Clegg: Russia Should Be Stripped Of World Cup

Russia should be stripped of the 2018 World Cup in the wake of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, says Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

He said it was "unthinkable" at present that the tournament could go ahead in the country blamed by the West for supplying arms to pro-Russian separatists suspected of shooting down the jet.

Football's world governing body Fifa this week ruled out calls from some German politicians for Russia to be boycotted, insisting the tournament could be "a force for good".

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg

Fifa President Sepp Blatter has already dismissed calls to strip Russia of the World Cup after Moscow annexed Crimea earlier this year.

But Mr Clegg told The Sunday Times that allowing it to go ahead without a change of course by Russian President Vladimir Putin would make the world look "so weak and so insincere" in its condemnation of Moscow's annexation of Crimea and support for the rebels.

"If there's one thing that Vladimir Putin cares about, as far as I can see, it's his sense of status," he said.

"Maybe reminding him that you can't retain the same status in the world if you ignore the rest of the world, maybe that will have some effect on his thinking."

Mr Clegg also said Russia should not host a Formula One Grand Prix in October, but F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has said that will go ahead as scheduled.

Part of the fuselage from the plane

Douglas Alexander, Labour's spokesman on foreign affairs, says stripping Russia of the World Cup is an option if its complicity in the downing of MH17 is proven.

"Fifa should be considering contingencies now, and any discussion should happen quickly, so that if necessary, alternative plans are in place in time for teams and fans from around the world," he said in a statement.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said he prefers to avoid mixing sport and politics and to use other means, such as EU asset freezes and sanctions on individuals and entities, to punish Russia.

A Number 10 spokesman said: "The Prime Minister does not believe we should reach immediately for boycotts, but it is also not surprising, given Russian behaviour, that people are starting to raise the issue. 

This map shows the flight path of MH17 before it crashed

"It shows the importance of Russia changing course, before its international standing is damaged even further."

Moscow has reacted angrily to additional sanctions imposed by the EU, saying they will hamper co-operation on security issues and undermine the fight against terrorism and organised crime.

Russia's foreign ministry also accused the US of contributing to the conflict in Ukraine through its support for the pro-Western government in Kiev.

The majority of those on board the Malaysia Airlines plane were Dutch, and the country's football association has said it will decide whether or not to take part in qualifying for the tournament.

It comes as an international team cancelled a trip to the crash site in eastern Ukraine due to intensifying fighting in the area between Ukrainian government forces and the rebels.

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Loyal Dog Stands Guard Over Attack Victim

Police have released a photo of a dog found standing guard over his owner who had been violently attacked in the hope it may jog the memories of potential witnesses.

The 49-year-old man was out walking his dog in Bolton, Greater Manchester, when he was knocked unconscious in the early hours of Friday morning.

Passers-by found him lying across a pavement in Chorley Old Road, near the junction with Chorley New Road.

Officers found the faithful pet next to the victim after they were called to the scene.

The man, who suffered a life-threatening head injury, was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

The dog is now being cared for by his owner's family.

Detective Superintendent Jon Chadwick said: "This man is extremely poorly and, from the extent of his injuries, we believe he was violently assaulted.

"He was out walking his dog when he was attacked and we are urging people to come forward if they were in the area at that time and witnessed the attack or remember seeing the dog in the photo."

:: Anyone who has information is being urged to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Prisoners Riot At Nottinghamshire Jail

A riot broke out at HMP Ranby in Nottinghamshire after up to 60 prisoners refused to return to their cells after lunch.

The "serious incident" began about 12.30pm today, and saw a group of prisoners start a fire and take control of a section of the jail.

A spokesman for the Prison Service said no staff or prisoners were injured during the riot, which lasted several hours.

"A disturbance on one wing at HMP Ranby has ended. No staff or prisoners were injured and minimal damage was sustained," the spokesman said.

"Prison staff were deployed to deal with the incident, which involved between 30 and 60 prisoners.

"The prison will now return to normal operation and visits will take place as usual on Sunday."

Police, ambulance and fire crews responded to the riot. Officers carrying shields were seen going inside, later joined by around 15 firefighters in their full kit.

Glyn Travis, assistant secretary of the POA, said: "There is a serious incident at HMP Ranby.

