Scotland Referendum: PM Dangles Enticing Carrot

The "no" campaign for Scottish independence is riding high as it is firmly ahead in the polls.

Over half of Scots say they will vote no, with around a third backing independence.

And it has been boosted by some unexpected interventions that raised doubts about whether a Scotland outside the UK could keep the pound or its position in the European Union.

David Cameron has listed some of them - including comments by Mark Carney, the Governor the Bank of England and Jose Manuel Barosso, the EU commission president.

Mr Carney warned of "clear risks" associated with the economics of Scottish independence, adding the country would have to surrender some of its sovereignty if it were to retain the pound.

Mr Barosso said an independent Scotland joining the European Union would be "extremely difficult, if not impossible".

The Prime Minister also dangled an enticing carrot in front of the Scottish electorate. Vote no and I promise further devolution, he told them.

More tax raising powers for a Scottish Government still inside the UK.

Mr Cameron said: "Let me be absolutely clear: a vote for 'no' is not a vote for 'no change'.

First Minister Alex Salmond has accused Westminster of bully-boy tactics

"We are committed to making devolution work better still."

It is a clever move, because it does appear to be what the Scottish public wants: more freedoms without full independence.

And it isn't surprising that the Prime Minister is making this pledge - Mr Cameron is desperate to hold onto Scotland. The most cynical may ask why?

After all - if this left-leaning country separates from the UK, the Conservatives could secure power for a generation.

Yet he is passionate about being a one-nation Tory - and he would be devastated to oversee the break-up of the United Kingdom.

Moreover, if it happens his own position could be under threat.

So expect to see more of the Prime Minister and his colleagues north of the border in the coming months. They know they can't be complacent.

After all, just look at what happened in 1995 when the people of Quebec were given the chance to vote on independence from Canada.

A year or more out, the polls did not look too different to those here. Then the wind changed - and the independence campaign surged only just losing out in an unexpectedly close result - 49.4% to 50.5%.

Scotland's First Minister and SNP leader Alex Salmond has accused Westminster of bully-boy tactics. The Prime Minister refutes that.

But he will also be wary of what might happen if the SNP's plucky under-dog rhetoric takes hold firing momentum into the "yes" campaign.

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Anger Over Bomb Hurled At Belfast Police Car

An explosive device was thrown at a police vehicle in Belfast, just hours after a separate car bomb was found a few miles away.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) spokesman said the officers targeted had escaped serious injury following the attack near the City Cemetery in the west of the city.

Paramedics treated up to four members of the public for shock but no one was badly hurt.

A PSNI spokesman said: "Police in west Belfast have escaped serious injury tonight after an explosive device detonated close to their vehicle on the Falls Road.

"The incident occurred shortly before 10.30pm close to the entrance of the City Cemetery.

Debris from the explosion. pic: Press Pix / Samuel Severn

"It is believed some form of explosive device was thrown at their vehicle."

SDLP councillor Claire Hanna tweeted: "Hoping no serious injuries following explosion. Throwback (to) terrorists reduced to trying to embarrass Northern Ireland over St Patrick's. Get off our backs."

The City Cemetery, at the junction of Falls Road and Whiterock Road, is one of Belfast's oldest public cemeteries.

Police in Northern Ireland have been urged to tighten personal security measures after a separate under-car bomb was found a relatively short distance away from City Cemetery on Friday morning.

It fell from the vehicle and failed to explode, and even though the target has not been positively identified, the PSNI has not ruled out the possibility it was meant for one of their officers.

The device was discovered at Blacks Road, a busy route close to the M1 not far from Woodbourne police station.

Dissident republicans have been blamed for planting the bomb in what appears to have been a deliberate attempt to embarrass Northern Ireland First Minister

Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, who are in Washington to meet senior members of the Obama administration as part of St Patrick's Day celebrations.

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Man's Body Found On Beach With Sock In Mouth

Police are treating as suspicious the death of a man who was found washed up on a beach naked with a sock in his mouth.

Alan Eric Jeal's body was found at high tide on February 25 on Perranporth beach in Cornwall.

The 64-year-old was only wearing one walking shoe when his body was found by a dog walker.

A post-mortem examination found multiple injuries on Mr Jeal's body that were unlikely to have come from drowning.

Devon and Cornwall Police believe Mr Jeal may have been murdered, committed suicide or died as a result of an accident.

Alan Jeal as a child

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Thorne said he could not explain why the sock was in Mr Jeal's mouth.

"We can't think of an explanation as to why it would be there and this is one of the reasons we are treating Alan's death as suspicious," Mr Thorne said.

"Officers are keeping an open mind as to the cause of his death. Murder is one possibility we are considering, however his death may have been caused by accident or suicide."

