the UK:

:: 1.  When would Scotland become independent?

The Scottish Government has set a date 18 months from now, March 24, 2016, for Scotland's independence day.

:: 2. What would happen immediately after a Yes vote?

The first step on the morning after the result comes in would involve the forming of teams from both the Yes and No camps to take part in behind-the-scenes negotiations. SNP leader Alex Salmond has already indicated his deputy Nicola Sturgeon would lead the talks for the Scottish nationalists. It is not yet known who would spearhead the Westminster team.

The Queen is said to be privately concerned about the referendum

:: 3. What amendments would there be to the constitution?

The negotiating teams would devise a new constitution for Scotland and dissolve the 1707 Act Of Union.

:: 4. What would happen to the Queen?

The Yes campaign has said Her Majesty would stay as monarch so it would not be surprising if Mr Salmond seeks an audience with the Queen in the days and weeks after the vote.

:: 5. Would Scotland take part in the May 2015 General Election?

Scottish voters would still be able to take part, but their representatives would only potentially serve a 10-month term in office.

Scottish voters would still be able to vote in next year's General Election

:: 6. What currency would Scotland use?

That is still being thrashed out and yet to be decided. The three main Westminster parties - the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats - have ruled out a currency union, although Mr Salmond insists an independent Scotland would keep the pound.

:: 7. How much of the UK national debt would be transferred to Scotland?

This is not yet known, but it is likely to be worked out on a per capita share - based on population.

:: 8. What would happen to Scotland's standing in global affairs?

Scotland would have to negotiate its own entry into the European Union and Nato, and the population would have to decide whether they want to have the euro.

Some Scottish troops service in historic English regiments

:: 9. What effect would independence have on Scotland's defence force?

The issue of defence is probably one of the most emotive - and uncertain. Scotland is likely to have its own independent defence force, in time, depending on practicalities and finances, for it has its North Sea oil and fishing industries to protect. Scottish nationalists are opposed to having the Trident nuclear deterrent and would want to see it removed from Faslane, on the west coast of Scotland, as soon as possible. However, Nato is fundamentally a nuclear alliance, and if Scotland struggles to become a member of Nato, it is likely to struggle to join the EU too, which would have a big impact on the Scottish economy. There is also the matter of service personnel - some of which will be currently serving in historic English regiments. Any division of troops north and south of the border would take years.

:: 10. What would independence mean in terms of travelling across the Scotland-England border?

An independent Scotland would control its own borders. The SNP would like to see an open border, but Home Secretary Theresa May has already warned she will not allow Scotland to be used as a back door for immigrants getting into England if Scotland adopts a looser immigration policy. So, we could see passport controls on the border between the two countries.

Scotland would introduce its own passport

:: 11. Would Scottish citizens need new passports?

A lot depends on whether Scotland joins the EU. Scottish citizens would be entitled to a Scottish passport, but a UK passport would still be valid until it expires. British citizens who were habitual residents in Scotland would be automatically considered Scottish citizens.

:: 12. What would happen to benefits and taxes?

Benefits and taxes will become the responsibility of the new Scottish government. In its white paper on Scotland's independence it says the Scottish Parliament will ensure that the personal tax allowance and tax credits increase in line with inflation.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Leaders Head North As PM Urges Scotland To Stay

What Happens If Scotland Leaves The Union?

Updated: 2:00pm UK, Tuesday 09 September 2014

Supporters of both sides of the Scotland referendum debate are mounting a final push for votes before the ballot on September 18. Sky News looks at what will happen if Scotland votes Yes to exit the UK:

:: 1.  When would Scotland become independent?

The Scottish Government has set a date 18 months from now, March 24, 2016, for Scotland's independence day.

:: 2. What would happen immediately after a Yes vote?

The first step on the morning after the result comes in would involve the forming of teams from both the Yes and No camps to take part in behind-the-scenes negotiations. SNP leader Alex Salmond has already indicated his deputy Nicola Sturgeon would lead the talks for the Scottish nationalists. It is not yet known who would spearhead the Westminster team.

:: 3. What amendments would there be to the constitution?

The negotiating teams would devise a new constitution for Scotland and dissolve the 1707 Act Of Union.

:: 4. What would happen to the Queen?

The Yes campaign has said Her Majesty would stay as monarch so it would not be surprising if Mr Salmond seeks an audience with the Queen in the days and weeks after the vote.

:: 5. Would Scotland take part in the May 2015 General Election?

