Scotland's first minister took a step closer to breaking up the United Kingdom by announcing she intends to begin the legal process of holding a new independence referendum for Scots. <br/><br/>At a news conference in Edinburgh yesterday, Nicola Sturgeon said it is the right thing to give Scots an opportunity to express their opinion following Brexit, last year's vote by Britain to leave the European Union. <br/><br/>In her speech, Sturgeon, whose Scottish National Party is the largest party north of the English border, said she was not prepared to do nothing while Brexit threatened Scotland's economy and its links with Europe.