Report Into Downing Of MH17 Set For Release

Dutch authorities are expected to publish a preliminary report into the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 later.

The Netherlands is co-ordinating criminal investigations into the July 17 disaster by multiple countries, including Ukraine, Malaysia, Australia and Belgium.

The report will set out what is believed to have happened, but will not apportion blame.

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.

Newcastle fans Liam Sweeney and John Alder were among the victims

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

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 Canada, Germany, Indonesia, New Zealand, the Philippines and the UK.

Rebels in Ukraine prevented medical personnel from recovering the bodies of victims as fighting erupted with Ukrainian forces.

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

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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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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 expected to travel by private plane for the three-hour flight to Prague.

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 Materno Infantil 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".

Ashya and his brother Naveed

"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's parents were arrested for removing him from hospital

"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 and held in custody in Spain after they took him from Southampton General Hospital on August 28 without the permission of doctors.

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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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.

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Missing Teenager Alice Gross: Man Arrested

Police hunting for missing 14-year-old Alice Gross have arrested a man on suspicion of murder.

The 25-year-old suspect was arrested in the Ealing area at around 5pm on Saturday and is currently in custody at a west London police station.

His arrest follows information detectives received earlier in the day.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "All lines of enquiry are still open at this time and this remains a missing person investigation at this stage."

Alice was spotted on CCTV before she vanished

Alice, who suffers from anorexia, disappeared from her home in Hanwell, west London, on Thursday, August 28.

She left her home at around 1pm and was captured on CCTV an hour later on the Grand Union Canal towpath near Brentford Lock, walking towards the River Thames.

She was later filmed again at 3.45pm along the towpath heading back to her home.

The footage showed her wearing dark blue jeans, a dark green lacy cardigan and denim blue Vans shoes. She may also have had tartan-framed glasses.

Newly released CCTV images of cyclists spotted in the area

Earlier, the Met Police released new pictures of cyclists riding past the spot where Alice was last spotted, shortly before her disappearance.

The grainy footage show three cyclists riding along the towpath by the Trumpers Way Canal Bridge in Hanwell, moments before Alice walks past at 4.23pm.

They are followed by two more cyclists who pass under the bridge on the Grand Union Canal.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Chalmers from the Homicide and Major Crime Command said: "I would urge everyone to take a good look at the pictures released today to see if it jogs any memories of the day Alice went missing."

A large social media campaign has been under way since the teenager went missing and hundreds of posters have been distributed around the area.

A social media campaign was launched after the 14-year-old went missing

Alice's mother Rosalind Hodgkiss appealed to her daughter directly on the Facebook page Find Alice Gross, saying: "Alice if you can see this, please know sweetheart that all of us love you and miss you desperately.

"You may be sad, you may be angry, you may be hurt, you may be scared too. I just want to hug and hold you. Know that we love you and are there for you whatever you are going through.

"My love please get in touch and let someone know you are safe. Alice please come home. Mum."

Alice is described as white, 5ft 2ins tall and of slim build, with shoulder-length light brown hair.

Anyone with information can call police on 020 8358 0100, Ealing Missing Persons Unit on 020 8246 1018 or the charity Missing People on 116 000.

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Scottish Referendum: Yes Campaign Takes Lead

How Scottish 'Yes' May Impact Invisible Border

Updated: 10:34am UK, Tuesday 02 September 2014

By Poppy Trowbridge, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

For those that live along the invisible border that divides Scotland and England, daily life could change dramatically with a Yes vote in the September 18 referendum.

These communities, from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Coldstream to Gretna, will certainly feel the effect of any changes first.

While business and families could suddenly find themselves exporting and travelling abroad, currency is the top concern for most people.

Harry Frew, owner of Cheviot Trees - a farm based in Scotland, but so near the border it has an English postcode - says the uncertainty is damaging.

"Currency is our biggest issue," Mr Frew said.

"It would be a major impact on the business, a lot of extra admin and costs. If Scotland was to end up with euros, we would have to become used to invoicing in euros. Personally I think it is something we'd rather avoid."