Detectives have released a map and a series of CCTV images showing a man, believed to be Mr Jeal, in the centre of Truro in the early evening before his body was found.

The shoe Mr Jeal was found wearing

They want to find out where Mr Jeal, from Wadebridge, went after that and how he travelled to Perranporth.

"We are keen to speak to anyone who saw Alan on Monday, February 24, whether walking, on public transport or in a car," said DCI Thorne.

"We have traced his movements up until 6.36pm in Truro city centre but we need the public's help in establishing where he went after that."

Speaking after Mr Jeal's death, his family released a statement paying tribute to him.

"Alan was a mild-mannered, gentle man who was very interested in minerals, mining and surfing," they said.

We are shocked and deeply saddened that Alan's life has been cut short, and are desperate for answers as to what happened.

"We appeal for anyone with information about Alan's life and last movements to contact police."

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Helicopter Crash: N Ireland's Richest Man Dies

Northern Irish peer and businessman Lord Ballyedmond was one of the four men killed in a helicopter crash in Norfolk.

The helicopter - an AgustaWestland AW139 - crashed in a wood in Gillingham, near the suffolk town of Beccles.

It happened close to Gillingham Hall - one of the homes owned by Lord Ballyedmond, the richest man in Northern Ireland with an estimated wealth of £500m.

The three other people in the helicopter have been named as pilot and co-pilot Carl Dickerson and Lee Hoyle and the other passenger was Declan Small, who was employed by Norbrook Laboratories.

Pilot Carl Dickerson

Sky's Emma Birchley, who was at the scene, said it was unclear whether fog, which had affected the area earlier on Thursday, was a factor in the crash, which happened at around 7.30pm.

"The fog is certainly going to form part of the investigation. It was very foggy last night and it remains foggy now, which has made conditions for the emergency services very tricky," she said.

An AgustaWestland spokesman said it was investigating the case, amid reports that Lord Ballyedmond was taking legal action against the firm in relation to possible safety defects with the helicopter.

Inspector Louis Provart said emergency services were alerted after people living near the crash reported hearing a loud bang.

Co-pilot Lee Hoyle

Roland Bronk, owner of The Swan House restaurant in nearby Beccles, said it was "very foggy" in the area at the time of the crash.

Taxi driver Mark Murray, 22, from Beccles, said: "There is a large stately home nearby and you often see helicopters coming and going from there.

"When they have a game shoot the guests often all arrive in separate helicopters. We don't know if that is linked, but that's the only helicopter activity we see in this area."

The helicopter owned by Lord Ballyedmond

The site is 45 miles from Cley Next The Sea, where four US airmen were killed in January when their Pave Hawk military helicopter came down in a marsh.

As well as being in the in pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing businesses, Lord Ballyedmond also ran an air travel business - Haughey Air - which owned a helicopter charter company.

In 1996, three pilots were killed in a crash while en route from Belfast to his estate in County Down.

Sky's Ireland Correspondent David Blevins said: "The 70-year-old owned Ballyedmond Castle in Rostrevor, County Down, Corby Castle in Cumbria, and 9, Belgrave Square in London, a six-storey townhouse purchased in 2006 for about £12m.

Early morning fog was still making recovery difficult

"In the early '90s, he sat in the Irish Senate (Dublin's upper house) before being made a life peer in the Lords in 2004. Lord Ballyedmond initially sat as an Ulster Unionist before switching to the Conservative Party."

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA said he was "shocked and sad to hear that Dr Eddie Haughey and three other people have lost their lives in a helicopter crash. My sympathy is with their families."

NI Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister, Arlene Foster MLA said: "Lord Ballyedmond was one of NI's most successful entrepreneurs, known for his leadership, integrity and global vision."

Emergency services at the site. Pic: Ryan Leddington

Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy, MP for Newry and Armagh, told David Blevins he was "very, very saddened" by the fatal crash.

He said: "It's a huge tragedy for all of the families involved and it's something that, I think, will shock the workforce here (at Norbrook Laboratories) particularly the very substantial workforce that Eddie Haughey had in the Newry area.

"He certainly was a very strong-willed character. He established from nothing a very successful business."

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Torpedo Fired By Navy Into Plymouth Dockyard

A torpedo has been fired accidentally by a Royal Navy warship into a dockyard wharf.

HMS Argyll was on a training exercise at Devonport dockyard in Plymouth when the dummy weapon was "jettisoned unexpectedly".

The Royal Navy said the Test Variant Torpedo did not contain explosives and no one was on the jetty at the time.

There were no injuries but it caused minor damage to a security fence when it landed inside the Devonport Naval Base, which the ship was alongside.

The ship is the longest-serving Type 23 frigate in the Royal Navy

Training has been suspended while an investigation is carried out to find out the cause of Wednesday's incident.

