Scotland would formally break away from the UK in March 2016 if next year’s referendum results in a vote in favour of independence, under a timetable drawn up by the Scottish Government.

David Cameron has promised to campaign against Scottish independence with “everything we've got” as negotiations over a referendum entered their final stages.

Westminster agrees to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in referendum on independence

Paul Moore, the HBOS whistleblower, is launching a lobbying group – The New Wilberforce Alliance – to spearhead a campaign for a full public inquiry to clean up the banking industry.

Oopsy Daisey

Less than 24 hours after George Osborne confirmed in the Budget that the Government would bring in new tax measures to encourage investment in research and development in the UK, the pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline announced it would be building its first new manufacturing facility in the UK for almost 40 years and investing £500m to create 1,000 UK jobs.

The comic industry's Eisner Awards may not be globally renowned, but Hollywood and beyond certainly regards winners as having big-screen potential. But it came down to a British-based production banner, Studio Eight, to option the film rights to I Killed Adolf Hitler, a graphic novel by Norwegian comic artist Jason (aka John Arne Sæterøy). The novel's publisher, Fantagraphics, has hired screenwriter D C Walker of Up Country Productions to adapt the 2007 Eisner Award winner. The story follows the adventures of a hitman who encounters complications after travelling back in time to 1938 to assassinate Hitler.

The Conservative Party chairman will today warn against the marginalisation of Christianity as she leads a delegation of seven ministers on an official visit to the Vatican.

Theroux accepts that finding a balance between entertainment and revelation is a challenge, writes Ian Burrell

A best-selling novel unnervingly brought to life by the British film-maker Lynne Ramsay has so far been the competition highlight of the Cannes Film Festival. Based on the 2003 book by Lionel Shriver, We Need to Talk About Kevin stars Tilda Swinton and is directed by Glasgow-born Ramsay, who made her feature debut in Cannes in 1999 with the acclaimed Ratcatcher and whose last film was Morvern Callar in 2002.

The referendum on whether Scotland should leave the United Kingdom may offer Scots a "third way" option of greater financial freedom without leaving the Union.