THE comparisons made between the Alba Party and the Trump project come thick and fast.

PATRICK Harvie has said he wants to scrap school exams as they put pupils under “stress and pressure”.

Welcome to our Covid-19 live blog, bringing you all the latest updates from across Scotland.

The SNP could miss out on a majority at the Holyrood election, and support for independence is at its lowest level in over a year, according to the latest polls.

Alex Salmond needs to answer questions regarding his previous behaviour towards the opposite sex, writers Political Correspondent Hannah Rodger.

ALMOST 100 hospital discharges of elderly patients may have led to Covid outbreaks in Scottish care homes or increased the number of existing infections, a major report has found.

ANYONE swithering about voting Green at the Holyrood elections should read on.

Nearly one in four Scots have been found to have been problem drinking during the pandemic while nearly half have said they have consumed more alcohol than usual, a new survey has revealed.

THE SCOTTISH Conservatives have claimed their plans to rebuild the country’s economy would create at least 200,000 new jobs over the next five years.

ANAS Sarwar has attacked the "failing" SNP Government for making "too many mistakes" in vital areas such as education and health as he prepares to launch his party's manifesto today.

IN the streets surrounding Hennepin County Court in Minneapolis there were as many sighs of relief as there were cheers as the guilty verdicts came in.

ONLY a combination of luck, “huge sums of money” and a bending of the rules avoided a financial crisis for the devolved governments during the pandemic.

FOOD banks have been handing out nearly one emergency food parcel ever seven minutes to Scots children during the pandemic - but one charity says it is just the "tip of the iceberg".

CONSERVATIONISTS are planning sewage safaris following deepending concerns about pollution in the Forth River basin.

IT has been heartening in recent days to see and hear about operators in the hospitality sector preparing for reopening this coming Monday.

By Scott Wright

With stretching sands and grassy embankments looking out to Arran and Ailsa Craig, Irvine Beach offers a relatively peaceful spot to enjoy the Scottish summer.

BBC Question Time airs a Scottish election special this evening from Edinburgh with questions from all over Scotland.

A far cry from its humble beginnings in a disused toilet block in the local park, one woman’s bookstore dream-come-true has made a big impact on a small community.

YOUR report (“Quality state schools can phase out private rivals”, April 19) highlights the attainment gap in education.

It’s not just every football association in the world which is watching aghast at the European Super League project, but just about every professional sports governing body.

By Ian McConnell

By Ian McConnell

A Scottish energy from gravity pioneer is in talks with mine owners across Europe that see potential in its technology after the company passed a key milestone in the development process.

A FARMING family has developed a luxury wedding and events venue in a former sheep shed with a £1.9 million investment.

A DIGITAL marketing and contact centre business is to create 50 new jobs in Glasgow.

BORIS Johnson treats Ian Blackford as an irritating wee Highland terrier, forever nipping at his heels. The Prime Minister probably even considers the SNP’s Westminster leader barking. So he couldn’t have been surprised at the sound of canine ...

COVID funerals, the vaccine taskforce and India’s second surge were the topics discussed by columnists and contributors in the newspapers.

These mini plants can save you time and money if you want colour and flavour in your garden this year, says Hannah Stephenson.

IF you are feeling at all anxious about emerging from the lockdown cocoon, don’t worry - Gwyneth Paltrow is on hand with an array of tips to “spring forward” into post-pandemic life.

Play for today

BORIS Johnson has been urged to submit to a parliamentary committee for questioning over concerns about cronyism and coronavirus contracts.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has been accused of “sneaking out draconian cuts” to the foreign aid budget.

THE FORMER Veterans minister Johnny Mercer has described Government as the "most distrustful, awful environment" he has ever worked in.

George Floyd was not a martyr; he did not die for the greater good; his life was taken from him. Just like so many other people of colour.

A POLICY of deporting rough sleepers who are not UK nationals has been branded 'inhumane' by a charity.

SCOTTISH Labour has said it will bring forward equal pay legislation in the next parliament to right historic wrongs and prevent a repeat of the problem.

THE SNP's Westminster leader has written to the Prime Minister urging him to publish all personal correspondence he has had about coronavirus contracts by the end of the day.

DEATHS from Covid have fallen to levels last seen in October, with hospitalisations for the disease among the elderly also continuing to shrink.

IF political experience has taught me anything, it is that to make a difference, you need commitment to specific objectives.

BORIS Johnson says he offers “absolutely no apology at all” for text messages to entrepreneur James Dyson about fixing tax arrangements amid further claims of “sleaze and cronyism” within Government.

The owner of a prestigious five-star hotel has revealed he has had to call in extra staff as "bookings have skyrocketed" ahead of reopening the venue.

WETHERSPOONS are to open 60 of its pubs across Scotland next week as lockdown eases.

TRADE union bosses have backed Indyref2 being held but have rejected Alex Salmond’s “supermajority manoeuvring”.

AS many in the UK long for the guaranteed blue summer skies of overseas destinations, the picture for international travel in many ways looks more overcast and turbulent than ever.

PATRICIA Gibson has been identified as the MP subject to a complaint of sexual harassment by a party employee.

By Ian McConnell

BORIS Johnson told the SNP's Westminster leader that his dog had made a "more sensible contribution" to Prime Minister's Questions than he did.

NICOLA Sturgeon has been labelled “irresponsible” by Douglas Ross following an angry exchange between the pair over whether an independent Scotland would have been able to bring forward a successful vaccine rollout.

There have been 273 new cases of Covid-19 reported in Scotland in the past 24 hours.