Scottish voters would still be able to take part, but their representatives would only potentially serve a 10-month term in office.

:: 6. What currency would Scotland use?

That is still being thrashed out and yet to be decided. The three main Westminster parties - the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats - have ruled out a currency union, although Mr Salmond insists an independent Scotland would keep the pound.

:: 7. How much of the UK national debt would be transferred to Scotland?

This is not yet known, but it is likely to be worked out on a per capita share - based on population.

:: 8. What would happen to Scotland's standing in global affairs?

Scotland would have to negotiate its own entry into the European Union and Nato, and the population would have to decide whether they want to have the euro.

:: 9. What effect would independence have on Scotland's defence force?

The issue of defence is probably one of the most emotive - and uncertain. Scotland is likely to have its own independent defence force, in time, depending on practicalities and finances, for it has its North Sea oil and fishing industries to protect. Scottish nationalists are opposed to having the Trident nuclear deterrent and would want to see it removed from Faslane, on the west coast of Scotland, as soon as possible. However, Nato is fundamentally a nuclear alliance, and if Scotland struggles to become a member of Nato, it is likely to struggle to join the EU too, which would have a big impact on the Scottish economy. There is also the matter of service personnel - some of which will be currently serving in historic English regiments. Any division of troops north and south of the border would take years.

:: 10. What would independence mean in terms of travelling across the Scotland-England border?

An independent Scotland would control its own borders. The SNP would like to see an open border, but Home Secretary Theresa May has already warned she will not allow Scotland to be used as a back door for immigrants getting into England if Scotland adopts a looser immigration policy. So, we could see passport controls on the border between the two countries.

:: 11. Would Scottish citizens need new passports?

A lot depends on whether Scotland joins the EU. Scottish citizens would be entitled to a Scottish passport, but a UK passport would still be valid until it expires. British citizens who were habitual residents in Scotland would be automatically considered Scottish citizens.

:: 12. What would happen to benefits and taxes?

Benefits and taxes will become the responsibility of the new Scottish government. In its white paper on Scotland's independence it says the Scottish Parliament will ensure that the personal tax allowance and tax credits increase in line with inflation.

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Scottish Referendum Is 'Too Close To Call'

By Joey Jones, Deputy Political Editor

A research agency has said the Scottish referendum outcome is "too close to call" as both sides enter the final days of the vote campaign.

TNS said the Yes and No campaigns were neck and neck with 41% ahead of the vote on September 18.

Tom Costley, head of TNS Scotland, said: "This poll reveals a remarkable shift in voting intentions but the signs were evident in our last couple of polls which indicated a narrowing of the No lead, especially amongst those who told us that they were certain to vote.

"It is too close to call and both sides will now be energised to make the most of the last few days of the campaign and try and persuade the undecided voters of the merits of their respective campaigns."

Gordon Brown revealed a timetable for devolutionary changes on Monday

Some 600,000 people could still have to make up their minds in the referendum, with leaders attempting to win over undecided voters.

It comes as the Scottish leaders of the three main parties unveil a detailed timetable setting out how quickly new powers could be transferred to Holyrood in the event of a No vote.

However, the precise nature of the powers have not been agreed on by all the parties but will give Scotland more control over finance, welfare and taxation.

The Better Together campaign has denied the move amounts to panic measures.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on the campaign trail

Gordon Brown attempted to wrest back the initiative for the No campaign on Monday saying he was firing the "starting gun" for the introduction of far-reaching devolutionary changes.

The former Prime Minister is well aware that Labour supporters are increasingly anxious as the polls suggest significant numbers are being persuaded by the Yes campaign.

He told an audience of activists in Loanhead, south of Edinburgh, that far from the positive vision Yes campaigners maintain they are offering, voters should understand that the question is whether "we wish to sever all remaining political connections with our friends, neighbours and relatives in the rest of the UK".

Mr Brown's proposal was welcomed by the Prime Minister but David Cameron was effectively bounced into endorsing Mr Brown's initiative, knowing that he has the ability to energise an electorate that has been resistant to his overtures.

Labour leader Ed Miliband raised a Saltire over Liverpool and is encouraging other councils to do the same to send the message that England wants Scotland to stay in the union.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said pro-independence campaigners have "10 days of hard work" to win the referendum.

He told STV's Scotland Tonight: "This is about people's belief in our country, whether we have the ability to run our country more successfully and more fairly than the Westminster parties.