"At around 12.30pm, 120 prisoners refused to return to their cells. They have taken control of a unit.

"We have got national resources at the prison trying to establish a surrender plan. We know 60 prisoners have been actively involved."

The riot came after a report released on Thursday described HMP Ranby as unsafe, adding that there were high levels of violence at the prison.

The report followed an 11-day inspection by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. 

It found that two prisoners suffered "self-inflicted" deaths last year, while another two died in a similar way last March.

Conditions at the prison were also described as dirty and nearly half the prison's population said they felt unsafe.

The report found a growing number of self-harm incidents at the category C training prison, and the availability of legal highs was also found to have increased.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick said the report showed a prison "in crisis".

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Home Burials: Keeping A Loved One Close

By Emma Birchley, Sky News Correspondent

A growing number of families are choosing to keep loved ones close by after their death by burying them in the back garden.

It is perfectly legal to lay someone to rest on private land as long as rules are followed.

The location of the grave must also be added to the deeds.

But there is still perceived to be stigma attached to the decision, and "Clare" wanted to protect her identity when speaking to Sky News.

Her sister had made her mind up where she wanted to be buried before dying of cancer in 2012.

"It was very much her decision," said Clare. "She looked out of her bedroom window and said, 'that's where I want to go'."

The spot was a quiet glade and the grave was dug by her husband and older son.

"The whole of the inside of her grave was decorated with things from her life and from her room. It was all just very beautiful and straightforward and simple, and we took total control," said Clare.

Any burial must be included in a property's deeds

Earlier this week television presenter Kirstie Allsopp revealed that her mother was given a discreet funeral in the garden.

But while more people are choosing the option, it is not new.

Robin, who also did not want to give his surname, arranged for his mother to be buried at the family home in 1985.

"Honestly she never left it for more than a few days at a time and she loved her gardening," he said.

"She liked the surroundings. She liked to be private and quiet ... it's where she wanted to be and she never wanted to leave it. That's why she's there now."

Rosie Inman-Cook from the Natural Death Centre advises families on how to arrange home burials.

She said: "You musn't be buried in waterlogged ground or ground that is feeding into rivers and streams, so there are guidelines to follow from the Environment Agency.

"You need to own the property outright, and you need to construct a burial register which is what I send to families carrying this out."

Suffolk resident Tim Rhodes thinks such burials condemn a property

With details of any burial in the deeds, buyers of a new home will be able to find out if there is someone buried in the garden.

The idea does not appeal to everyone.

Tim Rhodes, from Suffolk, said: "I think it would be awful having that under the tree. I think it would make that part of the garden off limits.

"You are condemning that property to have a corpse there for ever more."

But Suzanne Kayne said: "If you were buying a chapel it would be the same. I think it's a lovely thing actually."

There is the matter of the cost saving too. Traditional funerals are thousands of pounds.

But while the whole idea might make some squeamish, for those who plan to pass their home on to future generations, it is a way to keep a loved one close.

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Didcot Power Station Gets Webcam Demolition

Three 100m tall power station cooling towers have been demolished by more than 180kg of explosives.

The three southern towers at Didcot A in Oxfordshire were brought down just before 5am - angering locals who complained that they wanted to watch the explosions.

Power company RWE npower chose the time for health and safety reasons and asked residents to watch the landmarks disappear via a webcam.

The town council had voiced its disappointment and a petition set up by Christine Reardon, 44, asking for the time to be changed, attracted more than 3,000 signatures.

Npower said it had consulted with organisations including the Health and Safety Executive, Network Rail, the Highways Agency, Oxfordshire County Council and Thames Valley Police.

A spokesman said experts considered the risk of people getting too close to the explosion, and the impact of the dust cloud on local roads and a nearby rail line before deciding the timing of the demolition.

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Gatwick Passengers Suffer Baggage Delays

Hundreds of people arriving into Gatwick Airport's South Terminal have faced long delays in picking up their luggage, with many being told to go home without it.

An airport spokesman said the overnight disruption was caused by "resourcing issues" involving baggage handlers Swissport.

"Due to resourcing issues with the baggage handlers Swissport there were overnight issues and delays with passengers' luggage," he said.

