UK Hostage Murder Threat 'Against Sharia'

A group of Muslim scholars has made a direct appeal to Islamic State (IS) militants to release the British hostage Alan Henning.

In a video message posted online, the men told the 47-year-old's captors that killing him would be against Islamic law.

Mr Henning, a taxi driver from Salford, was delivering aid in Syria when he was captured in December near the town of al Dana.

Shaykh Haitham al Haddad, a qadi or judge in the Sharia council in London, said: "This is to confirm that executing this man is totally haram (sinful), is impermissible, prohibited according to Sharia for a number of reasons."

Ustadh Abu Eesa, director at Prophetic Guidance in Manchester, said Mr Henning had joined a Muslim charity convoy because he "passionately believes in helping the most needy".

He said: "No matter what our differences, no matter how differently we see the world, what there is no doubt about is that the killing of an innocent man is not permitted in the religion of Allah.

"It is not permissible whatsoever to harm a person who believes that he is safe among the people he is working with. This safety must be honoured."

Mr Henning, 47, had driven an ambulance to Syria to deliver aid

A third scholar, Imam Shakeel Begg from the Lewisham Islamic Centre, said Mr Henning was innocent.

He added: "Whatever your grievance, whatever your cause, this man is innocent."

It comes after more than 100 Muslim leaders signed a statement pleading for IS to release Mr Henning and branding them "monsters" for the murder of fellow hostage David Haines.

In a letter in the Independent newspaper, they said: "We, the undersigned British Muslim Imams, organisations and individuals, wish to express our horror and revulsion at the senseless murder of David Haines and the threat to the life of our fellow British citizen, Alan Henning."

Mr Henning appeared at the end of a video released by IS militants last Saturday in which Mr Haines was beheaded. The video contained a threat that he would be killed next.

Separate video footage - filmed before his capture - showed him saying it was "all worthwhile" to ensure aid got to where it was most needed in Syria.

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Islamic State Releases Turkish Hostages In Iraq

Forty-nine Turkish hostages seized by Islamic State militants in Iraq have been freed in what Turkey's President described as a covert rescue operation.

The hostages - including diplomatic staff, special forces soldiers and children - were taken from the Turkish consulate in Mosul in Iraq on June 11 after the city was overrun by Islamic State (IS) fighters.

Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the captives were released after a "pre-planned operation" involving the country's intelligence services.

"After intense efforts that lasted days and weeks, in the early hours, our citizens were handed over to us and we brought them back to our country," he said.

President Tayyip Erdogan said: "I thank the Prime Minister and his colleagues for the pre-planned, carefully calculated and secretly conducted operation throughout the night.

IS fighters in Mosul, Iraq. File image

"MIT (the Turkish intelligence agency) has followed the situation very sensitively and patiently since the beginning and, as a result, conducted a successful rescue operation."

Police formed a cordon outside the airport in the southern Turkish city of Sanliurfa as the hostages arrived in buses with curtains drawn.

The Prime Minister, who cut short an official trip to Azerbaijan to travel to Sanliurfa, hugged the hostages before boarding a plane with them to the capital, Ankara.

Mr Davutoglu did not provide further details on the circumstances, but added the released was carried out through "MIT's own methods".

The group is still holding British hostage Alan Henning

Sky's Senior Correspondent Ian Woods said: "It seems that some sort of deal must have been done because these are people, unlike the Western hostages, journalists and aid workers, these were people who were not in the country of their own volition.

"To describe this as something co-ordinated by the intelligence service suggests that a deal has been done. It was described as a rescue mission, but we should not think of this as such because is it unlikely they could rescue all 49 people without casualties."

Seizure of the hostages put Turkey in a difficult position as a summit of 30 countries met in Paris last week to co-ordinate their response to the IS threat.

The nations agreed to "support the Iraqi government by any means necessary - including military assistance".

Turkey resisted joining the coalition and the United States was careful not to push Ankara too hard as it worked to free the hostages.

Islamic State has killed two US journalists and a British aid worker who were working in Syria in retaliation for airstrikes that Washington launched against them in Iraq.

Mr Cantlie was seen in an IS video

IS is still holding two British hostages which it captured in Syria who have appeared in videos released by the group.

A group of Muslim scholars has made a direct appeal to the group to release hostage Alan Henning.

In a video message posted online, the men told the 47-year-old's captors that killing him would be against Islamic law.

Mr Henning, a taxi driver from Salford, was delivering aid in Syria when he was captured in December near the town of al Dana.

A video released on Thursday showed British journalist John Cantlie, who is also believed to be held by IS.

