Thousands of people marched through the Scottish capital Edinburgh on Saturday calling for independence, a year ahead of Scotland's historic referendum on whether to break away from the United Kingdom.

The pro-independence campaign "Yes Scotland" estimated that 20,000 supporters joined the march, turning the city center into a sea of blue and white as they waved thousands of Scottish flags, though police said numbers were closer to 8,300.

South Korea's main airport operator is interested in buying London's Stansted from the British Airports Authority in a bid to expand overseas business, an official said Monday.

State-owned Incheon International Airport Corp is "watching with interest" Stansted as well as Glasgow airport, the Incheon official told Agence France Presse on condition of anonymity.

Spanish-owned airports operator BAA has agreed to sell Edinburgh Airport to U.S. investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners, which already owns Gatwick and London City hubs, it said on Monday.

"BAA today announces that it has agreed to sell its 100-percent interest in Edinburgh Airport Limited to Global Infrastructure Partners for £807.2 million ($1.3 billion, 990 million euros)," the group announced in a statement. The sale is expected to close by the end of May.

Talks about a referendum on independence for Scotland due to take place on Friday have been cancelled because the British minister in charge of challenging the move to break up the UK is ill.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond was to meet the London-based government's Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore in Edinburgh for the first talks about the terms and timing of a referendum.

British oil and gas explorer Cairn Energy said Tuesday it was seeking new exploration opportunities in Lebanon and possibly elsewhere in the Middle East after the company announced a return to profit.

The Edinburgh-based company, in the process of selling most of its Indian unit to miner Vedanta Resources, said it was heading a consortium seeking to take part in an expected round of bidding for exploration licenses in Lebanon.

Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter Zara Phillips married England rugby star Mike Tindall on Saturday — but Britain's second royal wedding of the year was largely a low-key affair, with only a hint of the glamor and excitement of Prince William's showstopping nuptials.

Phillips, 30, who is 13th in line to the throne but does not use a royal title, and Tindall, 32, were greeted by hundreds of flag-waving well-wishers and the sound of traditional bagpipes as they left their wedding service at Edinburgh's Canongate Kirk following a private ceremony.