"I think all of the evidence and all of people's experience is convincing more and more people that we have the ability to do just that."

The TNS poll shows backing for the Yes campaign is up from 38% last month, while support for maintaining the union has dropped from 46%.

The momentum is for now with Yes, but were that to change the pressure would suddenly become just as strong on the other side.

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Flight MH17 Downed By 'High-Energy Objects'

Crash investigators say flight MH17 was probably downed by "a large number of high-energy objects".

An initial report by the Dutch Safety Board, which is leading the investigation into the July 17 disaster, found it likely the Malaysia Airlines plane broke up in the air as a result of "structural damage", caused by the items which "penetrated the aircraft from outside".

It said: "There are no indications that the MH17 crash was caused by a technical fault or by actions of the crew."

A memorial in Kuala Lumpur to the victims of both MH17 and MH370

All 298 passengers and crew on board the plane were killed when the aircraft, which was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur over an area in eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

The rebels in Ukraine have publicly denied responsibility for shooting down the aircraft.

Tjibbe Joustra, chairman of the Dutch Safety Board, said: "The MH17 crash has shocked the world and raised many questions.

"The Dutch Safety Board wishes to determine the cause of the crash, for the sake of the loved ones of the victims and for society at large.

"The initial results of the investigation point towards an external cause of the MH17 crash.

"More research will be necessary to determine the cause with greater precision.

"The Safety Board believes that additional evidence will become available for investigation in the period ahead."

Newcastle fans Liam Sweeney and John Alder were among the victims

Only 193 of those on board have been positively identified, including Newcastle United fans Liam Sweeney, 28, and John Alder, 63, who were travelling to New Zealand to watch their team play.

Forensic teams are still trying to identify remains found in the wreckage of the aircraft.

Most of those on board were Dutch, but there were also people from Malaysia, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, New Zealand, the Philippines and the UK.

The crash occurred just months after the still-unexplained disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

More follows...

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Obama In Talks With Iraq Over 'Common Enemy'

Barack Obama has held talks with Iraq's new Prime Minister to discuss the country's fledgling new government's fight against Islamic State militants.

In a telephone call on Monday, the US President and Haider al Abadi spoke about the need to address grievances that have triggered violence in Iraq.

In a statement the White House said: "The President and the Prime Minister agreed on the importance of having the new government quickly take concrete steps to address the aspirations and legitimate grievances of the Iraqi people.

Barack Obama speaks with Haider al Abadi. Pic: White House/Pete Souza

"The Prime Minister expressed his commitment to work with all communities in Iraq as well as regional and international partners to strengthen Iraq's capabilities to fight against this common enemy."

Iraq's parliament officially named Mr al Abadi as the country's Prime Minister and approved most of his proposed candidates for cabinet roles, including members of the country's minority Sunni and Kurdish communities.

The West has been pushing Iraq for a more representative government that will ease anger among Sunnis who felt marginalised by former Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki and his administration.

The anger among Sunnis has helped to fuel the seizure of territory by the Islamic State (IS), also known as ISIS and ISIL, across much of north and western Iraq since June.

Haider al Abadi was officially named Iraq's prime minister on Monday

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the formation of a new government in Baghdad was a "major milestone" for Iraq.

He said: "Overcoming the obstacle of ethnic and sectarian divides, the Iraqi parliament approved a new and inclusive government, one that has the potential to unite all of Iraq's diverse communities for a strong Iraq, a united Iraq, and to give those communities the chance to build the future that all Iraqis desire and deserve."

Mr Kerry is set to travel to the region later to discuss the formation of a "coalition of partners around the globe to confront, degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL".

Mr Obama is expected to address the US approach against IS during his speech on Wednesday - the eve of the 13th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

On Monday an IS suicide bomber killed 16 people after he drove a explosive-filled Humvee, stolen from the Iraqi military, into a Sunni tribe meeting in Dhuluiya.

Islamic State militants have seized territory in north and west Iraq

Iraqi security forces retook the town of Barwana, northwest of Baghdad. The US military also carried out five airstrikes on Sunday and Monday, using drones and attack fighters to defend the Haditha dam and Irbil.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Business Leaders Sucked Into Independence Row

By Ian King, Business Presenter

Business people hate getting involved in politics, as a rule.

There is little upside to getting involved in political spats, particularly for those running consumer-facing businesses, as such interventions often risk alienating customers.

Shareholders do not like to see chief executives of the companies in which they are invested getting involved in politics, either, as it is a distraction from making them money.