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Scotland Votes No: PM Promises New Powers

David Cameron has promised new powers for Scotland as 55% of the country voted to reject independence in a historic referendum.

However, he warned that it was now time for the "millions of voices of England must be heard".

The Prime Minister was speaking outside No 10 after Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond accepted defeat. With all the votes in 55% of Scotland voted to stay in the Union while 44% voted in favour of independence.

Mr Cameron said the new powers he, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband had promised the Scottish people in the dying days of the referendum campaign would be "honoured in full".

The PM says work will start on a "full and fair settlement"

But he unveiled a substantial shake-up of powers for the whole of the UK suggesting new powers for Wales and Northern Ireland and greater influence for England's MPs over English law.

He said work would start on a "full and fair settlement for all of the UK" in what will clearly be a shift towards a more federalist UK.

Speaking after the result became clear Mr Salmond, whose dream of breaking up the 307-year-old Union has been shattered, said: "I accept the verdict and expect all people to follow suit."

Shattered dreams: Alex Salmond drives away as the result becomes clear

He was quick to demand extra powers were delivered warning Mr Cameron: "Scotland will expect these to be honoured in rapid course."

The leader of the No campaign Alistair Darling told people in Glasgow: "The silent have spoken."

He said the vote, which saw a record 84% turnout, was a momentous day for the country, but urged Westminster politicians to listen to the people, who had called for change both in Scotland and the UK.

Dejected Yes campaigners in Glasgow

And, referring to the devolved powers, he said it was time to move forward and said: "Come on Scotland, let's get on with this together."

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg hailed the No vote as a "momentous decision to safeguard our family of nations for future generations".

He said the referendum "marks not only a new chapter for Scotland within the UK but also wider constitutional reform across the Union".

Dundee celebrates a Yes

Leader of the House of Commons William Hague, who will be in charge of drawing up plans for more powers for English MPs, Northern Ireland and Wales, said it would be disruptive of the imminent party conferences to recall Parliament to discuss the issues but the Government would be open to the views of MPs.

He said the work of drawing up the new powers for the UK could begin without Parliament sitting.

The pound has strengthened and the FTSE 100 is forecast to rebound by more than 100 points following the No vote in Scotland's independence referendum.

Celebrations in the No camp as the results come in

But the result has left a country divided with Yes victories in Dundee and the nation's largest city Glasgow.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said whatever the result, politics in Scotland would not be the same: "The status quo has been thoroughly smashed."

Labour MP Jim Murphy, who played a leading role in the Better Together campaign, told Sky News: "We are going to have to make a success of the decision Scotland has made.

"While I'm delighted, there is no time or space for triumph and we have got to get on and offer that devolution package we offered and unite the country around that."

In the closing stages of a hard-fought campaign, it appeared the momentum had swung towards Mr Salmond.

Ultimately however, he failed to convince the Scottish electorate that the merits of going it alone outweighed the risks.

:: Watch live: Scottish referendum coverage now on Sky News Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 132.

:: Live coverage is also available on sky.com/news and Sky News for iPad and on your mobile phone.

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Scottish Referendum: What They're Saying

Supporters of both the Yes and No campaigns have been giving their reactions to Scotland's decision to reject independence.

Prime Minister David Cameron: "The people of Scotland have spoken and it is a clear result. They've kept our country of four nations together and like millions of other people, I am delighted.

"As I said during the campaign, it would have broken my heart to see our United Kingdom come to an end and I know that this sentiment was shared not just by people across our country but also around the world.

"Now the debate has been settled for a generation, or as Alex Salmond has said, perhaps for a lifetime. So there can be no disputes, no reruns - we have heard the settled will of the Scottish people.

Alex Salmond: 'I accept that verdict of the people'

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond: "Scotland has by majority decided not at this stage to become an independent country and I accept that verdict of the people, and I call on all Scots to follow suit in accepting the democratic verdict of the people of Scotland.

"The process by which we have made our decision as a nation reflects enormous credit upon Scotland.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling gave financial backing to the Yes campaign

"A turnout of 86% is one of the highest in the democratic world for any election or any referendum in history - this has been a triumph for the democratic process and for participation in politics."

Better Together campaign chair Alistair Darling: "The people of Scotland have spoken. We have chosen unity over division and positive change rather than needless separation."

Nicola Sturgeon said the campaign was 'a joy to be part of'

Author and Better Together supporter J K Rowling: "Been up all night watching Scotland make history. A huge turnout, a peaceful democratic process: we should be proud."

Scottish Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon: "This campaign has been a joy to be part of, it's quite unlike anything I've ever been part of in my life before.