A Navy spokesman said: "HMS Argyll was conducting a system test when an inert Test Variant Torpedo was jettisoned unexpectedly. The torpedo is not an explosive hazard.

"The specific details of the incident are subject to further investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further.

"The result of the investigation will determine what actions will be necessary to avoid any repeat of this incident in the future.

"However, torpedo system test firing alongside in the naval base has been suspended subject to completion of the investigation."

Plymouth-based HMS Argyll, which was built in the late 1980s, is the longest-serving Type 23 frigate in the Royal Navy.

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Couple Jailed For Lee Rigby YouTube Videos

A man has been sentenced to five years and four months for posting YouTube videos glorifying the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby.

Royal Barnes, 23, was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, with his wife, Rebekah Dawson, getting a 20-month sentence.

The videos posted by the British Muslim couple were "offensive in the extreme", the court heard.

They published the clips shortly after the brutal murder of Fusilier Rigby in Woolwich last May.

Barnes filmed himself laughing as he passed flowers left for the soldier

The couple, from Hackney in London, made three videos - the first uploaded on the day after the attack, with Barnes calling it a "brilliant day".

It was edited together with pictures of a man holding a decapitated head, a scene from Woolwich, and images of the World Trade Center.

The second clip showed Dawson ranting about how British troops would be killed on London's streets.

Fusilier Rigby, 25, was hacked to death in broad daylight on May 22, 2013

A third video showed Barnes mocking the public's grief at Fusilier Rigby's murder and laughing uncontrollably as he and his wife drove past flowers at the murder scene.

Barnes pleaded guilty last month to inciting murder and three counts of disseminating a terrorist publication.

Dawson, 22, who insisted on wearing a full veil in court, also admitted charges of disseminating a terrorist publication.

Rebekah Dawson's video was posted shortly after the murder

Judge Brian Barker QC said the pair showed "a total and continuing disregard" for the effect it would have on the soldier's family and the wider public.

Fusilier Rigby's killers were jailed last month for the attack, which saw them hack the solider to death on the streets of southeast London.

Michael Adebolajo, 29, was given a whole-life term, and Michael Adebowale, 22, was jailed for at least 45 years.

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'UK At Risk Of Cyber Attack In Skills Shortage'

By Harriet Hadfield, Sky News Reporter

The UK could be vulnerable to a high-level online attack because of a lack of talented and skilled cyber experts.

Companies and government agencies say they are struggling to recruit people into the cyber-security profession.

A senior figure from the intelligence agency GCHQ has told Sky News he is concerned the organisation might not have the right people to deal with a sophisticated assault on the UK's online networks.

A source from GCHQ said: "Cyber space is a really complicated area... lots of people are interconnected to it so there are going to be vulnerabilities but where they are, I can't tell you."

In an effort to find new talent, the Cabinet War Rooms in central London have been hosting the Cyber Security Challenge - a 24-hour simulated cyber attack.

The scenario is based on an assault by a foreign government on the UK's financial systems.

As part of the 24-hour exercise, teams of young cyber defenders have been shown fake news reports, given briefings by the national defence community and tip-offs by undercover operatives.

Will Shackleton, a competitor, explained: "We've been given some data that has been captured from the company's network and we had to investigate it.

"We found a piece of malware inside it and we are currently trying to analyse the malware and work out what it is doing, who sent it, who it was written by and if it's doing anything, stealing anything, what it's doing within the company."

It is a competition - but all the candidates will be introduced to possible employers.

Stephanie Daman, chief executive of Cyber Security Challenge UK said: "We know they have the right sorts of skills, but none of them are currently in the cyber-security profession.

"This is what we call the hidden talent that we have in this country that we can't seem to reach out to bring into the profession."

Government figures show cyber crime is a huge problem - 93% of large businesses and 87% of smaller ones have reported a cyber breach in the past year.

The internet as an industry is worth £82bn to the economy.

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West Brom Sack Anelka After 'Quenelle' Storm

West Brom say they have terminated Nicolas Anelka's contract for gross misconduct, following his ban for performing the controversial 'quenelle' gesture during a match.

In a statement on their website, the club said their decision was the result the player's conduct while celebrating a goal against West Ham on December 28 and his remarks posted on social media.

"The club considers the conduct of Nicolas Anelka on December 28, coupled with his purported termination on social media this evening, to be gross misconduct," it said.

"As a result the club has tonight written to Nicola Anelka giving him 14 days' notice of termination as required under his contract."

The 35-year-old, whose deal at the Premier League side was due to expire in the summer, had earlier announced he would leave the club over its response to his five-match ban and £80,000 fine from the FA.

He wrote on his Twitter account that he had decided to "put an end" to his contract, saying the club had proposed "certain conditions that I cannot accept".