Like it or not, though, business leaders have been sucked into the debate over Scottish independence ahead of the referendum.

Both sides have rolled out some big names, too, with the 'Yes Scotland' campaign's supporters including Sir Brian Souter, the Stagecoach founder, Ralph Topping, until recently the chief executive of William Hill, and Sir George Mathewson, the former chairman of Royal Bank of Scotland.

Sir George, a long-time supporter of Scottish independence, told Sky News there were plenty of benefits for the Scottish economy in the event of a 'Yes' vote.

"It would mean the Scottish government was responsible for both sides of the balance sheet - for the income and the expenditure," he said.

Sir George Mathewson says voting 'yes' will bring many economic benefits

"I think we can better use the revenues we have - Scottish GDP is about the same per head as the UK as a whole, and that's not counting the oil.

"I think we can make much better use of the oil revenues than historically by the UK, and we can do things to tailor the assets we have rather than the UK government as a whole will do, but I also like to think the social aspirations of Scotland will be better catered for in an independent Scotland.

"We will no longer have to go cap in hand to the UK government if we have different plans for education and health."

The Better Together campaign also has some big Scottish business names backing it. They include Douglas Flint, the chairman of HSBC, Andrew Mackenzie, chief executive of BHP Billiton - the world's biggest mining company - and Keith Cochrane, chief executive of Weir Group, the £5.6bn pump and mining equipment maker.

Keith Cochrane says voting 'no' will ensure 'the best of both worlds'

Mr Cochrane, who recently helped co-ordinate a letter of business leaders urging Scots to support remaining in the UK, said he was worried about the uncertainty that a 'Yes' vote would create, particularly over the currency that an independent Scotland would use.

But he said his main reason for voting 'no' was that businesses would do better from remaining in the United Kingdom.

He told Sky News: "I will vote no because I think we can have the best of both worlds. A strong Scottish Parliament, focused on the domestic agenda, but, as part of the UK, we can benefit from being a part of a domestic market of 63 million - the skill, the ability to manage risk far more effectively than as an independent Scotland."

The key issue facing every voter in the Scottish referendum is whether Scotland's economy will be stronger, and more jobs created, in the event of independence.

Few people are better placed to speak out on this subject than business people and wealth creators. It is good that they are doing so.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Scotland Campaign Leaders Launch Final Push

Business Leaders Sucked Into Independence Row

Updated: 8:00am UK, Monday 08 September 2014

By Ian King, Business Presenter

Business people hate getting involved in politics, as a rule.

There is little upside to getting involved in political spats, particularly for those running consumer-facing businesses, as such interventions often risk alienating customers.

Shareholders do not like to see chief executives of the companies in which they are invested getting involved in politics, either, as it is a distraction from making them money.

Like it or not, though, business leaders have been sucked into the debate over Scottish independence ahead of the referendum.

Both sides have rolled out some big names, too, with the 'Yes Scotland' campaign's supporters including Sir Brian Souter, the Stagecoach founder, Ralph Topping, until recently the chief executive of William Hill, and Sir George Mathewson, the former chairman of Royal Bank of Scotland.

Sir George, a long-time supporter of Scottish independence, told Sky News there were plenty of benefits for the Scottish economy in the event of a 'Yes' vote.

"It would mean the Scottish government was responsible for both sides of the balance sheet - for the income and the expenditure," he said.

"I think we can better use the revenues we have - Scottish GDP is about the same per head as the UK as a whole, and that's not counting the oil.

"I think we can make much better use of the oil revenues than historically by the UK, and we can do things to tailor the assets we have rather than the UK government as a whole will do, but I also like to think the social aspirations of Scotland will be better catered for in an independent Scotland.

"We will no longer have to go cap in hand to the UK government if we have different plans for education and health."

The Better Together campaign also has some big Scottish business names backing it. They include Douglas Flint, the chairman of HSBC, Andrew Mackenzie, chief executive of BHP Billiton - the world's biggest mining company - and Keith Cochrane, chief executive of Weir Group, the £5.6bn pump and mining equipment maker.

Mr Cochrane, who recently helped co-ordinate a letter of business leaders urging Scots to support remaining in the UK, said he was worried about the uncertainty that a 'Yes' vote would create, particularly over the currency that an independent Scotland would use.

But he said his main reason for voting 'no' was that businesses would do better from remaining in the United Kingdom.