"As have thousands and thousands of others, I have given my heart and soul to this campaign but what has been amazing are the number of people who have never been involved in politics before, who have never campaigned as part of a political movement before, who have got involved."

Nick Clegg said the result was welcome 'in a dangerous and uncertain world'

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg: "I'm absolutely delighted the Scottish people have taken this momentous decision to safeguard our family of nations for future generations.

"In a dangerous and uncertain world I have no doubt we are stronger, safer, and more prosperous together than we ever could be apart.

"But a vote against independence was clearly not a vote against change and we must now deliver on time and in full the radical package of newly devolved powers to Scotland.

Better Together's Jim Murphy: "We are going to have to make a success of the decision Scotland has made.

"While I'm delighted, there is no time or space for triumph and we have got to get on and offer that devolution package we offered and unite the country around that.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby: "Over the past few weeks the campaign has touched on such raw issues of identity and been so closely fought that it has generated profound questioning and unsettlement far beyond Scotland.

"The decision by the Scottish people to remain within the United Kingdom, while deeply disappointing to many, will be welcomed by all those who believe that this country can continue to be an example of how different nations can work together for the common good within one state.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage: "The way that Westminster handled this was abysmal from the start.

"A series of promises were made on behalf of the English. The English are 86% by population of this union, they've been left out of all of this ( The Barnett formula) for the past 18 years ... what most English people want is a fair settlement."

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson: "Scotland had the biggest, broadest conversation about our future. We have to come together again & move forward together. It's all our home."

Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson: "Delighted Scotland has voted to remain in the Union.  We are better together."

Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones: "Pleased the people of Scotland have voted to remain in the Union – together we will shape a new constitutional future for the UK."

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IS Planned Beheading In Australia, PM Says

Fears supporters of Islamic State were planning to kidnap a random person and carry out a "demonstration killing" prompted Australia's largest ever anti-terror raids, the prime minister has said.

Asked about reports that the planned attack involved a plot to behead a person in Sydney, Tony Abbott said: "That's the intelligence we received.

"The exhortations - quite direct exhortations - were coming from an Australian who is apparently quite senior in ISIL (also known as IS or ISIS) to networks of support back in Australia to conduct demonstration killings here in this country.

"This is not just suspicion, this is intent and that's why the police and security agencies decided to act in the way they have."

More than 800 police officers were involved in the raids

More than 800 officers took part in the operation which saw at least 15 people detained and one charged with a serious "terrorism-related" offence.

The suspects had purchased machetes, balaclavas and military fatigues and planned to record the killing to be released on social media, Australia's ABC News reported. 

Pictures in the Australian media showed a sword being removed from one of the properties

The early morning raids of homes and businesses in Sydney and Brisbane came just days after Australia raised its national terror threat level to "high" for the first time, citing the likelihood of terrorist attacks by Australians radicalised in Iraq or Syria.

A suspect is detained by armed police during the operation

One of the suspects arrested made a brief appearance in court on Thursday.

Prosecutors said Omarjan Azari - who is charged with conspiracy to prepare for a terrorist attack- was involved in an alleged plan to "gruesomely" kill someone, an attack that was "clearly designed to shock and horrify" the public.

Court documents accused the 22-year-old of conspiring with former Sydney nightclub bouncer Mohammad Ali Baryalei, 33, who is suspected to be Australia's most senior member of IS in Syria and Iraq.

Prosecutor Michael Allnutt said the charge followed from the interception of a phone call made in recent days.

A police forensic expert gathers evidence at a property in Sydney

Police have also issued an arrest warrant for Baryalei.

Sydney is home to around half of Australia's 500,000 Muslims, with the majority living in the western suburbs where the raids were carried out.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the operation showed the reality of the threat facing Australia.

He said: "You know it is of serious concern that right at the heart of our communities we have people that are planning to conduct random attacks.

"Today we work together to make sure that didn't happen. We have disrupted that particular attack."

Australia, which is due to host the G20 Leaders Summit in Brisbane in mid-November, is concerned over the number of its citizens believed to be fighting overseas with Islamist militant groups.

Police chiefs said the operation highlighted the reality of the threat

Mr Scipione said: "Our police will continue to work tirelessly to prevent any such attacks but certainly can I stress that right now, is a time for calm.

"We don't need to whip this up.

"We need to let people know that they are safe and certainly from our perspective we know that the work this morning will ensure that all of those plans that may have been on foot have been thwarted."

Up to 160 Australians have either been involved in the fighting in the Middle East or actively supporting it, officials said.

At least 20 are believed to have returned to Australia and pose a national security risk, the head of the country's spy agency said when raising the threat level last week.

