Ebola: How To Protect Yourself From Virus

Most of ebola's 4,300 victims have come from West Africa, however, British experts say the UK must also be prepared.

Here are a number of ways people can help protect themselves from contracting the virus.

:: Hygiene is extremely important. Wash your hands frequently or use an alcohol-based sanitiser

:: Keep hands away from the face

:: Avoid contact with the blood and body fluids of anyone, especially someone who is sick, as it is through these fluids, such as vomit, blood and saliva that ebola is passed on

Video: UK's Response To Ebola Threat

:: Avoid handling items that have been touched by that person or any of their body fluids

:: Do not touch the body of someone who has died from ebola.

:: The World Health Organisation says any areas that person may have had contact with, such as bed linen, should be disinfected

:: Do not touch bats and non-human primates or their blood and fluids, and do not eat raw meat prepared from these animals

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1. Gallery: Ebola Exercise Tests UK Readiness

   A nationwide drill to test Britain's readiness for an ebola outbreak has left the Health Secretary "doubly reassured" the country would cope

2. The eight-hour simulation at hospitals across the country proves Britain has "robust plans" in place, says Jeremy Hunt. Continue for more images

:: Avoid travelling to countries where ebola is rife, such as Liberia and Sierra Leone

- Seek medical care immediately if you develop a fever (a temperature of 101.5F or 38.6C) or a headache, muscle pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain or unexplained bruising or bleeding

- Limit your contact with other people until and when you go to the doctor and do not travel anywhere else besides a healthcare facility

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Police Arrest Six On Suspicion Of Terrorism

Three men and three women have been arrested in Portsmouth, Farnborough and Greenwich on suspicion of terror offences.

The arrests come as a result of an operation conducted by the South East Counter Terrorism Unit, Thames Valley Police said.

Two of the men, aged 26 and 23 from Portsmouth, were arrested under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.

A 23-year-old woman from Farnborough and a 29-year-old woman from Greenwich were also arrested under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.

A 57-year-old man from Portsmouth, was arrested under Section 38(b) of the Terrorism Act 2000 failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism, Section 5 1(a) Terrorism Act 2006 engaged in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts and Section 17 Terrorism Act 2000 arranging availability of money and property for use in terrorism.

A 48-year-old woman from Portsmouth was arrested under Section 38(b) Terrorism Act 2000 failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism.

A statement from Thames Valley Police said: "Officers would like to reassure residents that the police activity today is in relation to conflicts overseas and is not linked to any immediate threat to local communities or anywhere else in the UK.

"If anyone from the local community has any concerns or information contact police on the 101 number or the Anti-Terrorist Hotline 0800 789 321. All calls will be treated with the strictest confidence."

The arrests follow the detention of three men on Monday in central London by counter-terrorism police.

Five men were arrested last week in a series of dawn raids on central and west London.

Police said afterwards they thought they had disrupted what was believed to be the early stages of what could have turned into a "significant plot".

Two of the five have since been released from custody.

 

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Ebola: Enhanced Screening Starts At UK Airports

Britain is to start enhanced screening today of passengers coming to the UK from the countries worst affected by the ebola outbreak.

Checks will begin at Heathrow's Terminal 1 and will then be expanded to Gatwick airport and the Eurostar rail terminals by the end of the week.

The move is designed to halt the spread of a disease which has killed more than 4,000 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Previously British Airways was the only airline that operated a direct service to the UK from the affected area.

Although it stopped flying to Liberia and Sierra Leone in August, there are fears that people who have picked up infections in those countries may try to reach the UK by another route.

Video: Ebola: Infected Dallas Nurse Named

About 1,000 passengers a month are said to travel to the UK from the three countries.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said that it is "likely" that ebola will be seen in the UK with around 10 cases expected to be confirmed in the next three months.

He said the screening measures being put in place should ensure 89% of people travelling to the UK from the affected region on tickets booked directly to the UK are checked.

Video: New UK Measures To Tackle Ebola

In a statement to the House of Commons on Monday, Mr Hunt said: "Whilst there are no direct flights from the affected region, there are indirect routes into the UK.