He told Sky News: "I will vote no because I think we can have the best of both worlds. A strong Scottish Parliament, focused on the domestic agenda, but, as part of the UK, we can benefit from being a part of a domestic market of 63 million - the skill, the ability to manage risk far more effectively than as an independent Scotland."

The key issue facing every voter in the Scottish referendum is whether Scotland's economy will be stronger, and more jobs created, in the event of independence.

Few people are better placed to speak out on this subject than business people and wealth creators. It is good that they are doing so.

16.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ashya King On His Way To Prague For Treatment

Ashya King is on his way to the Czech Republic for specialist proton treatment on his brain tumour.

The five-year-old and his parents Brett and Naghmeh travelled from Materno Infantil hospital in Malaga, where he was being treated, to Malaga airport.

Ashya travelled with his mother in an ambulance and his father followed in a taxi.

They are flying by air ambulance for the three-hour flight to Prague "with all the guarantees regarding the care this youngster needs," said a spokesman for Materno Infantil hospital.

Ashya's father Brett takes a taxi to Malaga airport

The Proton Therapy Centre, where he will receive the specialist treatment, gave the go-ahead for him to travel after reviewing documentation from the Spanish hospital.

Sky's Lisa Holland, in Malaga, said Ashya is expected to arrive in Prague later this morning and will receive the treatment "pretty quickly afterwards".

"He (Mr King) clearly looked very, very relieved," she said.

"This is a man who told us in a press conference a few days ago how pained he was by this whole situation.

Ashya and his brother Naveed

"How he heard his wife crying in a police cell while they spent three days in custody, and they overnighted in a Madrid prison cell awaiting extradition.

"So things have really turned round now for the King family after their separation from Ashya.

"They've got what they wanted which is essentially to be making that journey now to Prague."

Mr and Mrs King were arrested in Spain after they took him from Southampton General Hospital on August 28 without the permission of doctors.

Ashya's parents were arrested for removing him from hospital

They were released when prosecutors withdrew a European arrest warrant.

Portsmouth City Council, which has responsibility for Ashya's welfare, launched family court action against his parents.

Mr Justice Baker, at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court on Friday, ruled Ashya could be taken to the Czech Republic.

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UK Offers To Send 'Ring Of Steel' To Calais

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

The Home Office is offering to give French border officials the fence that was used to protect world leaders at the Nato summit in an attempt to deal with the immigrant crisis in Calais.

Known as the "ring of steel", the 11ft tall, 11-mile-long fence was erected around Celtic Manor and other Nato venues in South Wales.

Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, immigration minister James Brokenshire acknowledges the growing issue of security in the port of Calais where migrants are attempting to gain access to Britain in vast numbers.

The 'ring of steel' is being offered to the French

The minister writes: "Obviously it's up to the French to maintain security and order on their own soil, but we want to do what we can to help. We offered the port of Calais £3m three months ago to help improve security … we now offer our French partners the fences that were used this week to keep the Nato summit safe in Newport.

"These could replace and enlarge the inadequate fencing in Calais which is too easy for illegal immigrants to scale."

It is estimated that 1,500 migrants from countries such as Afghanistan, Eritrea and Ethiopia are living in makeshift camps near the port and regularly climbing over fences in order to get to lorries and ferries.

On Wednesday, dozens of men stunned French officials by storming directly into the port in broad daylight.

Most of the young men claim to be seeking asylum in the UK and risk their lives to get onto ships bound for Dover.

Migrants tried to storm onto a ferry to Britain last week. Pic: Mark Salt

Sudanese migrant Ibrahim Abubakar said: "I have no home, I have no job, I have no place to sleep. This is my problem here. I want to stay here, but they give me a long time, I wait four months here. After that, maybe I find a home, I find a job. It's very difficult here. But I think after I go to England maybe I find job, I find a home, I find something to eat."

Some warn that the situation is near breaking point with local anger growing at the influx of migrants.

A protest is planned later today with hundreds of local people expected to demonstrate.

The mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchart has threatened to close the port if nothing is done by British authorities to help French officials address the situation.

Mr Brokenshire hopes the French will take him up on the offer of boosted fencing and also writes that he wants to establish "secure parking areas where hauliers and travellers can wait without being hassled by illegal immigrants".

Meanwhile, the Home Office is preparing to send a high-level delegation to Paris for emergency talks next week.

