This week in the news features Met office warnings for Scotland due to severe snowfall, Toys R Us have gone into administration and Scotland defeat England for the first time in years in the Six Nations.
The Met Office gave Central Scotland a red alert after severe snowfall had caused chaos across the UK. The red warning indicated a potential risk to life, and was in place until Thursday, 10 am. It has returned to amber warnings. Travel operators and traffic have been affected and people are advised to avoid driving. Hundreds of schools remain closed. The Scottish Premiership’s Wednesday Night games were postponed.
Jeremy Corbyn has debunked allegations of him meeting and handing over information to a Czech communist spy. His records prove that he had been in a meeting in Chesterfield at the time in 1987 when the spy claims to have met him in the House of Commons. The claims were brought up by members of the Conservative Party but failed to damage support for the Labour Party leader.
Toys R Us has gone into administration. 105 stores in the UK will remain open until further notice, although 3,000 jobs are at risk. Low sales mean the UK’s biggest toy retailer will be unlikely to afford to pay a £15 million tax bill.
Nuart has announced the line-up for the street art festival’s return to Aberdeen. From 12th – 15th April artists from Argentina, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal and the UK will create art around the city centre. A wall on Union Row is one of the spots secured. Last year the art festival, originally from Stavanger in Norway, has been called an overwhelming success, as the artwork has transformed Aberdeen’s cityscape.
China’s president Xi Jinping could be set to rule the country beyond the end of his second term in 2023 after a proposal by the governing Communist Party. It would remove a clause limiting presidencies to two five-year terms. Since Sunday, phrases like ‘I don’t agree’ or ‘re-election’ have been censored on Chinese social media. Critics fear that the proposal would pave the way for a life-long dictatorship.
Scotland’s rugby team have beaten England in the Six Nations for the first time in ten years. Two tries by Huw Jones and one by Sean Maitland sealed the 25-13 victory in front of an ecstatic crowd at Murrayfield Stadium. The win has moved Gregor Townsend’s side to third place after three matchdays. Scotland will next travel to Dublin to face first-placed Ireland on 10th March.
With the traditional closing ceremony, the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang have finished. The medal table is led by Norway with 14 gold, 14 silver and 11 bronze medals, followed by Germany with 31 and Canada with 29 medals overall. Great Britain find themselves at 19th, having won one gold and four bronze medals. The next Olympic Winter Games will take place in 2022 in Beijing.