"In the next week, Public Health England will start screening and monitoring UK bound air passengers identified by the Border Force coming on to the main routes from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

"This will allow potential ebola virus carriers arriving in the UK to be identified, tracked and given rapid access to expert health advice should they develop symptoms."

Video: Fear And Panic Over Ebola Calls

Anyone found to have ebola will be moved to the Royal Free Hospital in north London, the UK's specialist centre for treating the most dangerous infectious diseases, Mr Hunt said.

Other facilities may be made available in Newcastle, Liverpool and Sheffield, to make a total of 26 beds available, he added.

Mr Hunt said screening at airports could be extended to Birmingham and Manchester if the threat level increases, but in the meantime people manning the NHS' non-emergency 111 phoneline will also be taught to look out for potential ebola.

Video: Can UK Be Protected From Ebola?

Britain's latest ebola aid flight delivering equipment to help tackle the outbreak arrived in Freetown on Monday. It includes materials to help build a 92-bed unit being constructed by a UK team.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned the epidemic is the "most severe... health emergency in modern times".

A nurse who became the first person to contract the disease in the United States, after treating a sufferer who had flown into the country from the affected area, is still in a stable condition in isolation.

Video: Ebola Crisis: On The Front Line

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Murder Hunt As Teen Dies After Street Attack

A teenager who died after being assaulted outside a grocer's store in Manchester has been described by his mother as a "loveable rogue" who was "always polite".

Jordan Brennan, 17, was found unresponsive in bed at his home in the Gorton area of the city on Saturday morning.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services and a post-mortem examination later found he had died from a head injury.

Police say he was assaulted by a man outside a grocer's shop in the area the evening before he died.

CCTV of the pair, described as of Chinese appearance

Police have launched a murder inquiry and have released CCTV images of a man and a woman they want to speak to about the incident at the shop.

They say that around 7.30pm on Friday, Jordan was with two friends when they went into the store on Hyde Road.

As Jordan was leaving he was assaulted outside the shop by a man who had also been in the shop at the same time as Jordan and his two friends.

Jordan went home and went to bed and at 9am on Saturday and was found unresponsive by his mother.

The man was wearing a white shirt, black jacket and trousers

Detective Inspector Theresa Carter said: "Jordan was very well known and liked and both his family and the wider community are deeply shocked and saddened by what happened.

"At this stage we know that Jordan was assaulted outside the grocer's store, but we don't know exactly what led up to the assault.

"I would also ask that the man involved contacts the police so that we can fully understand what happened inside and outside the shop. We would also like to speak to the woman who he was with."

The woman is thought to be around 25 to 30 years old

Both the man and woman police wish to speak to are of Chinese appearance and about 25 to 30 years old.

The man had a stocky or chubby build and black hair and was wearing a white shirt and a black suit jacket and trousers. The woman was slim and had long black straight hair.

In a statement, Jordan's mother, Kim, said: "Our son Jordan Brennan was 17 years old and was a well-liked young man.

"He was a loveable rogue and was always polite and keen to help anyone who needed his help, be that physical help or just to listen to a friend. He would cheer them up with his usual larking about or joking around.

"He was a pleasure to have as a son and his loss is devastating. He was greatly loved by all that knew him."

:: Anyone with information is urged to call the police on 0161 856 68797 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Midwives Among 400,000 Striking Health Workers

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

Hundreds of thousands of health workers have gone on strike in protest at the Government's decision not to give them a 1% pay rise.

For the first time in history, midwives are joining picket lines outside hospitals and ambulance stations across the country.

But ambulance service providers say they may be forced to prioritise their care and are bringing in extra staff from the military to fill in the gaps.

Several trade unions will be involved in the action, including those representing nurses, paramedics, hospital porters and ambulance crews as well as the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).

The strikes could see around 400,000 refuse to work in England for four hours from 7am, with action planned later in Northern Ireland.

Video: NHS Health Workers Go On Strike

Contingency plans have been worked out, and union members will deal with emergencies.

The Royal College of Midwives will take part in the action for the first time in the organisation's 133-year history.