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Decision Day For Voters: Scots Go To Polls

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Scottish people have started voting in a referendum that will change Britain forever, whatever the outcome.

A Yes vote at the end of a hard-fought campaign will bring an end to the Union of the United Kingdom that has stood for 307 years.

Voters will be asked a simple question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

Four million people will take part in the referendum which is expected to produce a turnout as high as 90%.

More than 2,600 schools, sports centres and local halls have opened their doors to voters.

After the polls close at 10pm tonight, counting of the votes takes place at 32 regional centres all over Scotland and then once each result is in, the numbers will be sent to the main counting centre in Edinburgh.

The earliest declarations, at around 2am on Friday, will include North Lanarkshire, Orkney, East Lothian and Perth and Kinross.

The latest, at 6am, is expected to be Aberdeen. Dundee is expected at 3am and Edinburgh and Glasgow at 5am.

:: Watch live: Scottish referendum coverage from 9pm on Sky News Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 132.

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Salmond: No One Can Stop Scotland Using Pound

How Facebook Shaped The Referendum

Updated: 8:27am UK, Tuesday 16 September 2014

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

It's Facebook 'wot might win it.

Sure, the August poll surge in support for independence was down, in part, to traditional campaigning. Meetings and megaphones have thrust the Yes campaign "in yer face" over years leading up to Thursday.

But why, according to the opinion polls, did it all seem to come together in the space of a few weeks? Why, suddenly, the knife-edge?

In the word of a senior Yes strategist: Facebook.

I chatted to him as the Alex Salmond Labour Heartland tour rolled up at its latest venue, playing to the target market through the TV cameras. It was a big, well-attended, photo-call - the staple diet of the political campaign.

As the strategist stood back from the madding crowd, he told me that the magic formula didn't lie in the blood and snotters of a mass media scrum, but in the quiet exploitation of social media. Facebook, in particular.

The challenge for supporters of Scottish independence, historically, has been in turning it from a fringe notion into something people allow themselves to contemplate. Check their election success at the Scottish Parliament to see the considerable style with which that's been accomplished.

Scots have taken the hop and a step. Why, now, might they be shaping to take the jump? 

The Yes strategist pinned it on Facebook.

"Ask yourself," he said, to paraphrase him, "if a parent wants to check on their youngster who's on a night out, what do they do?  They don't phone them, because they probably won't answer.

"They might text ... but, invariably, they'll Facebook them. And when they do, dozens or hundreds of their friends will see it. It's a chat network that plugs people into the other people they value. There are no better opinion-formers for someone than the friends and family they like and trust.

"So, as a campaigning tool, it's been very effective. We encourage Yes supporters to spread the word to their Facebook friends and, over time, you build a network around people that builds a political case.

"Facebook is more effective than Twitter. You put something on Twitter and you reach people within the political bubble. With Facebook, you tap into a far bigger community."

So why the spike in support for Yes after polls that had No with a consistent and strong lead over the course of a two and a half year campaign?

"People just didn't turn their mind to the referendum until it actually came round. It's been in the far distance for most of the campaign but, now that people realise they're getting to decision time, large numbers are now weighing up the arguments ... and they're deciding having had their views on independence softened by Facebook friends."

There were more than 10 million referendum-related interactions on Facebook in the five weeks to September 8 - 85% of which was from Scotland.

He said he reckoned the Yes campaign had been four or five times more active than their opponents on Facebook and pointed out a Facebook chat with Scotland's pro-independence First Minister Alex Salmond attracted around 5,000 questions.

Data suggests the Yes campaign is slightly in the lead with 2.05 interactions in Scotland compared to 1.96 million for the no campaign.

The strategist said the campaigning beauty of social media was that it eliminated the need to rely on mainstream media coverage, that the likes of Facebook cut out the middle man and enabled them to reach out to the voter directly.

Just how many the campaign has touched and what effect it has had, we'll find out soon enough.

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Sky Poll: Scots Unclear Over No Vote Powers

PM May Regret 'Double Or Quits' Scot Gamble

Updated: 7:06am UK, Wednesday 17 September 2014

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

If David Cameron has any regrets on the eve of the final day of campaigning in the Scottish referendum, one might centre on the terms he negotiated for this historic vote.

After all, polls suggest that the largest group of Scots did not want to choose "Yes" or "No". Instead, they would have been happy with a third option, so-called "Devo-Max".

But the Prime Minister, not keen on handing over more devolution, decided to play double or quits.

He made the contest a straight choice - presumably confident that it would result in the outcome that he wanted.

Now there is a chance that his gamble may not pay off.

What no one expected months ago, when the No campaign had a 22-point lead, was a race that would be described in its final days as being on a knife-edge.

