9am Briefing: RBS under pressure to halve boss’ bonus

The Treasury is expected to tell bosses at the majority taxpayer-owned bank that Mr Hester should receive no more than £1 million this year.

Pay at RBS has attracted public fury over huge rewards in the financial sector ever since its £45 billion state bailout.

The coalition announced moves to tackle bonuses earlier this week, but David Cameron has refused to say if he will seek to limit Mr Hester’s pay.

• ANDY Murray brushed aside the challenge of Kei Nishikori today to ease into his third successive Australian Open semi-final.

The world number four was rarely troubled by the Japanese, winning 6-3 6-3 6-1 in two hours and 12 minutes, as he maintained his smooth progress through the draw in Melbourne.

Murray who now moves into a last-four clash with either Novak Djokovic or David Ferrer, said: “It was a good match, a lot of fun points, most of them he was winning so I was trying to keep them as short as possible.”

• ALEX Salmond will today unveil his Government’s plans for a vote on independence for Scotland.

The Scottish First Minister will launch a consultation on the referendum at Holyrood this afternoon.

The Scottish National Party administration in Edinburgh has already announced autumn 2014 as its preferred date for a vote on ending the 300 year plus long union.

There has also been speculation the consultation could open up voting in a referendum to 16 and 17-year-olds, and may also raise the prospect of holding the crucial ballot on a Saturday.

• SCOTLAND’S main doctors’ organisation has made clear it will oppose the latest bid by independent Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald to legalise assisted suicide.

In a consultation document for a new Bill, Ms MacDonald proposes to restrict people’s right to ask for help to end their life to those with a terminal illness or condition. Doctors would not be asked to administer the lethal dose, but a new group of licensed “facilitators” or “friends at the end” would be present with individuals to make sure everything was done properly.

A spokeswoman for BMA Scotland said: “The BMA is opposed to assisted suicide and physician-assisted suicide. Despite the fact there have been some changes since the last Bill, we still oppose the Bill on principle.”