Cathy Warwick, the college's chief executive, said: "Midwives are caring people who often work long hours of unpaid overtime just to keep our understaffed, under-resourced maternity services running in the midst of a decade-long baby boom.

"They deserve this modest 1% pay rise."

Video: Hospitals To End Parking Charges

Unions are protesting at the Government's decision not to accept the independent pay review body's recommendation to award a 1% pay rise to all staff. 

Instead, ministers took the decision to award a 1% pay rise for those on top of their pay band but not to those on "progression pay increase", who automatically get a fixed average pay increase of 3%.

The unions say the number of NHS England health workers who will not benefit from the additional 1% is around 600,000.

In Wales, thousands of NHS workers will vote on whether or not to strike after a similar offer was made. In Scotland, all staff were granted the recommended 1% pay rise. No decision has been made in Northern Ireland.

Video: Hospitals Relying On Holiday Locums

The average annual private sector pay increase is currently around 2.5%, while last year it was recommended that MPs should see their pay increase by 11% by 2015.

Rob Webster, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: "We are working through some of the toughest times in the history of the NHS.

"A pay award for all staff on top of increments would have cost £450m more - the equivalent of 14,000 newly qualified nurses.

"Hard-pressed staff would have been put under greater pressure or may have had to be reduced."

Video: Hundreds Sent Home At Night

NHS bosses say non-emergency appointments will be postponed during the strike and emergencies won't get ignored.

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News Organisations Reveal Leaders' Debate Plan

By Jason Farrell, Political Correspondent

Sky News, the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 have announced joint plans for a series of party leader debates across TV and the internet in the run-up to the 2015 General Election.

The news organisations describe the debates as "vital in engaging voters with the political process" and have written to David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage inviting them to take part. 

It follows the first ever leader debates in 2010, which were watched by 22 million people.

April 2010: the Sky News leaders' debate

The format for 2015 would see three different styles of debate – one of which will include the UKIP leader. The broadcasters say they are "responding to the changes in the political landscape".

Sky News and Channel 4 intend to host a straight head-to-head contest between the two leaders, who could become Prime Minister.

Video: 13 May 2014: Public Expects Debates

The debate between David Cameron and Ed Miliband would be chaired by former Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman with Sky News' Kay Burley introducing the programme and presenting the post-debate analysis.

The BBC would broadcast a similar debate to the 2010 format where the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders are pitted against each other. This would be presented by David Dimbleby.

ITV would have a four-way contest between the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and UKIP leaders. This would be chaired by ITV presenter Julie Etchingham.

The Head of Sky News John Ryley said: "There are only 24 weeks to go before the start of the General Election Campaign.

"Sky, Channel 4, the BBC and ITV have put together a clear compelling proposal; three debates during the election campaign. It's now critical that the political parties engage and start negotiating for the debates seriously."

The leaders have agreed in principle to the debates, but the Prime Minister has resisted pinning down the detail. Privately, some senior Conservatives believe it was the 2010 debates that cost David Cameron a majority and they want him to try and wriggle out of Round Two.

Video: 22 Apr 2010: Sky Leaders' Debate

Previously, the debates were at weekly intervals in the last three weeks leading up to polling day. Mr Cameron has suggested they should happen before campaigning gets under way.

Last year he said: "I want the debates to take place. They were good in the last election." But he added: "I thought they took up too much of the campaign, so I think we could start them a bit earlier."

In May this year it was reported the Prime Minister was ready to sign up for three debates, including one with Mr Farage. The Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps said "all options are on the table."

The proposal addresses Mr Cameron's concerns by suggesting the three debates take place at fortnightly intervals beginning in early April.

They propose this happens within the six-week campaign period "at a time when the parties will be setting out their policies - to help further engage the audience with the election."

The suggested dates are April 2, April 16 and April 30.

Video: 23 Apr 2010: Leaders' Debate Review

Live debates have now become a normal part of the political landscape. Mr Clegg and Mr Farage clashed over Europe, and the bitter battles between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling energised the Scottish independence fight. 

