Wendy Chamberlain said the figures gave a “terrifying” sense of the scale of the issue, as she urged the Scottish Government to act.

Scottish cops were called to domestic abuse incidents almost 6,000 times over the Christmas 2024 period, new figures suggest.

Between December 1, 2024 and January 3, 2025, Police Scotland were called to 5,945 domestic incidents, according to figures released to the Scottish Lib Dems.

Scottish Lib Dem deputy leader and former police officer Wendy Chamberlain said the figures gave a “terrifying” sense of the scale of the issue, as she urged the Scottish Government to act.

The Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act was passed in 2021 and created domestic abuse protection notices and domestic abuse protection orders, which would allow for an abuser to be removed from the victim’s home immediately after an incident. The two provisions have yet to be implemented.

Ms Chamberlain said: “These figures reflect just how prevalent violence against women and girls is across Scotland. Around 6,000 incidents in the Christmas period alone gives a terrifying sense of the scale of domestic abuse.

“Five years since the Domestic Abuse Act passed and the SNP are still dragging their heels over the crucial protections within it. The Government have failed to give any good reason for the persistence of these delays.

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“Scottish Liberal Democrats recently passed a motion at our conference calling for an end to these delays, so we can remove abusers from the family home and keep women out of harm’s way.

“We would also take steps in a range of areas, from health to education to justice, to tackle the root misogyny often underlying this violence.”

Siobhian Brown, Minister for Victims and Community Safety, said: “We are committed to fully implementing Part 1 of the 2021 Act. This is a complex piece of legislation with recognised operational challenges identified by justice partners and stakeholders.

“To address these, a short-life working group was established to consider possible legislative changes to ensure the Act can be implemented as intended. We are focused on preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls.

“That’s why we are increasing the delivering equally safe fund by 5 per cent, bringing total investment to almost £46 million over 2026-2028, to ensure organisations continue their vital work to prevent violence and support survivors.”

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Two suspicious devices were found Saturday outside the official residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The devices were found by New York City police officers during a scheduled anti-Islam demonstration near Gracie Mansion on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Officers were alerted around midday to the devices and took two unnamed “persons of interest” into custody, the New York Police Department told The Independent.

“No injuries or property damage have been reported at this time,” a department spokesperson said.

“The ‘Crusade Against Islamification’ gathering held outside Gracie Mansion today by Jake Lang, a vile white supremacist, was despicable and Islamophobic,” mayoral press secretary Joe Calvello told The Independent in a statement. “Thankfully, the Mayor and the First Lady are both safe, though the events are a stark reminder of the threats they both face regularly.”

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Mamdani, a Democrat, is the first Muslim to be elected mayor of New York, and he faced waves of Islamophobic rhetoric on the campaign trail.

“The Mayor has spoken with Police Commissioner Tisch, and the NYPD is actively investigating the protest, counter-protest, and suspicious devices discovered outside Gracie Mansion,” he added.

Photos from the scene appeared to show one of the devices, a round object wrapped in metallic tape. Smoke was emitting from one device, and the NYPD bomb squad is investigating, WABC reported.

At the demonstration, held on East End Avenue, just outside Gracie Mansion, far-right supporters clashed with a contingent of counter-protesters on Saturday afternoon.

The latter group, numbering about 125 people, was present for an event they called “Run the Nazis Out of New York City/Stand Against Hate.”

In a statement on X, Lang claimed two men threw bombs at him in an “assassination attempt.” He shared footage of himself and his supporters running when one of the devices landed nearby.

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“I am so grateful to be alive,” he wrote in another post.

He shared a photo appearing to show the second of the two devices, this one wrapped in black tape with nail-like objects sticking out its sides.

Elsewhere during the demonstration, a far-right protester reportedly pepper-sprayed members of the opposing group. “Four people got hit, at least,” an eyewitness told amNewYork.

At one point in the chaos, Lang walked a goat through the crowd. At a Friday night vigil in New York City for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran killed in U.S. strikes on February 28, Lang appeared with the animal in tow and manhandled it during a derogatory rant about Muslims.

