Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 1 Nov 2019

1. Trump tells Johnson: join forces with Farage

Donald Trump has torpedoed Boris Johnson’s first day on the campaign trail for the next general election, now set for 12 December. The US president gave an interview to former UKIP leader Nigel Farage on LBC radio in which he said the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal would block trade with the US – and urged him to work with Farage.

2. One dead and 15 injured as London buses collide

One person was killed last night and another 15 injured when two London buses and a car collided. The driver of the car was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. The crash happened in Orpington at around 10pm and police are still trying to contact next of kin of the person who died at the scene.

3. Push for voter registration ahead of election

The Electoral Reform Society has warned against complacency, saying that 9.4 million voters are still missing from the electoral roll. It is urging the “biggest registration drive this country has seen” to ensure all sections of society go to the polls on 12 December. There has been a surge in people aged under 25 registering in recent days.

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4. Mobiles at the wheel: loophole to be closed

The Government says it will have new legislation in place by the spring to close a loophole that has allowed several drivers to overturn convictions for using their mobile phones at the wheel. Current laws ban drivers only from holding phones to “communicate interactively”, so those using them as cameras have been avoiding punishment.

5. Dementia kept at bay by literal brainwashing

A study published in the journal Science finds our brains are literally washed while we sleep: lower blood pressure in the head allows cerebrospinal fluid to flow over the brain in waves. It is the discovery of these fluid waves that is new. Taken with earlier studies, it suggests the failure of the process as people age can lead to dementia.

6. Trick-or-treating girl hit by car as shots fired

A girl of 12 sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries last night when she was hit by a car while she was out trick-or-treating in Merseyside. The driver of the car was said by police to have first been shot at, though it was not clear if he was hit. He suffered a light facial injury. No arrests have been made and police need witnesses.

7. Trump to switch home from NYC to Florida

US President Donald Trump has announced he will make Florida, where he owns the Mar-a-Lago golf resort, his permanent residence rather than Trump Tower in New York City, accusing political leaders in the city of treating him badly. NYC mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted: “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out or whatever.”

8. BBC slip reveals women seeking equal pay

The BBC has accidentally leaked a list of its 120 female employees who have pursued gender-based pay complaints in a document made available to the public and journalists as part of supporting material during presenter Samira Ahmed’s ongoing tribunal. The data breach reveals several household names are on the list.

9. China: donations for malnourished student

A social media storm has highlighted extreme poverty in parts of China. Donations have flooded in for a 24-year-old student suffering malnutrition after eating only rice and chillies for five years while struggling to support her mentally-ill brother. Wu Huayan lived on 20p a day, is 4ft 5in tall and weighs less than three stone.

10. Briefing: what do the different colour poppies mean?

As we enter November, citizens of the UK and other Commonwealth nations are gearing up to pay tribute to fallen war heroes on Remembrance Day.

However, there has been a growing trend in recent years whereby some people eschew the iconic red poppy in favour of poppies in a range of colours, representing different causes and ideas.

What do the different coloured poppies mean?