Merkel’s mission, Scotland told no, Birthday cake

The snow storm that forced Angela Merkel to postpone her visit to see Donald Trump in Washington may prove a blessing for the German chancellor.

Instead of seeing the new US president on Tuesday, when the result of the widely-watched Dutch election was still uncertain, she will meet him today – safe in the knowledge that prime minister Mark Rutte, her conservative ally, has retained power and fought off the populist Geert Wilders.