The Frenchman's tweets on Friday evening

In three posts written in French on Twitter, the player said: "Following talks between the club and me, propositions were made to me in order to reintegrate me into the squad under certain conditions that I cannot accept.

"Wishing to retain my integrity, I have therefore taken the decision to free myself and put an end to the contract linking me with West Bromwich Albion to 2014, with immediate effect."

West Brom previously issued a statement in response, indicating Anelka's words had taken them by surprise.

It said: "The club has received nothing formally regarding the termination of Nicolas Anelka's contract from either him or his advisers.

"The club regards the release of such a statement on social media as highly unprofessional and will make a further statement when appropriate."

It was claimed the quenelle was anti-Semetic, but Anelka says the gesture was merely anti-establishment and made in support of his friend Dieudonne M'bala M'bala, a French comedian who has been convicted seven times of anti-Semitic crimes.

A Football Association commission found it was abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper, and that it included a reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or religion or belief.

It accepted there was no intent by Anelka to be anti-Semitic, but banned him for five matches and fined him £80,000. He was subsequently suspended by West Brom.

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Gove Says Number Of PM's Etonians 'Ridiculous'

Education Secretary Michael Gove has criticised the "ridiculous" numbers of Old Etonians in David Cameron's inner circle.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Mr Gove said such a "preposterous" concentration of individuals from the same privileged background at the top of government was unique among developed countries.

Labour said his comments showed the Conservatives were "out of touch" with the concerns of ordinary people in Britain.

Old Etonians around the Prime Minister - himself a former Eton pupil - include his chief of staff, Ed Llewellyn; the head of his policy unit, Jo Johnson; the minister for government policy, Oliver Letwin; and Chancellor George Osborne's chief economic adviser, Rupert Harrison.

The Prime Minister at a Cabinet meeting last year

Mr Gove compared them to the cabinet of Eton-educated Tory prime minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, the Marquess of Salisbury, who was accused of nepotism and cronyism.

"At the beginning of the 20th century, the Conservative cabinet was called Hotel Cecil," he said.

"The phrase 'Bob's your uncle' came about and all the rest of it. It is preposterous.

"It doesn't make me feel personally uncomfortable because I like each of the individuals concerned, but it's ridiculous. I don't know where you can find some such similar situation in a developed economy."

Mr Cameron's inner circle was compared to that of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil (R)

Mr Gove, who went to a fee-paying school in Scotland, said the concentration of Old Etonians at the top of the Conservative Party was due to the fact that "more boys from Eton go to Oxford and Cambridge than boys eligible for free school meals".

But shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Ashworth said it was a "reflection of the Conservative Party" under Mr Cameron.

"It's up to David Cameron who he puts into top jobs, and the fact is that the Prime Minister has chosen to surround himself with people just like himself," he said.

"He's leading a Government that's completely out of touch.

"That's why his decisions have helped a privileged few rather than hard-working families, with tax cuts for people earning over £150,000 while wages are down an average £1,600 a year."

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EuroMillions Brit Winner Stakes £107.9m Claim

The British ticket-holder who scooped £107.9m on the EuroMillions draw has come forward to claim their winnings.

The jackpot winner has now lodged their claim, although their identity has not been revealed.

It was the only ticket to hit the jackpot, making the lucky holder the fourth biggest UK winner in the history of the National Lottery.

Friday's winning numbers were 06, 24, 25, 27 and 30, while the lucky stars were 05 and 9.

Subject to official validation, the life-changing windfall could be paid out once the banks open on Monday.

The ticket-holder can then decide whether or not to go public.

A National Lottery spokesman said: "We're delighted Friday's ticket-holder has come forward to claim this amazing prize.

"This massive win ranks fourth biggest on the National Lottery Rich list and is the first EuroMillions jackpot to be won here in the UK so far this year."

It is not known at the moment where the winning ticket was bought, or whether it was won by an individual or syndicate.

This information will only be disclosed if the ticket-holder goes public.

Top of the National Lottery Rich List are Colin and Chris Weir, who won a £161m EuroMillions jackpot in July 2011.

The Scottish husband and wife said they were "tickled pink" by their winnings and reportedly bought a fleet of cars for friends, as well as a mansion.

The second largest jackpot of almost £150m was claimed by Adrian and Gillian Bayford, from Suffolk, in August 2012.

At the time, Mr Bayford said he would carry on running his music shop in Haverhill. Mrs Bayford, a children's ward healthcare assistant, said she would treat herself to her dream car, an Audi Q7.

However just 15 months after their win, the couple announced they were divorcing following the "irretrievable" breakdown of their marriage.

The third biggest jackpot of £113m was claimed in October 2010, but the lucky ticket-holder decided not to go public.

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