But that is what Mr Cameron is now faced with.

And it explains why he, along with Labour leader Ed Miliband, and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, have put a big new offer on the table for Scottish voters.

An offer that devolves more powers to the country, and is being received by many of its newspapers as the "Devo-Max" the Prime Minister originally rejected.

The Daily Record, for example, says the choice is now between a "No" vote that means Scotland and the UK are changed forever, or a "Yes" vote that ends Britain.

Offering that new choice leaves Mr Cameron facing a potential backlash in England among MPs who feel his promise gives their constituents an unfair deal.

He did it because the stakes are high, with the Prime Minister's job under threat if he loses this vote.

That is why on Monday, instead of bowing to calls to recall Parliament to discuss the murder of a British hostage in the Middle East, he travelled to Aberdeen to love-bomb Scotland.

Mr Cameron said he would be "heartbroken" if the UK was divided, telling Scots he knew they did not like him but he would not be around forever.

But if the stakes are high for the Conservative leader, they are arguably higher for his Labour counterpart, who faces losing dozens of MPs and the hope of future majorities.

That is why Ed Miliband will be north of the border from now until after the vote.

As for Mr Clegg, an independent Scotland would lose him one fifth of his Parliamentary party.

Yet their challenge remains a steep one - a Yes campaign that has energy and momentum, and which has already persuaded a large proportion of Scots to change their mind.

Alex Salmond enters these final 24 hours with his life-long dream of independence in touching distance.

And remember, no one expected it to be this close.

If he just misses out, he will still be able to argue that his campaign pushed the opposition into placing on offer on the table with many more powers for the Scottish people.

With one day to go, Mr Salmond is, arguably, facing a win-win situation.

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Scotland Campaign Trail 'Sours', Says Darling

How Facebook Shaped The Referendum

Updated: 8:27am UK, Tuesday 16 September 2014

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

It's Facebook 'wot might win it.

Sure, the August poll surge in support for independence was down, in part, to traditional campaigning. Meetings and megaphones have thrust the Yes campaign "in yer face" over years leading up to Thursday.

But why, according to the opinion polls, did it all seem to come together in the space of a few weeks? Why, suddenly, the knife-edge?

In the word of a senior Yes strategist: Facebook.

I chatted to him as the Alex Salmond Labour Heartland tour rolled up at its latest venue, playing to the target market through the TV cameras. It was a big, well-attended, photo-call - the staple diet of the political campaign.

As the strategist stood back from the madding crowd, he told me that the magic formula didn't lie in the blood and snotters of a mass media scrum, but in the quiet exploitation of social media. Facebook, in particular.

The challenge for supporters of Scottish independence, historically, has been in turning it from a fringe notion into something people allow themselves to contemplate. Check their election success at the Scottish Parliament to see the considerable style with which that's been accomplished.

Scots have taken the hop and a step. Why, now, might they be shaping to take the jump? 

The Yes strategist pinned it on Facebook.

"Ask yourself," he said, to paraphrase him, "if a parent wants to check on their youngster who's on a night out, what do they do?  They don't phone them, because they probably won't answer.

"They might text ... but, invariably, they'll Facebook them. And when they do, dozens or hundreds of their friends will see it. It's a chat network that plugs people into the other people they value. There are no better opinion-formers for someone than the friends and family they like and trust.

"So, as a campaigning tool, it's been very effective. We encourage Yes supporters to spread the word to their Facebook friends and, over time, you build a network around people that builds a political case.

"Facebook is more effective than Twitter. You put something on Twitter and you reach people within the political bubble. With Facebook, you tap into a far bigger community."

So why the spike in support for Yes after polls that had No with a consistent and strong lead over the course of a two and a half year campaign?

"People just didn't turn their mind to the referendum until it actually came round. It's been in the far distance for most of the campaign but, now that people realise they're getting to decision time, large numbers are now weighing up the arguments ... and they're deciding having had their views on independence softened by Facebook friends."

There were more than 10 million referendum-related interactions on Facebook in the five weeks to September 8 - 85% of which was from Scotland.

He said he reckoned the Yes campaign had been four or five times more active than their opponents on Facebook and pointed out a Facebook chat with Scotland's pro-independence First Minister Alex Salmond attracted around 5,000 questions.

Data suggests the Yes campaign is slightly in the lead with 2.05 interactions in Scotland compared to 1.96 million for the no campaign.

The strategist said the campaigning beauty of social media was that it eliminated the need to rely on mainstream media coverage, that the likes of Facebook cut out the middle man and enabled them to reach out to the voter directly.

Just how many the campaign has touched and what effect it has had, we'll find out soon enough.

