BBC在线收听下载:苏格兰民主党领袖称公投为本国最民主事件

BBC news 2014-09-18

BBC News with David Austin.

With hours to go before polls open in a referendum on independence, the leader of the Scottish National Party has called the campaign the greatest democratic experience in the history of his country and one which has already changed Scotland. First Minister Alex Salmond insisted his side with the underdogs but urged his supporters to campaign tirelessly to secure a Yes vote.

This is the greatest democratic experience in the history of Scot. You've already made Scotland a much better place as a result of that campaign. And as the First Minister, I thank each and every one of you.

For former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoken in front of cheering crowds in Glasgow and explained why Scotland should embrace the union.

Those people who have been told unfairly by the nationalists that if you vote No you were less than patriotic Scot, tell them this is our Scotland. Tell them the Scotland does not belong to the SNP. Scotland does not belong to the Yes campaign. Scotland does not belong to any politicians - Mr. Salmond, Mr. Sweeney, me or any other politician. Scotland belongs to all of us.

Three separate polls are giving opponents of independence a narrow 4-point lead, but indicate that between 8 and 14 percent of voters are still undecided.

Gunmen had stormed a teacher training institute in the city of Kano in northern Nigeria. At least 13 people are reported to have been killed and more than 30 others injured at the Federal College of Education. Richard Hamilton reports.

At least 10 gunmen opened fire on students around the campus in what appeared to be a well-organized attack. Trainee teachers were seen fleeing from the college. It's not been confirmed who is behind this incident, but the suspicion will fall on the Islamist militant group Boko Haram which means Western education is forbidden. It's carried out similar raids in Kano as well as other parts of northern Nigeria. In July, the city suffered a spate of five attacks in just four days, one of which also targeted a college killing six people.

The World Bank has warned that the Ebola outbreak could have a catastrophic impact on the economies of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leon. Andrew Walker has this report.

The World Bank says that the economic impact could be close to 12% of national income next year for Liberia, 9% in Sierra Leon and still a very substantial 2.3% in Guinea. That's if the disease is not effectively contained. Even if it is, all three countries will be hit, though less severely. The main economic impact, the bank says, is from behaviour driven by the fear of infection, such as the closure of workplaces and disruption of transport systems. The bank calls for international help, including financial assistance and support for health services.

World News from the BBC.

The United States Federal Reserve has announced a farther reduction in its policy of quantitative easing, or buying financial assets with newly created money. The cut was thanks to the strength of the US economy and favorable job data.

President Obama has said he will not commit US ground troops to fight another war in Iraq. Speaking at US Central Command in Florida, Mr. Obama said America will instead help Iraqis to stand up on itself in the fight against Islamic State.

We cannot do for the Iraqis what they must do for themselves. We can't take a place of their partners in securing their own region. This is an effort that calls on America's unique abilities and responsibilities to lead. And the world is more crowded and more connected. It is America that has the unique capability to mobilize against an organization like ISIL.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has told a cabinet meeting that one million civil servants will be screened for loyalty under a new law which aims to root out corrupt practices. The government blames the previous administration under the ousted president Viktor Yanukovych for fostering corruption and serving Russia's interests. The screening will apply among others to the employees of the Interior Ministry, the Intelligent Services and the Prosecutors' Office.

A study published in the journal Nature reveals the ancestry of Europeans can be traced back to hunter-gatherers from Africa, farmers from the Middle East and a mysterious ancient tribe from Siberia. The study reveals that the African hunter-gatherers with the striking combination of blue eyes and dark skin were among the first to enter Europe. About 8,000 years ago, they encountered a group of newer arrivals - pale skinned and brown eyed farmers from the Middle East. The third group to come to Europe was a mysterious tribe from Siberia.

And those are the latest stories from BBC News.