"Gatwick provided extra staff to help the airlines and their baggage handlers improve their service, as well as providing welfare and water for passengers waiting in the baggage areas, but we are sorry for the delays they faced.

"Baggage operations are now returning to normal."

Passengers of four airlines have been advised to go home without their luggage.

Gatwick said it provided extra staff for airlines to help reduce the delays

Officials at the airport informed passengers of British Airways flights who had waited more than an hour on their bags being returned, and those on Monarch, Thomas Cook or Thompson flights who had been waiting 90 minutes or more, that their luggage would be forwarded to their home address.

It is understood easyJet passengers have also been affected but had not been advised to leave without their baggage.

Some passengers took to social media sites to voice their frustrations over the delays - some up to five hours.

Julian C Adams tweeted: "Such shocking service at Gatwick airport! Waiting for the arrival of baggage for over 2 hours now! #shouldhaveflowntoheathrow."

Sophie Wood ‏tweeted: "3 hrs in #gatwick baggage handling ... Apparent Lack of staff appalling shambles #Gatwick#idiots."

Oliver Webb wrote: "‏@2 hour delays at #gatwick for baggage reclaim. #Swissport to blame apparently. No info from airport staff. Rubbish."

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Policeman Seriously Injured In Hit-And-Run

A policeman carrying out a routine stop has been seriously injured in a hit-and-run.

A gold Volkswagen Golf hit the officer in London Road, Larkfield, Kent, just before 7pm on Saturday.

The Tonbridge-based PC, who was on duty at the time, has been taken to a London hospital in a serious but stable condition.

A Kent Police spokeswoman said they a trying to trace the car and the driver.

"The car failed to stop at the scene of the collision and inquiries are ongoing by officers to locate the driver," she said.

"In the meantime, Kent Police would like to thank members of the public for all their help, best wishes and responses so far."

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Controlled Explosions After Homes Evacuated

A number of controlled explosions have been carried out at a flat in Derbyshire where police say "potentially volatile" substances were found.

A 55-year-old man has been arrested after the substances were discovered during a search of the flat in Belvoir Crescent, Newhall, South Derbyshire.

Around 200 residents had to be evacuated after the discovery, and officers warned it could take until this afternoon before they are allowed to return to their homes.

Police had been called to the scene on Saturday afternoon by neighbours worried about loud bangs coming from a block of flats.

Firefighters and bomb disposal experts also attended.

Homes have been evacuated in Newhall, South Derbyshire

Resident Leslie Wood, who is staying with friends after being evacuated, told Sky News: "Fire officers came to me and said there had been an incident and we had to vacate the premises for at least 24 hours."

A local school is being used as a coordination centre and temporary shelter.

Superintendent Paul Callum, who is in charge of the incident, said: "The safety of the public is paramount in these situations.

"We apologise for any inconvenience to the evacuees. We will let them return to their homes as soon as we can be sure the area is safe."

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Miliband Wants 'Public Question Time' For PM

Labour leader Ed Miliband has said he will give ordinary people the chance to directly question him if he becomes prime minister at the next General Election.

Mr Miliband says he has discussed the idea of a public question time with the Speaker of the House of Commons as part of plans to try and reform the much-criticised Prime Minister's Questions.

A petition recently launched by parenting forum Mumsnet calling for changes to PMQs has gained more than 60,000 signatures.

Inviting public critics to directly confront the country's political leader in Parliament would help re-engage citizens, Mr Miliband said.

"I think what we need is a public question time, where regularly the prime minister submits himself or herself to questioning from members of the public in the Palace of Westminster on Wednesdays," he told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show.

"Why is that important? Because I want to let the public in to our politics.

"At the moment there is the glass that separates the public in the gallery from the House of Commons, but there is a gulf miles wide between the kind of politics people want and what Prime Minister's Questions offers."

A packed House of Commons during Prime Minister's Questions

Mr Miliband praised Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's decision to take part in a weekly radio phone-in and said he would take part in more himself.

But he said his public session might not take place every week, and insisted those invited "would not just be cheerleading Labour supporters".

Mr Miliband, who said voters "deserved a better debate", suggested the initiative was part of a fightback against critics of his leadership and "geeky" appearance and not a "gimmick".