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Westminster Leaders Pledge 'No' Vote Powers

How Facebook Shaped The Referendum

Updated: 8:27am UK, Tuesday 16 September 2014

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

It's Facebook 'wot might win it.

Sure, the August poll surge in support for independence was down, in part, to traditional campaigning. Meetings and megaphones have thrust the Yes campaign "in yer face" over years leading up to Thursday.

But why, according to the opinion polls, did it all seem to come together in the space of a few weeks? Why, suddenly, the knife-edge?

In the word of a senior Yes strategist: Facebook.

I chatted to him as the Alex Salmond Labour Heartland tour rolled up at its latest venue, playing to the target market through the TV cameras. It was a big, well-attended, photo-call - the staple diet of the political campaign.

As the strategist stood back from the madding crowd, he told me that the magic formula didn't lie in the blood and snotters of a mass media scrum, but in the quiet exploitation of social media. Facebook, in particular.

The challenge for supporters of Scottish independence, historically, has been in turning it from a fringe notion into something people allow themselves to contemplate. Check their election success at the Scottish Parliament to see the considerable style with which that's been accomplished.

Scots have taken the hop and a step. Why, now, might they be shaping to take the jump? 

The Yes strategist pinned it on Facebook.

"Ask yourself," he said, to paraphrase him, "if a parent wants to check on their youngster who's on a night out, what do they do?  They don't phone them, because they probably won't answer.

"They might text ... but, invariably, they'll Facebook them. And when they do, dozens or hundreds of their friends will see it. It's a chat network that plugs people into the other people they value. There are no better opinion-formers for someone than the friends and family they like and trust.

"So, as a campaigning tool, it's been very effective. We encourage Yes supporters to spread the word to their Facebook friends and, over time, you build a network around people that builds a political case.

"Facebook is more effective than Twitter. You put something on Twitter and you reach people within the political bubble. With Facebook, you tap into a far bigger community."

So why the spike in support for Yes after polls that had No with a consistent and strong lead over the course of a two and a half year campaign?

"People just didn't turn their mind to the referendum until it actually came round. It's been in the far distance for most of the campaign but, now that people realise they're getting to decision time, large numbers are now weighing up the arguments ... and they're deciding having had their views on independence softened by Facebook friends."

There were more than 10 million referendum-related interactions on Facebook in the five weeks to September 8 - 85% of which was from Scotland.

He said he reckoned the Yes campaign had been four or five times more active than their opponents on Facebook and pointed out a Facebook chat with Scotland's pro-independence First Minister Alex Salmond attracted around 5,000 questions.

Data suggests the Yes campaign is slightly in the lead with 2.05 interactions in Scotland compared to 1.96 million for the no campaign.

The strategist said the campaigning beauty of social media was that it eliminated the need to rely on mainstream media coverage, that the likes of Facebook cut out the middle man and enabled them to reach out to the voter directly.

Just how many the campaign has touched and what effect it has had, we'll find out soon enough.

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Cameron Hardens Stance With Vow To Destroy IS

By Faisal Islam, Political Editor, in Downing Street

The message from Downing Street is one of resolve.

The Government will not be bounced into a change of strategy by the heinous public murder of a British aid worker.

The rhetoric, however, did harden somewhat.

The Prime Minister returned from Chequers to Downing St on Saturday night after the murder. He was referred to by name in the video distributed by IS.

He responded with a personal message. David Haines was a "British hero" who devoted his life to humanitarian aid, he said.

Mr Haines' killers, including the masked man with the British accent, "are not Muslims, they are monsters". He vowed that Britain would and could not "walk on by".

He hardened previous language about "squeezing ISIL out of existence" to a promise to "destroy ISIL with an iron determination".

This looked like a PM about to announce military action. Indeed the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced the deployment of 600 combat personnel and military aircraft to the UAE.

The direction of travel is pretty clear. But the actual strategy remains the same.

Mr Haines was kidnapped in Syria in 2013

There will be no emergency recall of Parliament, as suggested by some backbench MPs, including ex-Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt.

There will be no British combat "boots on the ground". Airstrikes are neither ruled in nor ruled out.

The limited lethal military aid, (some small quantity of heavy weaponry) given to the Kurdish peshmerga will continue.

Any ramping up of this will only be after the creation of a stable inclusive Iraqi government (which has started) and the establishment of a regional coalition.

As the PM told Sky News at the Nato summit, he is keen to show he has "learnt the lessons of the past".

The killer refers to Mr Cameron by name in the beheading video

That is a reference to the Iraq war in 2003. That involves a detailed, sustainable, diplomatic plan.