However, while 2010 was the television election – 2015 will engage more widely with voters online and using social media.

As well as live studio audiences, comprising members of the general public, questions will also be provided to the leaders using social media including Twitter and Facebook to ensure the widest possible audience engagement. Each broadcaster will make their debate available live to all other media outlets.

In a joint statement, the news organisations said: "All four broadcasters believe televised party leader debates are vital in engaging voters with the political process. The broadcasters intend to transmit the leaders debates live for all their extensive audiences, on air, online and on social media, which together have a mass reach amongst the British population."

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Google Bombarded With Requests To Delete Info

Google says it has received 18,304 requests from Britons asking it to remove information about their past under the EU's 'right to be forgotten' legislation.

The submissions came from more than 6,000 people who asked the search engine to erase links to more than 60,000 websites.

Altogether just over 145,000 requests have been made to Google by people across Europe wanting to improve their reputations.

That is an average of 1,000 a day since last May when the process began.

The controversial 'right to be forgotten' law covers the 28 countries in the EU, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Video: Assange: Google Is Like The NSA

According to Google, the highest number of requests have come from France (29,010), followed by Germany (25,078) and then Britain.

Altogether the submissions covered more than 497,000 web links, of which 42% - more than 200,000 - have been jettisoned.

Among all websites, Facebook's social network has had the most links erased so far - 3,332 - while Google's own YouTube video site has had nearly 2,400 removed.

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Even when blocked from Google's search results in Europe, however, content can still appear in listings posted in other parts of the world, including the US.

Under the new law EU citizens can request that links to "inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant" information be removed from Google search results.

In short, Google must remove articles if the impact on the individual's privacy is greater than the public's right to find it, the European Union Court of Justice found.

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The legislation has been widely criticised for allowing murderers, rapists and paedophiles to bury information about their past and for undermining freedom of speech.

It followed a landmark case brought by a Spanish man who complained that an auction notice of his repossessed home on Google's search results infringed his privacy.

Google has given examples of links which have been deleted including one to old article about the murder of a woman's husband in Italy. This was removed because the story mentioned the wife.

Video: Jimmy Wales: 'Don't Use Google'

The company says it has turned down requests from financial professionals seeking to remove links to material describing arrests or convictions for past misconduct.

It also rejected a demand from a "media professional" in the UK to erase four links to embarrassing content.

There are fears the whitewashing of search results could extend beyond the EU after a Japanese judge ruled Google should remove information that suggested a man once had ties to a criminal organisation.

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British Troops Back In Iraq To Help Beat IS

The Ministry of Defence has said a "small specialist team" of UK soldiers are in Iraq and working near the front line of the fight between the Islamic State (IS) and Kurdish fighters.

Based near the Kurdish capital of Irbil in the north, they are training peshmerga forces in the use of heavy machine guns the UK supplied to them in September.

The Sunday Times reported that the soldiers were from the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, which is based in Cyprus.

An MoD spokeswoman said: "The Government has previously made clear its intention to provide training to the peshmerga as part of the continued effort to assist in the fight against Isil (IS).

UK troops are training Kurdish peshmerga forces in the use of UK arms

"The Defence Secretary has approved the deployment of a small specialist team of non-combat Army trainers which is now in the Irbil area providing instruction on operating, employing and maintaining the heavy machine guns that were gifted by the UK last month."

British troops invaded Iraq in March 2003 to overthrow Saddam Hussein.

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1. Gallery: The Moment RAF Jet Attacks IS Truck

   The RAF carried out its first airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq on 1 October, 2014 (All pictures: MoD)

2. Tornados destroyed a heavy weapon position, which was attacking Kurdish forces, and an armed pick-up truck (pictured). The red circle shows the path of the missile fired at the vehicle

3. The strikes were the first since MPs voted to support aerial raids in Iraq last Friday

4. The targets were in the northwest of Iraq

5. The moment the truck, which had a mounted machine gun, was destroyed by a Brimstone missile

6. A plume of smoke rose above the area

7. The strike was successful, according to an initial assessment, said Defence Secretary Michael Fallon

8. The Tornados safely returned to their base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus after the sortie

9. Six of the GR4 fighter jets are based on the island in the Mediterranean

10. The aircraft began their combat missions on Saturday

The last British combat troops from the war left in April 2009, with a small number staying on to train Iraqi forces until 2011.