"It is serious. I want to find ways to change our political culture. It's not just about photo opps - that is a problem - it is deep and it goes well beyond that," Mr Miliband said.

Mr Miliband said he had spotted the potential benefit of regular interaction with the public when Mr Clegg announced his weekly phone-ins on LBC radio.

"He got a whole load of bile about it when he did it and I remember saying to people 'actually, it's good thing to do'," he said.

David Cameron during one of his 'PM Direct' sessions in Coventry

Labour said the sessions would happen at least once a fortnight and possibly weekly, if they were approved by the Speaker, John Bercow.

A spokesman said questioners "would be chosen by a method to ensure a wide representation of the country and political backgrounds".

Prime Minister David Cameron held regular "Cameron Direct" meetings in town halls and other venues outside Westminster as opposition leader and has continued them, less regularly, in office.

Mr Bercow's office said it would examine any proposals submitted by Mr Miliband - which it said echoed similar reforms already submitted to a review.

A Number 10 spokesperson said: "The Prime Minister is open to new ways of engaging with the public.

"He already holds regular PM Directs, where he takes questions from members of the public in towns and cities across the country."

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Former CBI Chief To Aid Osborne Markets Probe

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

A trio of heavyweight figures including a former head of the CBI will this week be appointed to scrutinise a Government-led probe into financial markets launched in the wake of a string of major trading scandals.

Sky News can reveal that Sir Richard Lambert, who ran Britain's biggest employers' group until 2011, is to be an independent member of the Fair and Effective Markets Review, which was disclosed by George Osborne, the Chancellor, in June.

Sir Richard will be one of three independent members of a practitioners' panel to be chaired by Elizabeth Corley, chief executive of Allianz Global Investors, one of the world's biggest fund managers.

The other independent members, who will examine the panel's work, will be Gay Huey Evans, a former Barclays executive and one-time chairman of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association; and Jonathan Moulds, who previously ran the European operations of Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

The Bank of England is expected to announce their involvement in the next few days, according to a person close to the situation.

Sir Richard's involvement comes just weeks after he recommended the creation of a new body to improve standards in the UK banking industry in an attempt to restore trust in it.

He and the other independent members will oversee the work of a group of serving City executives whose input is seen by the Treasury as crucial to restoring the international reputation of London's financial markets.

Mark Carney and George Osborne at the Mansion House in June

A number of sub-groups will be formed to examine different areas of financial sector activity, with the international competitiveness of the UK likely to be an important preoccupation for those involved.

Major banking groups have been hit by massive fines during the last two years, dealing a blow to the industry's efforts to rehabilitate its image in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

Lloyds Banking Group, which is part-owned by UK taxpayers, is expected to announce on Monday that it is to pay more than £200m for its role in the Libor rate-rigging affair.

Banks and other financial institutions have also faced penalties for misconduct in setting benchmark prices for commodities and product mis-selling, while a major inquiry into fraud in foreign exchange markets is expected to result in huge fines later this year.

Among the objectives of the new investigation will be to inform the broader international debate about trading practices.

The Chancellor is determined to be viewed as a hardliner on City miscreants, and has already said that he wants to make the manipulation of financial benchmarks a criminal offence.

In his Mansion House speech in June, Mr Osborne said the Fair and Effective Markets Review would form an important element of moves to improve conduct in banking.

"The integrity of the City matters to the economy of Britain. Markets here set the interest rates for people's mortgages, the exchange rates for our exports and holidays, and the commodity prices for the goods we buy.

"I am going to deal with abuses, tackle the unacceptable behaviour of the few and ensure that markets are fair for the many who depend on them."

Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, said the probe would help the City to "build true markets...that are open and transparent, where access extends beyond a privileged few, and where all who wish to trade have common information and commonly accessible prices".

The review will also be jointly led by the Financial Conduct Authority, whose chief executive, Martin Wheatley, said: "Confidence and trust are critical to financial markets – and robust, reliable benchmarks are the bedrock of market integrity.

"I welcome this review, which will ensure that key markets operate with the highest standards of integrity."

The Treasury and Bank of England declined to comment on the names of those involved in the review.

None of the independent members of the practitioners' panel could be reached for comment.

The review is expected to report back by the end of summer next year.

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