It is also fortuitous, because the PM can continue to avoid getting ahead of public and parliamentary opinion.

He is understandably burnt from the experience of the Syria vote a year ago. My assessment is that his Coalition, parliament, and the public, are getting on side.

The other brake on immediate action, of course, is US President Barack Obama. The White House put out a statement saying the US stood "shoulder to shoulder" with the UK.

The aim to "degrade and destroy" ISIL is clear. The assessment that a "Western intervention" alone is not a sustainable solution to this issue remains.

One key understated reason: that using superior western military might, is also a form of leverage for good behaviour from the new government in Iraq.

So the direction of travel remains clear. But we are still not yet at the point of the actual military engagement of a multinational coalition.

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Global Push To Combat IS After UK Beheading

International efforts to combat Islamic State militants have taken on added urgency after the beheading of a British aid worker and the threat to kill a second UK hostage.

The brutal murder of David Haines comes amid moves to form a broad coalition against the terror group which has grabbed large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond is attending a summit - spearheaded by French President Francois Hollande and Iraqi President Fuad Masum in Paris this morning - bringing together 30 countries to co-ordinate a response to the IS threat.

Prince Saud al Faisal, foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, and representatives of the six-nation Gulf Co-operation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are among the delegates at the conference.

Ahead of the talks, Washington said several countries in the Middle East had offered to join airstrikes against the militants, while Australia said it would send aircraft and personnel and France announced it would begin reconnaissance missions over Iraq.

Mr Hammond and US Secretary Of State John Kerry arriving in Paris

Prime Minister David Cameron, who is under pressure to act following the killing of Mr Haines, has given no indication over whether he would commit military forces to airstrikes.

Video footage of the British aid worker's death showed a knife-wielding militant who speaks with a British accent.

The clip also included a threat to kill a second hostage, Alan Henning, who was a volunteer on an aid convoy.

It follows the beheadings of two American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

Mr Haines was taken hostage in Syria last year

Mr Cameron vowed to "hunt down" the "monsters" who killed Mr Haines, and said the crime would "strengthen our resolve" to smash the extremist network which has seized swathes of Iraq and Syria.

He said the UK would seek to "mobilise the broadest possible support to bear down" on IS at the United Nations.

"This is not about British combat troops on the ground, it is about working with others to extinguish this terrorist threat," he said.

"As this strategy intensifies we are ready to take whatever steps are necessary to deal with this threat and keep our country safe."

Mr Cameron has vowed to 'hunt down' the 'monsters' who killed Mr Haines

Although former military chiefs are among those pressing for the UK to join airstrikes, Downing Street has ruled out any immediate recall of Parliament.

Explaining Mr Cameron's dilemma, Sky's Chief Political Correspondent Jon Craig said: "He tried to get a vote in Parliament last year on missile strikes on Syria.

"Thirty or so Conservative MPs voted against, as did Labour, and he lost the vote. He was humiliated.

"So he doesn't particularly want to go down that route again."

A central part of the plan is to engage Arab countries in the coalition

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is also in Paris and has been touring the Middle East to rally support, told CBS: "We have countries in this region, countries outside of this region, in addition to the United States, all of whom are prepared to engage in military assistance, in actual strikes if that is what it requires."

However, Iraq's president has said it is "not necessary" for Arab powers to join airstrikes against Islamic State.

Iran has dismissed the conference as "just for show".

Deputy foreign minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian told state television: "What would interest Iran is a real fight against terrorism in the region and around the world, not this selective one."

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Hostage David Haines' Murder 'Evil', PM Says

David Cameron has condemned the beheading of British aid worker David Haines by Islamic State, describing it as an "act of pure evil".

A video released by the militant organisation appears to show 44-year-old father of two Mr Haines being murdered.

In a statement put out by Downing Street, Mr Cameron says: "This is a despicable and appalling murder of an innocent aid worker. It is an act of pure evil.

"My heart goes out to the family of David Haines who have shown extraordinary courage and fortitude throughout this ordeal.

"We will do everything in our power to hunt down these murderers and ensure they face justice, however long it takes."

Mr Haines' brother Mike said his sibling was "just another bloke" who "helped whoever needed help" until he was murdered "in cold blood".

David Cameron returned to Downing Street with his head bowed

Mr Haines was thought to have been held captive by militant group Islamic State after being kidnapped from a Syrian refugee camp near the border with Turkey last year.

Mr Cameron has returned to Downing Street and will chair a Cobra meeting today at 10am with representatives from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office.

The release of the video came hours after Mr Haines' family urged his captors to contact them.

