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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Tesco Suspends More Execs Over Profits Error

Tesco has suspended another three executives as it continues its investigation into a £250m profit black hole.

Sky Sources suggest they are Dan Jago, head of beer, wine and spirits and director of convenience Sean McCurley.

The other man is understood to be another category director, William Linnane.

Philip Clarke stepped down as Tesco CEO in July

It brings to eight the total number of executives suspended by Britain's biggest retailer over the crisis.

A Tesco spokesperson said today: "We have asked three employees to step aside to facilitate the investigation into the potential overstatement of profits in UK food for the first half of the year.

Video: The Cost Of Tesco's £250m Error

"We will provide an update on the investigation with our interim results on 23 October".

The company said it had commissioned its own independent inquiry into the causes behind the accounting error when it made the details public on 22 September.

The City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, later said it would also launch its own "full investigation" into the issue.

The £250m figure relates to how it logs suppliers' rebates and if they were reported in the correct accounting period.

The four senior executives previously suspended include UK managing director Chris Bush.

It also emerged the company had not had a finance chief in place for five months.

Tesco said a day later that its new incoming finance chief Alan Stewart, who was not due to start until 1 December, would commence work two months early.

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Cameron Sends Love Letter To Rochester Voters

David Cameron has sent a love letter to all Rochester and Strood residents as the date for the by-election is set for 20 November.

The vote, triggered by the defection from the Tories of Mark Reckless in September, is as a significant test for Mr Cameron, who lost the fight in Clacton last week allowing UKIP to win its first MP.

A letter from the Prime Minister has landed on the doormats of voters on the morning Chief Whip Michael Gove moved the writ in the House of Commons for the election to take place.

David Cameron campaigning with Giles Watling ahead of the Clacton poll

It warned: "Nigel Farage and Mark Reckless want to turn this election into a national media circus – we want it to be about you and what you want for the future of this area.

"The decision is in your hands. There's no stunts or backroom deals, just a strong local candidate you can trust."

Video: Farage: 'I Don't Trust Cameron'

In the letter Mr Cameron gives all voters the choice of two local Conservative candidates and asks they select one to go forward to fight the by-election next month.

UKIP is riding high at 25% in the polls after Douglas Carswell retained a 12,000 majority to take the seat in Clacton and some have suggested the party could win as many as 128 seats at the General Election in May.

The November vote will be seen as a test of how the Tory party are able to respond to the threat from Mr Farage's party.

Some Tory backbenchers have suggested another defeat could put Mr Cameron's leadership of the party under threat.

Ed Miliband is facing similar pressures after UKIP made significant gains in Labour's backyard at the Heywood and Middleton by-election last week.

Video: Cameron Wants More Debates Details

The date of the by-election will be seen as a shrewd move as it comes before a crunch House of Commons vote on handing police powers to Brussels, including signing up to the European Arrest Warrant - a move vehemently opposed by a number of Tories - and UKIP.

The UK has to sign up to the EU police and court deal, which the country had previously been allowed to opt out of, by December 1.

The vote in Parliament will come before that and senior Tories have warned they will vote against it and may even join UKIP in launching a legal challenge to the move to cede powers to Europe.

A Tory rebellion could prove a significant disadvantage to Mr Cameron ahead of the by-election.

However, referring to the November date, a Labour source said: "They are going long because they are running scared of the voters."

Video: Farage Welcomes Debate ... For Now

At the 2010 general election, Mr Reckless won the Kent seat as a Conservative with a majority of 9,953 over Labour. UKIP did not field a candidate.

The change in UKIP's position saw broadcasters include Mr Farage in the line-up for the live leaders' debates ahead of the General Election. 

The plan has drawn a threat of a legal challenge from the Green Party, whose leader, Natalie Bennett, has not been included in the plans. Both parties have only one MP in Westminster.

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Labour Accuses Tories Over English Votes Plan

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

Labour will not take part in cross-party talks on English votes for English laws because it considers the plan to be a "political stitch up".

A senior source in Ed Miliband's party has told Sky News that he believes the plans, led by Conservative minister William Hague, are designed to put the "Conservative interests" ahead of the national interest.

He said that Labour would put forward an alternative plan for giving UK regions greater powers over how they are run in a "constitutional convention".

