News Headlines - 23 February 2016

▽EU Referendum: Scotland would demand independence vote if Britain quits EU, says Nicola Sturgeon

Scots would "almost certainly" demand a second independence referendum if Britain votes to exit the European Union, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said. The remarks come after Prime Minister David Cameron announced that a referendum will be held on British membership of the European Union on 23 June.

▽Portugal government's leftist ally rekindles debt renegotiation talk | Reuters

Portugal's Communist Party, which forms part of a shaky alliance in parliament backing a minority Socialist government, will present a legislative proposal in coming days to renegotiate the national debt burden.

▽Syrian government agrees to 'cessation of hostilities' plan | The Guardian

A preliminary hurdle to the start of a US and Russian-brokered ceasefire in Syria has been cleared after the Assad government said it would accept a “cessation of hostilities” on the condition that attacks on Islamic State, al-Nusra and other UN-identified terrorist groups can continue.

▽Iraqi Kurdish troops rescue Swedish teen from ISIS - Al Arabiya English

The Iraqi Kurdish government says its troops have rescued a Swedish teenager from ISIS near the city of Mosul, which is controlled by the extremists.

▽China may be installing radar on disputed South China Sea outposts: Think tank | dna

Satellite images show China may be installing a high-frequency radar system in the Spratly Islands that could significantly boost its ability control the disputed South China Sea, a US think tank reported on Monday.