In the video, the victim looks into the camera and makes a statement, holding Mr Cameron responsible for his own "execution".

In the statement, which appears to have been made under duress, he said: "You entered voluntarily into a coalition with the United States against the Islamic State just as your predecessor Tony Blair did, following a trend against our British prime ministers who can't find the courage to say 'no' to the Americans.

"Unfortunately it is we the British public that in the end will pay the price for our Parliament's selfish decisions."

A man dressed in black addresses David Cameron in the video

A spokesperson from the FCO said: "All the signs are that the video is genuine. We have no reason to believe it is not."

The killing comes just weeks after American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff were beheaded by Islamic State (IS). Those deaths were also filmed, and the videos were released on the internet.

In the new video, a man dressed in black stood behind Mr Haines. The man seemed to speak with an English accent.

After Mr Haines finished his statement, the man said: "This British man has to pay the price for your promise, Cameron, to arm the peshmerga against the Islamic State.

"Your evil alliance with America which continues to strike the Muslims of Iraq and most recently bombed the Haditha Dam will only accelerate your destruction."

David Haines worked as an aid worker

"If you, Cameron, persist in fighting the Islamic State then you like your master Obama will have the blood of your people on your hands."

Another man who Sky News is not naming, said to be British, then appears at the end of the video and is threatened with being killed.

The Foreign Office said Mr Haines' family wished to be left alone.

US President Barack Obama has put out a statement saying: "Our hearts go out to the family of Mr Haines and to the people of the United Kingdom.

"The United States stands shoulder to shoulder tonight with our close friend and ally in grief and resolve."

France strongly condemned the murder and called for an international mobilisation to fight the Islamist group.

"The heinous murder of David Haines shows once again how the international community must mobilise against Daesh," the French presidency said in statement, referring to the Arabic acronym for IS.

The murders have prompted a number of commentators to call for swift and firm action. Former head of the Army Lord Dannatt said the UK should respond by playing its role in the assault against IS promised by Mr Obama.

"What we absolutely need to do is not be cowed in any way by yet another foul murder of a hostage," he said.

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IS Threat To Cameron Likely To Stiffen Resolve

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

The murder of British hostage David Haines follows a now all too familiar, horrific pattern.

He is the third Western hostage beheaded by the terror group Islamic State in recent weeks, with the killing recorded and posted online.

It was billed as "A Message To The Allies of America" - effectively a direct challenge to Prime Minister David Cameron and the UK Government's support for action against IS militants in the region.

In the video, a masked man, dressed in black, makes a statement to camera before appearing to kill his hostage.

Speaking in a British accent, the militant said: "This British man has to pay the price for your promise, Cameron, to arm the peshmerga against the Islamic State.

"Your evil alliance with America which continues to strike the Muslims of Iraq and most recently bombed the Haditha Dam, will only accelerate your destruction, and playing the role of the obedient lapdog Cameron will only drag you and your people into another bloody and unwinnable war."

This man addresses David Cameron in the video

Islamic State is as 21st Century techno-savvy as it is medieval in its barbarism.

The group has a well-established network of online supporters, who are quick to disseminate its gruesome videos and spread its propaganda.

There is no doubt the terror group is smarting from the US airstrikes designed to degrade and dismantle its Iraq-based fighters.

James Foley, the first of the Western hostages murdered, was apparently killed by the group last month as a direct response to those airstrikes.

The death two weeks later of fellow US journalist Steven Sotloff only served to stiffen America's resolve, with President Barack Obama vowing to take the fight to Islamic State, not just in Iraq but in Syria too.

Now the latest bid to pressure the UK's political leaders to stop their support for the fight against the group will also fail.

David Haines was understood to have been taken hostage in Syria

Moreover, as with the deaths of the two Americans, it will only galvanise the UK's determination to tackle the IS threat more robustly.

Indeed, David Cameron issued a statement which warned: "We will do everything in our power to hunt down these murderers and ensure they face justice, however long it takes."

Mixed with the mourning and the tributes in the days ahead, there will also be many calls for tougher action by the UK Government and calls to join America in the air war - calls Mr Cameron will find it increasingly difficult to resist.

Any increased military effort will run alongside an expanding criminal investigation by the police and security services back in the UK.

Following the death of James Foley, Scotland Yard said it was making "significant progress" in efforts to identify the man responsible.

Believed to be British, voice analysts say he has a distinctive multi-cultural London accent.

Initial analysis of the latest video would appear to show the same British jihadi involved in David Haines' murder, speaking with the same London accent, the same height and build, and carrying a combat knife in his left hand.

The security services almost certainly already know who he is, but bringing him to justice is likely to be a very protracted affair.

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