The comments came as the parties clashed in the House of Commons over the politically divisive issue in the wake of the Scottish referendum.

Following the No vote on independence, David Cameron promised he would come good on a "vow" made with Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband to Scottish voters that the country's Parliament would be given greater powers.

Video: PM Promises New Scottish Powers

However, after pressure from Conservative MPs, the Prime Minister also said he would look at the West Lothian Question, which gives Scottish MPs the right to vote on English matters but denies English MPs the right to vote on matters controlled by Holyrood.

Mr Cameron appointed Mr Hague to look at the issue and consider handing further powers to the rest of the UK.

In a parliamentary debate, Mr Hague pleased Conservative colleagues by saying that the time had come to address the issue of English votes for English laws.

However, he argued that there was no appetite for the issue of giving more power to the regions favoured by Labour.

Labour has a large number of MPs in Scotland and could face a situation in which it has a UK-wide majority but is not ahead in England because those Scottish MPs are unable to vote on English matters, hampering the party's ability to govern. 

Tory MPs know that the reform could put them in a stronger situation so have been pushing hard for it. 

The Labour source told Sky News: "David Cameron had a political problem at 7am on the morning after the referendum."

Video: Sturgeon Bids For Leadership

He argued that Mr Hague's pledge to set up a committee to consider English votes for English laws was his "way of getting out of it".

"We don't think that an ill thought through political stitch-up is the way to proceed [when it comes to] the constitutional future of the country."

Mr Hague said the English constitutional matter had to be dealt with, although he insisted that the Scottish "vow" would be fulfilled regardless.

The SNP has criticised the Government since the referendum, claiming they are trying to back down on their pledge.

They seized on the language included in a command paper published on Scottish devolution on Monday.

The SNP MP Pete Wishart said: "Scotland was told in the 'vow' that extensive new powers will be delivered for our Parliament, but this core promise is nowhere to be seen in [Monday's] paper."

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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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Finnigan Sorry For Footballer Rape Comments

Television presenter Judy Finnigan has apologised after receiving widespread criticism for controversial comments she made about footballer Ched Evans, who is a convicted rapist.

Finnigan was making her debut on chat show Loose Women when she said the rape committed by the sportsman was "not violent" and did not cause "bodily harm".

The presenters were discussing Evans' case following reports that he could return to Sheffield United after serving half of a five-year sentence for raping a woman in a hotel room.

Finnigan, who is married to presenter Richard Madeley, said: "If he does go back, he will have to brave an awful lot of comments obviously from the fans who are there.

"But, having said that, he has served his time, he's served two years. The rape - and I am not, please, by any means minimising any kind of rape - but the rape was not violent, he didn't cause any bodily harm to the person.

Evans is due to be released soon

"It was unpleasant, in a hotel room I believe, and she had far too much to drink.

"That is reprehensible, but he has been convicted and he has served his time. When he comes out, what are we supposed to do, just actually to refuse to let him do his job even though he's already been punished?"

The former This Morning presenter's comments sparked a backlash among viewers who voiced their anger on Twitter.

Finnigan later issued a statement, saying: "I apologise unreservedly for any offence that I may have caused as a result of the wording I used.

"I absolutely wasn't suggesting that rape was anything other than an horrendous crime and, as I said on the programme, I was in no way attempting to minimise the terrible ordeal that any woman suffers as a result.

"The point I was attempting to raise as part of the debate was what should happen to someone after they have committed a crime and served their time?"

In August, an online petition was launched urging Sheffield United not to re-employ the disgraced footballer.

This now has more than 142,000 signatures.

His girlfriend Natasha Massey has stood by him through his trial and prison sentence and has visited him every week.

She says she still believes Evans is innocent but does not know what he will do once he has been released.

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Over-55s To Use Pension Pots Like Bank Accounts

People reaching the age of 55 are to be given more flexibility over what they can do with their pension pots as they approach retirement.

Chancellor George Osborne will announce today that the over-55s will be able to withdraw several lump sums instead of just one.

The move is part of an ongoing restructuring of pensions, which the government wants to move away from the traditional annuities-only system.

Some of the changes that will be in the Pension Tax Bill were announced in the Budget, but the Chancellor is now unveiling more proposals.

From April individuals approaching retirement and pensioners will be able to take a series of lump sums, rather than being forced to withdraw all their money in one go.

