19/10/2013 BBC Weekend News

Good evening. The leader of the Scottish National Party has said a

vote for independence would be an "act of national self confidence and

self belief". Alex Salmond was speaking at the SNP's party

conference in Perth, with less than a year to go until the independence

referendum. He also said the minimum wage in Scotland would rise at least

in line with inflation if there was a "yes" vote.

11 months to go, and the independence debate is hotting up.

In the cake shop next to the conference, they are turning over

the issues, pondering which way to vote, it will Scotland say yes or no

next September? It turns out that Alex Salmond is off the cakes.

Apparently, he is on a health kick. My diet is a bit like the cause of

Scottish independence. We have travelled a substantial way, but we

have still got a job to do. His mind is on the main course, a White Paper

setting out the vision for independence will ditch will be set

out in November with a challenge. Prime minister, we will publish a

white paper. Then you and I must debate, prime minister to First

Minister. Mr Salmond said bread and butter issues would win the

referendum, so he offered a guarantee to the low paid. This

guarantee will ensure that the minimum wage rises at least in line

with inflation. Never again will wages of the lowest paid in Scotland

failed to keep up with the cost of living. Alex Salmond knows the yes

campaign is struggling in the polls, so he made his appeal to voters

outside the hall. Independence is not about this party or this First

Minister, but fundamental democratic choice for Scotland, the people's

right to choose a government of their own. They were delighted, but

they don't need convincing. Alex Salmond hopes the debate about

independence is about to enter a new phase. He knows the White Paper

could be crucial, and he hopes it could turn the tide.

The government has defended its high-speed rail project after claims

that it could lead to huge financial losses for parts of the United

Kingdom. The BBC has obtained figures from a

government-commissioned report suggesting that areas away from the

planned line could lose hundreds of millions of pounds every year.

It is the rarely line which the government boast will boost

Britain's economy by ?15 billion a year. But the report in which that

claim was made is facing accusations of playing down the economic impact

of the line on some areas. So while the report told us the prize for the

winners, like Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Greater London,

it did not tell us the cost to the losers in places like Aberdeen,

Cambridge and Bristol. Campaigners say that permission shows that the

report overstated the benefits of HS2. We are not surprised that the

government has tried to downplay the negatives and play up the positives.

But now is the time to look at the reality and cancel HS2. Ridley

report's author, the accountants KPMG, save the negative impact HS2

might have on some areas was reflected in maps included in the

report, although without the detail revealed by these figures. Ministers

say HS2 will account for just a quarter of transport investment over

the five years from 2015. All of this investment, and we are looking

at huge investment, is to serve the whole of the UK, to make the United

Kingdom a place where we attract investment so that we get jobs from

other countries into this country. The campaign against HS2 has so far

been concentrated around the areas affected riots construction. But

these figures could widen the opposition to parts of the country

that the line will not go anywhere near.

Police in Greece are trying to identify a four-year-old girl with

blonde hair who they believe may have snatched from her parents. They

found her in a Roma settlement last Wednesday. DNA tests show that she

is not related to the couple she was living with at the camp near

Farsala. Police believe the child may be a victim of abduction or

child trafficking. Four years old, and possibly a bit

dim of trafficking. It was her blonde hair and pale complexion that

first alerted police to the girl known as Maria. She stood out in the

Roma camp in central Greece where she was found during a routine

police operation. The couple gaming to be her parents changed their

story several times and produced papers that said they had had six

children in the space of ten months. After DNA tests showed no link with

Maria, they were arrested were charged with abduction. The

four-year-old is being cared for by this charity. The fear is that she

may have been trafficked. She was either sold at maternity, or later.

Possibly for begging, or later for prostitution or even worse. Around

300,000 Roma live in Greece, often in poor conditions. Authorities say

several other cases of unusual looking children in settlements have

now been reported. There have long been allegations of children sold

into Roma communities here, but the lawyer for this couple say Maria was

given to them by a woman who could not care for her, but she was not

abducted and that they are now distraught at the loss of what they

see as their legitimately. Did child. Kate and Gerry McCann say

this case has given them hope that their daughter Matalin may be found

alive, six years after she disappeared in Portugal. An

international appeal about Maria has already prompted over 5000 calls

here. But for now, exactly what happened to this little girl remains

a mystery. A plane carrying parachutists has

crashed in Belgium, killing all 11 people on board. Reports say the

aircraft suddenly lost height just after take-off for coming down in a

field in a village near the city of Namur.

The violin played to calm passengers as the Titanic was sinking has been

sold at auction in Wiltshire for ?900,000, a world record. It was

reported to have been found at sea a week after the disaster in 1912,

strapped to the body of the ship's bandmaster.

It is the violin that was never going to go for a song. Said to be

the holy grail of Titanic memorabilia. As one of the

instruments that famously played on as the Titanic floundered, it became

part of its enduring legacy. It belonged to Wallace Hartley, who

inspired his fellow band members to carry on their music to calm the

passengers. As the Titanic went down, his courage and should that he

and his violin would become integral players in the ship's legend. While

some have questioned the violin's authenticity, it did not take long

for the numbers to start climbing. Bidders in the room were soon left

trailing by those on the phone, who went up and up. Until this. 900,000.

Going? A new world record, four times the previous amount paid for a

single Titanic item. It is the iconic instrument everyone knows.

?900,000 is a world record for any Titanic item. Even at 900 thousand

pounds, this is so much more than a simple violin. Played by the man who

personifies the forgotten values and morals of a bygone era, in many

ways, this is the Titanic legend. In football, there were wins today

in the Premier League for Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton and Swansea, while

Manchester United drew 1-1 with Southampton. And in today's early

match, Daniel Sturridge scored for Liverpool to deny ten-man Newcastle

all three points. Liverpool trailed at St James' Park before the England

international headed home a cross from Luis Suarez to make the final

score 2-2. scored.

That is all for now.