Domestic Politics
Boris Johnson is being called a 'traitor' and a 'part-time PM' after failing to visit several towns and villages across Wales and England that were ravaged by floods in the wettest February on record. Several residents were forced to flee their homes and noticed that while he visited many of these towns on the campaign trail in November, he was conspicuously absent after the floods. [The Independent]
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wishes to hold a second independence referendum this year. However, John Mason, a veteran MSP from Sturgeon's Scottish National Party (SNP), said there is a need to build at least 60-40 or 70-30 support for independence before pushing for a 2nd referendum. [The Scotsman]
Jeremy Corbyn hinted that he will step down as leader of the Labour party in early 2021 after the party suffered its worst defeat in the General Elections since 1935. [Irish News]
Society
Over 100 Saint Patrick's Day parades and festivals risk being cancelled as organizers are mulling the threat of the coronavirus outbreak on large public gatherings. The Republic of Ireland now has 21 confirmed cases of the virus, and the latest two cases were both transmitted within the community. [Independent.ie]
The number of deportations from Ireland rose to 293 in 2019, up from 140 in 2017 and 163 in 2018. 118 out of the 596 deportations from the past three years have involved people from Pakistan. China comes next, with 87 cases, followed by Nigeria with 75, Albania with 40, Georgia with 34, Brazil with 33, Bangladesh with 25, Algeria with 19, India with 17, and Malaysia with 16. [The Journal.ie]
Economy
The Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 100 Index, which is a share index of the top 100 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, fell by 8% following a huge drop in oil prices, the biggest decrease since the 2008 financial crisis. [The Telegraph]
Law
Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond is on trial over accusations of sexual assault. He faces 14 charges of alleged offences against 10 women for a period between June 29, 2008 and November 11, 2014. [Belfast Telegraph]
Health
The UK saw its third coronavirus death, while the number of confirmed cases reached 278. PM Boris Johnson will chair an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the country's response. [The Independent]
Image Source: Worcester News