Video: Expert On Pension Scheme Charges

The changes raise the prospect that pensioners could fund their retirement by using their pension pots almost as bank accounts or by investing in other assets like property or shares.

Until now, people who retired were only able to take 25% of their pension as a tax free lump sum in cash in one go. The rest had to be spent on a product like an annuity.

Now, pensioners will be able to take multiple lump sums, with a quarter of each withdrawal tax free.

The remaining 75% of each withdrawal will be taxed at whatever rate they are required to pay based on their annual income.

Video: Pensions: 'We Trust People'

The government is also planning to do away with the taxation of any pension contributions that have been unused and a person wants to pass on to their relatives.

Previously any inheritance of unallocated pension funds was taxed at 55%.

Mr Osborne said: "People who have worked hard and saved all their lives should be free to choose what they do with their money, and that freedom is central to our long term economic plan.

"From next year they'll be able to access as much or as little of their defined contribution pension as they want and pass on their hard-earned pensions to their families tax free.

Video: What The Budget Means For Savers

"For some people an annuity will be the right choice whereas others might want to take their whole tax free lump sum and convert the rest to drawdown.

"We've extended the choices even further by offering people the option of taking a number of smaller lump sums, instead of one single big lump sum."

Pensions campaigner Ros Altmann said: "The Government's changes have the potential to help millions of pension savers make better use of their pension funds.

"Being free to access their money freely as they need to, rather than being forced to buy particular products will be very popular."

Video: 'Pensions Reform - Not Enough'

The Government announced earlier this year that around 320,000 people would get the freedom to access pension pots flexibly without suffering punitive tax rates.

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'Blair May Have Been Terror Suspect Target'

Former prime minister Tony Blair could have been the target of a terror attack, the jury in a secret trial has heard.

Erol Incedal, who is accused of preparing acts of terrorism and possessing a document called how to make a bomb on a memory card, was arrested in September last year, the court heard.

His black Mercedes was searched and the jury was told a number of significant items were found including a piece of paper with the address of a home owned by Mr Blair and his wife, Cherie, written on it.

The paper was found inside a Versace sunglasses case, the jury heard, and during the search of the car it was bugged by officers.

The prosecution told the jury it was not clear 26-year-old Incedal had set out a specific target but that he may have been intending to launch either a Mumbai-style attack or to hit a high-profile individual.

Prosecutor Richard Whittam QC told the court: "Count 1 does not suggest that Erol Incedal had settled on a specific target or a particular methodology but in the context of the case as a whole and the evidence that I am going to come to, you may think that this address does have some significance."

The address of a home owned by the Blairs was found in Incedal's car

He added: "You will hear that he was actively engaged with another or others who were abroad. The prosecution case is that such engagement was for an act, or acts of terrorism, either against a limited number of individuals of significance, or a more wide-ranging, an indiscriminate attack such as the one in Mumbai."

In 2008 Pakistani terrorists launched co-ordinated bombing and shooting attacks at venues across Mumbai lasting four days and killing 164 people.

The case is the first major terror trial to be heard almost entirely in secret, with only a few journalists admitted but unable to report on the proceedings on the grounds of national security.

Parts of the trial will be heard in public after newspapers and campaign groups fought a court ruling it should be held completely in secret, however, the majority of it will still be held behind closed doors.

Speaking ahead of the trial, the judge told the jury they must set their emotions aside and decide on their verdicts in a "cool and dispassionate" way.

Incedal denies the charges against him.

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Inflation Falls To Five-Year Low Of 1.2%

Plunging fuel costs and a supermarket price war are being credited for the latest dip in the annual rate of inflation.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) measured a 1.2% rise in consumer prices in the 12 months to September - its lowest level for a decade if the September 2009 figure is excluded.

The easing from a rate of 1.5% in August was much stronger than economists had predicted and highlighted the extent of the grip on price pressures currently being exerted by major supermarkets.

The sector, which imposed a new round of cuts on petrol pump prices on Tuesday, has been battling an in-store challenge from hard discounters such as Aldi and Lidl.

The major supermarket chains are competing fiercely to counter discounters

Price cuts to help keep customers from making a switch have been made at a time of wider price falls in commodities such as wheat and oil - the latter falling to four-year lows.