Whether Scotland keeps the pound, adopts the euro or produces its own tender will determine the ease and cost of doing business on both sides if the Yes campaign bridges the six point gap with Better Together.

Cross-border workers may find themselves subject to two different tax regimes.

Eventually there could be two entirely different systems for borrowing, saving, buying and selling, working and retiring between the two countries.

Stephen Hay, head of tax at Baker Tilly in Edinburgh, said: "Of course people are going to be concerned about the pound in their pocket.

"A pensioner in Scotland will receive a pension, but the tax he pays on that pension could be higher or lower than a pensioner in England under independence.

"If the tax rate is higher in Scotland then clearly the less they'll have and equally if the tax rate is lower in Scotland the more they'll have, so I would imagine that will be a particular issue for a lot of people."

The Scottish Government plans to set the state pension at £160 per week, while the UK will set the new single tier rate next year, it's likely to be slightly lower around £148.

The current Scottish Government's White Paper also suggests that in the event of independence, it would review (and possibly withdraw) the UK Government's decision to raise the retirement age to 67 - keeping it at 65.

Home Secretary Theresa May has threatened checkpoints along the boundary should an independent Scotland pursue an immigration policy more lenient than that of the UK.

That could mean commuters would require passports.

The Scottish Government proposes one major simplification though.

An independent Scotland would replace the 95 ombudsmen that deal with a range of consumer issues within the UK: from roofing, to renewable energy, to financial services, with a single Scottish Consumer and Competition authority.

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Nato Leaders To Unveil Tough Russia Sanctions

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Tough new measures designed to halt Russian aggression in Ukraine will be unveiled on the second and final day of the Nato summit in Wales.

The United States and European Union are due to announce a new round of co-ordinated economic sanctions against Russia, US and British government sources have reported.

These are set to include restrictions on some of the country's all-important energy firms and travel restrictions.

But it comes amid reports of further fighting to the east of the port of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine, hours before Ukrainian, Russian and European envoys are expected to back a peace plan and a ceasefire.

Mayor of Mariupol, Yuri Khotlubey, told Ukraine's 112 TV channel: "Our artillery has come and is being deployed against the (pro-Russian) rebels.

Nato says thousands of Russian troops are in Ukraine

A commander of a Ukrainian volunteer militia based in Mariupol told Reuters news agency: "We were under fire all night but we are still keeping the rebels at bay. They are facing us with tanks and artillery."

Western leaders accuse Russia of sending thousands of troops into the east of the country.

Speaking on the sidelines of the summit on Thursday, deputy White House national security adviser Ben Rhodes said Russia would pay a price for its actions.

""The key point is that Russia must continue to face costs for its own escalation.

"If Russia escalates, we can escalate our pressure."

Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has warned that Russia's incursion poses the most serious security threat to Europe since the Cold War, although Moscow has consistently denied direct military involvement.

Nato wants Iraq to request military training support

Nato is also expected to finalise plans for a Rapid Reaction Force that can deploy to Eastern Europe on 48 hours notice.

This will include pre-positioning logistic and planning support in Baltic countries, and the provision vital equipment.

Nato insists this does not breach a 1997 agreement not to create permanent bases near the Russian border.

The announcements will come a day after British Prime Minister David Cameron, US President Barack Obama and other senior Nato leaders met Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

Mr Poroshenko has announced plans to order a ceasefire, provided a peace plan is agreed during separate talks in Minsk, attended by representatives from Ukraine, Russia and pro-Russian rebel forces. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also expressed hopes a truce will come into force later, two days after he unveiled his own seven-point peace plan.

Alongside Ukraine, Nato leaders will use the final day of the summit to discuss the threat posed by Islamic State extremists in Iraq and Syria.

The alliance leaders met for a formal dinner at Cardiff Castle last night.

Mr Obama is trying to bring together a coalition of nations and it is becoming increasingly likely the UK will authorise airstrikes against IS in northern Iraq.

But for any operation to be effective, it needs the support and involvement of countries in the region.

Nato is encouraging Iraq to request training support for its military although it will not go further and involve itself in a combat mission.

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