Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Saturday 2 Nov 2019

1. Johnson rejects Farage's demand for an electoral pact

Boris Johnson has rejected Nigel Farage’s demand that he forms an electoral pact with his party. Asked his response by the BBC, the prime minister said: “Now the difficulty about doing deals with any other party is that any other party, I’m afraid, simply risks putting Jeremy Corbyn into No 10.” Earlier, the Brexit Party leader had said that Johnson’s deal is “not Brexit”.

2. Trump says Beto O’Rourke quit White House race ‘like a dog’

Beto O’Rourke has withdrawn from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. The former congressman from El Paso said: “Our campaign has always been about seeing clearly, speaking honestly, and acting decisively. In that spirit: I am announcing that my service to the country will not be as a candidate or as the nominee.” Donald Trump said O’Rourke “quit like a dog".

3. GPS evidence shows Essex lorry stopped in trafficking hotspot

GPS data has shown that the container in which 39 migrants died stopped in a location in Essex regarded as a notorious people trafficking hotspot. The evidence also shows that the refrigerated container made a nearly identical trip the week before the victims were found inside it in the early hours of Wednesday last week. Police say all 39 people found dead in the lorry were Vietnamese nationals.

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4. Report finds lack of services for opioid addicts in the UK

A study has discovered a severe lack of services for opioid painkiller addicts in the UK. The Guardian says that just two free services specifically deal with opioid painkiller addiction, prompting experts to warn that there could be a “hidden epidemic” of sufferers. There are also fears that, with no dedicated NHS treatment centre and only one council-funded service, the problem could continue to grow.

5. Gatwick installs features to tackle illegal drone attacks

Gatwick Airport has installed radar, radio frequency and optical detection systems in a bid to thwart drone attacks. The airport’s move comes after 1,000 flights were grounded by illegal operation of the unmanned aerial vehicles last year. The government has described that disruption as a “wake-up call… with tens of millions of pounds of economic damage”.

6. Fracking banned in England after new study heightens fears

Fracking has been banned in England after new research raised fresh fears over the risk of earthquakes. The government’s move comes after a report by the Oil and Gas Authority said it was not possible to predict the probability or size of tremors caused by the practice. Boris Johnson said he had “very considerable anxieties” about fracking - a controversial method of extracting shale gas.

7. Jeremy Corbyn pledges to make all homes zero carbon

Labour would force housebuilders to make new properties zero carbon within three years. Gordon Brown’s government introduced regulations to make all homes zero carbon by 2016, but David Cameron scrapped the regulations in 2016, less than a year before they were due to come into force. Jeremy Corbyn says tackling the climate emergency is at the heart of the “real change” he is promising if elected.

8. Call for mass slaughter of sharks after men are hurt

A shark attack on two British tourists has prompted calls for a mass slaughter of the creatures. Following the attack on Alistair Raddon and Danny Maggs during a snorkelling trip off Queensland, Bob Katter, a local MP, said: “We have a right to live, we have a right to defend ourselves and more importantly our children, our loved ones from some of the most terrible deaths.”

9. Queen praises England team ahead of rugby final

The Queen has praised England's “inspirational” rugby team ahead of tomorrow's World Cup final in Japan. The men in white will line up to face South Africa in the big match, which kicks off at 09:00 GMT. Tens of thousands of Red Rose supporters have travelled to Japan hoping to grab a ticket for the eagerly-anticipated clash.

10. Autopsy shows British backpacker died by accidental drowning

An autopsy has concluded that British backpacker Amelia Bambridge died by accidental drowning after disappearing on a Cambodian island. The authorities say they do not believe there was any foul play behind the death of Bambridge, from Worthing, in Sussex. The 21-year-old had been on her first trip abroad alone when she stayed at the island of Koh Rong, south west of Cambodia.