News Headlines - 18 September 2014

▽Support for Scottish independence at 46 percent - YouGov poll | Reuters

Support for Scottish independence amounts to 46 percent of the electorate with 54 percent wanting to stay in the United Kingdom, according to a poll by YouGov carried out on the day of the referendum.

▽British hostage John Cantlie paraded by Isil in video - Telegraph

Change of tactics by Islamic State terrorists as captured photojournalist is filmed suggesting that the Government should negotiate with them

▽PE HUB » Alibaba IPO prices at top of range, raising $21.8 billion: Reuters

Alibaba Group Holding priced its initial public offering at $68 a share, the top end of the expected range, raising $21.8 billion on Thursday, in the latest sign of strong investor appetite for the Chinese e-commerce juggernaut.

▽Softbank’s Masayoshi Son Now Japan’s Richest Person With $16.6 Billion - Bloomberg

Masayoshi Son surpassed Fast Retailing Co. Chairman Tadashi Yanai as Japan’s richest person yesterday after SoftBank Corp. surged 16 percent since the start of last week... Softbank owns about 34 percent of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and is benefiting from plans by China’s biggest e-commerce company to raise the amount it’s seeking in an initial public offering to as much as $21.8 billion, coming a step closer to breaking a global fundraising record.

▽Japan rejects Australian, NZ, attempt to rein in whale hunt

Japan has rejected an attempt by anti-whaling nations, including Australia, to clamp down on its controversial Antarctic "research" kill.
The Japanese Government confirmed its plans to go ahead with a new lethal hunt after losing a vote on a resolution from New Zealand to give the International Whaling Commission a greater role in issuing scientific permits.