Colourful Easter processions and solemn re-enactments of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ take place across globe

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Spain is hit by strong winds and rain from Storm Nelson and four drown on storm-battered coasts

Easter processions in southern Spain have been cancelled after heavy rain from Storm Nelson, as the country was hit by strong winds and four people drowned on its storm-battered coasts.

All of the big processions in Seville on Holy Thursday were cancelled because of the rainstorms that were otherwise welcome in a region that has been experiencing a severe drought.

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Germans want to ban ‘torture breeding’ for extreme characteristics. Plus: don’t even think about swimming in British waters this Easter

I’ll say this for the Germans: when they’re right, they’re so right. Word reaches us that dachshunds are to be banned in Germany.

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Analysts say fastest growing part of market is for ‘talking point’ eggs, with some clocking in at 1kg

At Easter, people used to get excited if theirs came with a mug and a bag of sweets but those days are over, with social media stoking demand for talking point “mega eggs” in fancy shapes and exotic flavours.

The choice is no longer just about the type: think “blonde”, “strawberry-white” or “pistachio” flavour chocolate not bog-standard milk, dark and white. There is also a race to create the thickest and, ergo, most luxurious shells.

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Dan Dafydd, who accidentally ordered 80 cases of eggs, aims to raise £20,000 for the RNLI by Easter Sunday

For a small shop owner on a small island as far as mistakes go, Dan Dafydd’s was a pretty big one leaving him with quite a dilemma: how do you get rid of 80 cases of Easter eggs when you only meant to order 80 eggs?

For Dafydd, the owner of Sinclair General Stores on Sanday, one of the Orkney islands (population approximately 500), the 720 eggs were enough to feed everyone almost twice over. A few too many even for those with a sweet tooth.

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Pre-recorded message for Maundy service in Worcester Cathedral will be played as Camilla stands in for monarch

King Charles will highlight the importance of friendship “in a time of need” on Thursday in his first public comments since the Princess of Wales announced that she was receiving treatment for cancer.

In his second Easter message as king, Charles will say how Christ set an “example of how we should serve and care for each other”, and how as a nation “we need and benefit greatly from those who extend the hand of friendship to us, especially in a time of need”.

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A fresh take on seasonal favourites adds Middle Eastern spice and cleverly accommodates leftover hot cross buns for afters

The daffodils are out, parading their annual magnificence, and I can’t help but be enchanted by the beauty of spring. While I’m not religious, I also can’t help but revel in the festivities of Easter. Eggs, lamb and hot cross buns are all traditional, but these fuss-free recipes give them a new lease of life. Buy in some flatbreads and pickles to serve alongside the meat, so you aren’t stuck in the kitchen for the whole day. After all, there are more important things to do – such as hunting for chocolate eggs!

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Bank holiday weekend and start of school holidays take place at same time, with high traffic volumes expected

Drivers are being warned to expect long delays over Easter as millions of getaway trips lead to soaring traffic volumes and congested motorways.

The RAC said that more than 14m journeys on some popular routes could take twice as long as normal, as the first bank holiday weekend of the spring coincides with the start of a two-week holiday for many schools.

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Whether a roast or meze, these wines are the perfect partners for a magnificent Easter Sunday meal

Domaine des Tourelles Cuvée Pierre Brun, Lebanon 2020, £14.99, or £11.99 as part of a mixed six, Majestic Easter feasting in the UK is rather less bound by family traditions than Christmas. There’s an echo of Christmas excess in settling down after lunch to watch a film with a haul of chocolate eggs and a glass of smoothly, darkly, sweetly comforting port (such as Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage, now on offer for £12 at Asda , and widely available). Another common theme is lamb, which, when roasted with rosemary, garlic and all the usual trimmings, is ideally matched to the softened dark fruit and savoury tones of a classic, mature bordeaux such as Asda Extra Special Château Le Bosq Médoc 2016 (currently £11.50, down from £14). For sweetly spicier, Levantine-style lamb, I’d go for the fine Lebanese producer Domaine des Tourelles’ darker, more robust and spicy red blend.

Karavitakis Kompsos Liatiko, Crete, Greece 2022, £10.95, The Wine Society I’d be tempted by a Lebanese wine for my own lamb-free Easter feast plans this year, an Ottolenghi-ish array of dishes that will include at least one element based on what Ottolenghi’s longtime collaborator Ixta Belfrage calls his ‘unbeatable formula’ of ‘flavoured yoghurt base plus roasted aubergines plus vibrant toppings’. The Lebanese choice could be a red such as the Domaine des Tourelles, but I’m increasingly smitten with the country’s distinctive and gastronomic whites. These tend to have a certain richness and power while retaining verve and flow, giving them the food-matching versatility you need for the variety of a meze-type meal. A wine such as the very special Ixsir Grande Reserve 2022 (from £25.50, vinum ; greatwine.co.uk ), a perfumed fleshy-peachy, citrus-pithy blend of viognier, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay, would be ideal. As would a red from another country with a meze tradition: Karavitakis’s take on the Cretan grape liatiko, with its food-friendly sweet-sour red-fruit tanginess.

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