Everything stops

It's not just in Britain that circumstances have scuppered people's plans for the weekend. The weather has been cold, snowy and treacherous, but even where it has been good for business (e.g. Aviemore in Scotland; Yad Moss in Cumbria) skiers have not been able to reach the venues.

In Angola, the African Cup of Nations was almost put on hold due to the shooting of the Togolese football team's bus driver, assistant coach and a media spokesman; Nigeria plays a game of hunt the President; and Stormont wonders whether the Government in Northern Ireland is on the brink after the Robinson affair.

So, that's a relief, not. Satellite images of Britain show the country under a white blanket. The forecast continues to be grim, but nothing to do with climate change apparently, even though experts reckon the Gulf Stream may get switched off if the planet warms, giving the UK bleak winters on a par with Scandinavia. Brrr!