Bitesized Blighty: April 18, 2019
- Facebook has imposed a ban on a dozen far-right UK individuals and organisations that it says, "spread hate". The ban includes the British National Party and Nick Griffin, the English Defence League and the National Front. The list also includes Britain First, which was already banned, but this latest action will prohibit support for it on any of the US firm's services. It said it had taken the action because those involved had proclaimed a "violent or hateful mission". "Individuals and organisations who spread hate, or attack or call for the exclusion of others on the basis of who they are, have no place on Facebook," the social network added in a statement.
- Extinction Rebellion climate protest enters day FOUR - as police are filmed dancing with protesters. London faces a fourth day of chaos as climate change eco-warriors blockade key points around the capital as part of a global protest. Police have so far made 400 arrests but were last night filmed dancing with activists at Oxford Circus in central London. In the video, two police officers are seen pumping their fists in the air amid shouts of "we love it, we love it" in the centre of a large crowd of dancing protesters.
- The UK is expected to be hotter than Morocco this Easter weekend as Brits have been told to expect a heat level of 23C (73F) on Saturday. Over the bank holiday, dry and sunny weather is expected across the UK, with London set to be ten degrees hotter than average for this time of year, but the south of the country will see the best of the weather. The highest temperature recorded over an Easter weekend was 27.8C in Wisley, Surrey, in 2011. A side effect of the soaring temperature is the early arrival of hay fever/allergies season - coming three weeks early this year. Brits are being warned of a potentially deadly “pollen bomb” as the weather warms. Birch pollen is normally released into the air for around four weeks every year, but an unusually warm winter is believed to have brought its pollination time forward.