RAF Tornado fighter jets have been involved in US-led bombing raids on IS fighters for the past two weeks.

But there is strong resistance among British politicians to any ground troop involvement in fighting against the Islamist group, which controls vast areas of Iraq and Syria.

Video: RAF Jets Attack Targets In Iraq

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Revenge Porn Offenders To Face Prison

By Harriet Hadfield, Sky News Reporter

Publishing sexually explicit pictures of former partners is to be made a criminal offence - and could carry up to a two-year prison sentence.

It is known as revenge porn and involves uploading private images with the intention of embarrassing or shaming an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend.

The issue was brought into sharp focus after celebrities including pop stars Rihanna and Tulisa Contostavlos fell victim to the cruel craze.

In the last two and a half years 149 cases of revenge pornography were reported to eight police forces in England and Wales and figures reveal the victims include children as young as 11.

An anonymous victim of revenge porn told Sky News: "I felt humiliated, I was shocked that someone had stooped to that level to try and humiliate me because I didn't think that I had disrespected someone enough for them to do something like that to me.

Video: Revenge Porn Victim Tells Her Story

"It makes you feel dirty, it makes you feel unconfident and if something can be done about it, I think it should be."

There is currently no law in the UK that deals directly with the issue but proposed changes to legislation would apply to online and offline images and those convicted could face a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said the distribution of such images was "almost beyond belief".

"We want those who fall victim to this type of disgusting behaviour to know that we are on their side and will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice," he said.

Video: Revenge Porn Police Stats

"That is why we will change the law and make it absolutely clear to those who act in this way that they could face prison."

The change in the law would be made via an amendment to the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill.

Adam Pemberton, assistant chief executive for the charity Victim Support, said: "This type of behaviour can be extremely distressing for its victims causing them significant psychological harm.

"We are pleased that people who commit these gross violations of privacy will now face prosecution and victims of revenge porn know they have the full backing of the law."

Video: Revenge Porn Victims As Young As 11

But some experts are questioning whether a specific revenge porn offence will work.

Lawyer Myles Jackman told Sky News: "It is very difficult as there are a number of different scenarios in which revenge porn might be created and not all of them will fit this one scenario.

"Creating an offence that catches all is almost impossible."

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Johnson Warns Of 'Thousands Of Terror Suspects'

London Mayor Boris Johnson has revealed that thousands of terror suspects are being spied on every day by UK security services.

He said the number of suspects in London alone is said to be in the "low thousands", suggesting the threat from home-grown terrorism may be far more widespread than that from Syria or Iraq.

Mr Johnson told the Daily Telegraph: "In London we're very very vigilant and very very concerned. Every day - as you saw recently, we had to raise the threat level - every day the security services are involved in thousands of operations.

"There are probably in the low thousands of people that we are monitoring in London."

Until now the main threat was thought to come from about 500 suspected jihadists who went to Syria or Iraq from the UK to join Islamic State militants.

Video: Arrests May Have Foiled Terror Plot

Speaking about IS, Mr Johnson said: "London has a particular concern, because probably of the five or six hundred that are out there, we think a third, maybe more - maybe half - come from the London area.

"If and when they come back, we have a real job to deal with them."

It comes as police chiefs also issued a warning to officers to increase vigilance in the face of a heightened terror threat for officers and five men were being held by Scotland Yard suspected of plotting a potentially "significant" attack on the UK.

Video: Nick Clegg On Terror Threat

Meanwhile, in an interview with the same newspaper, Iain Lobban, director of intelligence agency GCHQ, hinted it now took three times longer to trace terrorists online in the wake of disclosures made by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

And he said sharing intelligence with a greater number of nations was necessary.

"It's nonsense not to share with the French. This is not Blitz Britain. We sure as hell can't lick terrorism on our own," Mr Lobban said.

Video: British Girl Heads To Islamic State

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