While cutting their margins does little for supermarket profits, the war for market share is seen as more important with Tesco and Morrisons currently losing ground.

A separate report on Tuesday by the British Retail Consortium suggested warm weather in September helped push retail sales to their weakest level for almost six years.

It said while people delayed buying goods like coats and footwear there was also a significant hit to sales values from the supermarket price war.

Supermarkets have led the way in slashing fuel costs

While the inflation figure is good news for every family - despite earnings growth still lagging behind inflation - pensioners also learned today how much more they would receive next spring.

The CPI figure means that state pensions will rise by 2.5% or £2.85 a week as the Government's so-called 'triple lock' ensures an increase of whichever is the greater out of average earnings, September's inflation rate or 2.5%.

The ONS said that food and non-alcoholic beverage prices fell by 1.4% year on year, the steepest drop since June 2002 and the fifth month in a row that they have not risen on an annual basis.

It is the longest sustained period of flat or falling food prices since the end of 2004, the body said.

Petrol fell by 0.8p per litre in September compared with the previous month and diesel by 0.7p.

Sea and air fares fell more steeply than at the same time last year while laptops and tablets, computer games, games consoles, books and e-books also contributed to the inflation slowdown.

The ONS said that were it not for the impact of falling food and motor fuel prices - the latter of which were down 6% - the rate of inflation would be around a third higher at 1.6%.

The pound fell sharply after the figures were released as the sharper-than-expected drop meant it was less likely that the Bank of England would need to take action soon to raise the base rate of interest from its five-year low of 0.5%.

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Ebola: UK Border Screening Measures Revealed

Details of how the government is trying to stop ebola reaching the UK have been revealed as enhanced screening measures have begun at Heathrow airport.

It comes as official figures showed the death toll from the disease has risen to 4,447 and the number of cases is expected to rise above 9,000 this week.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), which has called the latest outbreak the "most severe acute health emergency in modern times", also warned there could be up to 10,000 new cases of ebola per week within two months.  

In the UK, border checks are under way at Heathrow's Terminal 1 and are to be expanded to Gatwick airport and the Eurostar rail terminals by next week in an attempt to halt the spread of the disease to Britain.

People who began their journey in an affected country must fill in the form

While there are no longer any direct flights from the three West African countries to the UK, passengers who have boarded a flight in the affected region with travel booked to the UK will be automatically flagged up to officials at passport control.

These travellers will be asked to have their temperature taken and to complete a questionnaire asking about their current health and recent travel history.

Video: On Board The Ebola Hospital Ship

The passengers will be asked if they have come into contact with a person with ebola; if they have cared for anyone with a severe illness; if they have had any contact with dead bodies; and if they have visited any traditional healers or been admitted to hospital.

They will also be asked if they have any health problems such as headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, intense fatigue, bruising or unexplained bleeding.   

The screening measures, which are expected to cost £9m over six months, are voluntary and passengers can only be forced to undergo them if they are showing obvious symptoms of illness. In this case legal action can be taken.

Currently, there is one member of administration staff and two Public Health England (PHE) officials carrying out the screening at Heathrow Terminal 1. Other terminals at the airport are expected to begin screening by the end of this week.

Video: Ebola: Infected Dallas Nurse Named

The government expects up to two flights a day to be carrying passengers from the affected areas.  

Dr Paul Cosford, director at PHE, said the numbers undergoing screening were likely to total a few hundred per month. He said they would be learning from their experiences at Heathrow over the coming days.

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

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.

But there have been concerns that the screening is not widespread enough and relies too much on self-reporting - while border officials will try to identify people who should be screened it will also be up to passengers to put themselves forward for checks.

Global health security expert Dr Devi Sridhar told Sky News that the airport screening was no more than "political theatre".

"Experience has shown is does not really work at managing and stopping the virus," she said.

Video: Ebola Crisis: On The Front Line

She called for investment in a global response, adding: "Piecemeal by piecemeal screening and closing borders is not going to contain it and it's not going to work."

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.

The measures come as British troops were loading up the RFA Argus, which will set sail for Sierra Leone later this week to help in efforts to contain the outbreak. Some 750 military personnel and the medical ship, which has a fully-equipped hospital including critical care and high-dependency units, are being sent to the region.

On Tuesday a UN aid worker died while being treated at a hospital in Germany after contracting ebola in Liberia.  

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