THE BIG STORIES
Swinney prepares controversial anti-Reform summit | Easter truce fails | Starmer under pressure on gender

📣 John Swinney holds a summit this week widely seen as a response to the rise of Reform in the polls. Political, religious and civic leaders will gather in Glasgow, although Reform won’t be there and Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay says he won’t attend because he’s “not required”, having previously dismissed the event as “yet another SNP talking shop”. (Scotsman)

• In a column in the Daily Record, Swinney says: “If we don’t act now to protect our democracy, and our shared values, then I think we will regret that in the years to come. That’s why I will be bringing people together in Glasgow this week.” (Daily Record)

• Councillor Thomas Kerr, who defected to Reform from the Conservatives, said Swinney was “overstepping the mark” in using public money for the event. (The Herald)

• Reform would be the biggest party in a hung UK Parliament if an election was held today, a poll claims. Nigel Farage’s party would win 180 seats, with the Tories and Labour on 165 seats each, according to survey of 16,000 voters. (Independent)

📣 Ukraine and Russia accused each other of breaking a proposed Easter ceasefire. The truce, hurriedly proposed by Russia, was seen as proof of “Moscow’s wild cynicism” by CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh, a move offered only in response to growing US impatience at the slow pace of peace negotiations. (CNN)

• Ukraine has been hit by a “huge air raid” today (Independent)

📣 The fallout continues over last week’s Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of a woman.

• First Minister John Swinney said trans people would feel “uncertain and anxious” after the ruling. The Scottish Government will set out how it will comply with the law tomorrow. (BBC)

• Activists rallied in London to protest against the ruling (Guardian)

• Seven statues were vandalised during those protests, including that of suffragette Millicent Fawcett. (Sky News)

• Pressure is growing on Sir Keir Starmer to offer his backing to the judgement, amid claims his ministers are “plotting” to find ways around the judgement. (The Mail)

• Iain Macwhirter: “Fight against the gender madness isn’t over” (The Times £)

IDEAS
Six Easter messages from around the world

📣 Whether you are of faith or none at all, perhaps you’ll find something in these messages, both secular and religious, this Easter Monday. We’ll return to matters temporal tomorrow.

🗣️ Pope Francis’s blessing, read on his behalf at St Peter’s Square by Archbishop Diego Ravelli: “I appeal to all those in positions of political responsibility in our world not to yield to the logic of fear which only leads to isolation from others, but rather to use the resources available to help the needy, to fight hunger and to encourage initiatives that promote development. These are the ‘weapons’ of peace: weapons that build the future, instead of sowing seeds of death.” (Full text)

🗣️The Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson, Moderator of the Church of Scotland: “Those who know me, know that I love Easter. As a minister there is no better time of year. Yes its busy, yes there are not enough hours in the day, but this is the time of year we celebrate the empty tomb – Jesus is alive. There is more to life than living and dying, and that's it. My job (indeed the job of all Christians) is to tell people about God's love, and about Jesus – about his life, death and resurrection. The Christian faith centres round Easter... and if you believe there's a heaven, you believe in Easter.” (Full message)

🗣️The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe, Presiding Bishop, The Episcopal Church, United States: “Let us celebrate the joy of Easter by seeking and serving the resurrected Christ in the lives and the witness of those who have been silenced, persecuted, and marginalised.” (Full message)

🗣️The Most Reverend Ezekiel Kumir Kondo, Archbishop of the Province of Sudan and Bishop of Khartoum: “This is the second Easter and the second anniversary many of us still celebrate Easter outside our country, Churches and our homes. many still celebrate Easter separated from their families and their loved ones. […] May you know the love and the power of the Risen Christ this Easter. It is also my prayer and hope that we will celebrate Easter in our country, in our churches and with our families, friends and our loved ones the coming year 2026. May the Divine intervention bring peace to our beloved Sudan.” (Full text)

🗣️The Most Reverend Kay Goldsworthy, Archbishop of Perth, Australia: “I read on Facebook of a parent speaking about reading the Narnia series of books […] to their children, and they had marked out a section where Lucy says to Aslan ‘But how will we know where you are? How will we see you? Will we ever see you again?’ And the lion says to her: ‘You will. You may not recognise me because I will look different, but you will see me. If you’ve known me now, you will know me again.’ It was a lovely, lovely reminder of the promise of Easter. Of the hope that sits within those of us who are believers, followers, disciples of Jesus.” (Watch the full message)

AROUND SCOTLAND

📣 The First Minister has praised police for the “excellent job” they are doing in tackling a gang war that’s been raging in Edinburgh and Glasgow for the last month. (STV)

• Police raided a home in Edinburgh said to be linked to the feud (The Sun)

📣 Staff at Scottish Water begin a two-day strike tomorrow in a dispute over pay. (Daily Record)

📣 Nearly 1,000 Scottish teachers are out of work after the Scottish Government quietly reneged on a pledge to increase teacher numbers. (The Times £)

AROUND THE UK

📣 Gatwick Airport is the UK’s worst for delays according to official figures, with an average delay on every departing flight of 23 minutes. Edinburgh airport doesn’t fare well: it’s the seventh worst in the country (18 minutes), putting it in a worse position than Luton (17), Heathrow (17) and Glasgow (15). (Guardian)

📣 UK taxpayers have contributed £89 million to the production costs of Jurassic World: Rebirth, the most expensive movie ever made, out this summer. (The Observer)

📣 Gen Z - people aged 18 to 24 - are flocking to church, with claims the Church is growing rapidly as young people return to services. (Independent)

AROUND THE WORLD

🌎 Israel has sacked a deputy commander after an investigation found a chain of “professional failures” led to the killings of 15 Palestinian medics last month in Gaza. Chilling phone video had showed ambulance crews arriving to an incident before being gunned down. (AP)

🌎 US Vice President JD Vance will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi today, reflecting warming ties between the two countries. (Semafor)

🌎 The White House is keen to sack Fed Chair Jerome Powell and is examining ways it might be able to move him out the job. (CNBC)

SPORT

⚽️ Celtic dismantled St Johnstone on their way to the Scottish Cup Final, winning 5-0, getting the bulk of the job done in the first half against the Premiership relegation candidates. (The Mail)

⚽️ The other semi-final was closer: Aberdeen overcame Hearts 2-1 in a game where anger over a sending off may last longer than memories of an undistinguished match. (The Scotsman)

⚽️ Things could start to be settled in the English Championship today, and it should make for entertaining viewing. Some of it’s also on free-to-view TV. (BBC preview)

• Leeds United v Stoke City (3pm, Sky Sports Main Event) Leeds need a win to have a chance of going up today. Then they need Sheffield United to lose…

• Burnley v Sheffield United (5.30pm, ITV/STV, Sky Sports Football/Main Event) A huge game for both sides: if Burnley win, they go up. Defeat for Sheffield, plus an earlier win for Leeds, means their remarkable season ends only in a play-off place.

• Tottenham Hotspur v Nottingham Forest (8pm, Sky Sports main Event) Forest have stuttered, but still ride high. Spurs are yet to find their nadir.

🏎️ Max Verstappen has gone full A Few Good Men after McLaren’s Oscar Piastri beat him at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, saying “people can’t handle the full truth” about a penalty he was given. (BBC)