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Scots Yes Camp Not Complacent Over Poll Lead

Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says a poll indicating the Yes campaign has taken the lead for the first time ahead of the independence referendum is encouraging, but insisted there was "not a hint of complacency".

And Chancellor George Osborne said the YouGov survey commissioned by The Sunday Times which suggests the Yes campaign now leads by 51% to 49%, should galvanise those that wanted to keep the union.

The poll means the Yes campaign has overturned a 22-point lead for the Better Together campaign within the past month.

The results are evidence of a dramatic surge for the Yes campaign

The lead is the first for the independence camp registered by YouGov - or by any polling company - since regular polling began in the run-up to the vote.

Responding to the poll, Ms Sturgeon told Sky News: "It's a very encouraging poll and it reflects what we are finding on the ground in the campaign across the country."

But she added: "We have got a lot of work still to do. There's not a hint of complacency in the Yes campaign."

She said the offer of more powers for Holyrood in the event of a No vote, was a "panic move" by those against independence.

Opposing supporters carry banners in East Kilbride

Meanwhile, Mr Osborne said an action plan would be unveiled in the next few days to give more powers to Scotland if it remained part of the UK.

The Chancellor said it was "clear" Scotland wanted more autonomy and the Tories, Labour and the Liberal Democrats had agreed to "deliver" on that.

"You will see in the next few days a plan of action to give more powers to Scotland. More tax powers, more spending powers, more plans for powers over the welfare state," he said.

And Mr Osborne repeated the warning that an independent Scotland would not be able to share the pound.

"No ifs, no buts. We will not share the pound if Scotland separates from the rest of the UK," he said.

Better Together leader Alistair Darling said: "The polls may conflict, but the message I take from them is clear.

The YouGov poll was commissioned by the Sunday Times

"If you want Scotland to remain part of the UK family you have to vote for it on 18 September.

"Separation is forever. These polls can and must now serve as a wake-up call to anyone who thought the referendum result was a foregone conclusion."

The results came as Gordon Brown made another appeal for a successful No vote.

In an interview for Sunday's Murnaghan programme on Sky News, starting at 10am, the former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "I think it's about two visions of Scotland's future, different from the future that might have been predicted a few years ago.

"The first is obviously the nationalists, who want to break entirely with the United Kingdom and break all connections.

"The second is what I would call the patriotic vision of Scotland's future, my vision.

"I want a Scottish Parliament, I want stronger powers, and therefore I want change to make it stronger, but I also want to share our resources with the rest of the United Kingdom."

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Ukraine Ceasefire Threatened By New Fighting

Shelling has been heard near Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine despite a ceasefire, witnesses report.

Plumes of smoke could be seen rising above the area on Sunday morning, threatening the fragile truce.

Explosions have also been heard on the edge of the port city of Mariupol, to the south of Donetsk.

The city had already seen a serious violation of the ceasefire overnight when government forces came under artillery fire.

The Russian-backed ceasefire had largely been holding since it came into force on Friday at 4pm UK time, although there have been sporadic reports of skirmishes from both sides.

Many on the ground had expressed scepticism regarding the durability of the ceasefire, and both sides blamed each other for any violations.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he had spoken to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by phone earlier on Saturday to discuss ways to make the ceasefire agreement more durable.

The West and Kiev accuse Moscow of supporting the rebels by sending tanks and troops over the border, although the Kremlin has consistently denied the allegations.

Russia issued a separate statement on Saturday warning European leaders of an unspecified "reaction" if the European Union followed through with its decision to impose further sanctions.

The additional measures were agreed as world leaders met for a two-day Nato summit in Wales.

Prime Minister David Cameron has indicated they could be suspended if Russia withdraws its troops from Ukraine and the ceasefire is observed.

The ceasefire includes an agreement on the release of prisoners on both sides, the delivery of humanitarian aid and the withdrawal of heavy weapons.

Mr Poroshenko said Kiev was also ready to grant a significant decentralisation of power and economic freedom to the restive eastern region.

Reuters reported that the sound of shelling in Donetsk came from the airport, which has been in the hands of Ukraine's forces.

Sky's Katie Stallard, in Mariupol, said on Sunday morning: "A short while ago ... we heard a series of explosions coming from the east of the city and everyone had to move back a relatively safe distance.

"I can hear a tank moving very close to us. There was heavy bombardment here overnight. I've spoken to one woman who said residents were just running, trying to find shelter.

"They are just packing up their belongings and preparing to leave the city. All of this comes in what was supposed to be a ceasefire."

More follows...

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