LONDON — Alex Salmond, the former first minister of Scotland who for decades championed Scotland’s independence from the U.K., has died. He was 69. Salmond, who was a divisive figure in British politics and who as the then leader of the Scottish National Party took Scotland to the brink of independence in a 2014 referendum, died in North Macedonia after delivering a speech, according to British media. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum, with U.K.