At the Gracie Mansion event, police sought to keep the opposing crowds of demonstrators separate, and they reportedly later helped clear a path for Lang to exit the area.

At least six people were arrested at the demonstration overall, including one person for disorderly conduct and another for using pepper spray, police sources told ABC News.

Earlier this month, Lang, a January 6 rioter, was charged with making threatening statements about a police officer who was present at a fifth-anniversary event commemorating the attack on the Capitol. He was also arrested last month for vandalizing an ice sculpture at the Minnesota State Capitol protesting President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.

In January, Lang was in Minneapolis, where he led a “crusader march” demonizing Muslims and threatened to burn a Quran, as right-wing elements descended on the city claiming the area’s sizable Somali population was tied to government fraud.

When Lang appeared for the January 17 demonstration, which took place between Minneapolis City Hall and the local federal courthouse, he praised the Trump administration’s federal immigration operations and was vastly overwhelmed by counter-protesters who chased him and targeted him with water balloons in sub-freezing temperatures.

Lang’s appearance in the city came as Minneapolis was already on edge, after an immigration agent fatally shot protester Renee Good earlier that month and federal agents were conducting military-style immigration operations across the region.

President Trump pardoned Lang, who was charged with beating police officers with a baseball bat on January 6, along with most others who faced prosecution for their role in the attack.

Manchester City beat Newcastle United in the FA Cup and now have an even busier fixture list while they battle Arsenal for the Premier League title

Manchester City booked a place in the quarter-final of the FA Cup thanks to a victory against Newcastle United. City claimed a 3-1 win at St James’ Park in the fifth-round tie to secure their spot in the last eight.

Newcastle had taken the lead in the first half with a goal from Harvey Barnes, with City quickly responding with an equaliser from Savinho.

Omar Marmoush then put City in front soon after the half-time interval, and added his second of the game and third for Pep Guardiola’s side to put the visitors in control of the tie on Tyneside.

City have now added an FA Cup quarter-final tie to their busy schedule, which will take place next month, with the draw being held on Monday night.

Guardiola are currently battling with Arsenal for the Premier League title, with the Gunners having a seven-point lead, but City do have a game in hand.

READ MORE: Why Erling Haaland misses Man City game vs Newcastle United in Real Madrid worryREAD MORE: Chelsea urged to sign Man City star this summer amid ongoing transfer headache

Here, the Manchester Evening News takes a look at City’s upcoming fixtures compared to title rivals Arsenal….

Man City’s next six fixtures

Real Madrid (A) – Wednesday, March 11 (8pm) – Champions League

West Ham (A) – Saturday, March 14 (8pm) – Premier League

Real Madrid (H) – Tuesday, March 17 (8pm) – Champions League

Arsenal (N) – Sunday, March 22 (4.30pm) – Carabao Cup

FA Cup quarter-final – April 4/5

Champions League quarter-final first leg – April 7/8

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Arsenal’s next six fixtures

Bayer Leverkusen (A) – Wednesday, March 11 (5.45pm) – Champions League

Everton (H) – Saturday, March 14 (5.30pm) – Premier League

Bayer Leverkusen (H) – Tuesday, March 17 (8pm) – Champions League

Manchester City (N) – Sunday, March 22 (4.30pm) – Carabao Cup

FA Cup quarter-final – April 4/5

Champions League quarter-final first leg – April 7/8

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

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And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.

Following Olivia’s announcement that her marriage to Bradley Dack is over, Pete Wicks has stepped in to keep his reality TV pal busy – but their partying has sparked rumours among fans

Olivia Attwood and Pete Wicks have sparked further rumours about a potential romance, after the pair were seen leaving a hotel together in Manchester after the Brit Awards. Photos showed newly-single Olivia, 34, wearing a cap as her and Pete’s luggage was put into the same car at around midday.

It came after photos from the hotel lobby at around 3am showed Pete – who hosts a Sunday radio show with Olivia – carrying two large pizza boxes inside, after they’d been seen at the awards show, which took place at the city’s Co-op Live arena. After the show, they were seen leaving an after-party together.

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READ MORE: What time does ITV’s The Heat final start and end tonight?READ MORE: Olivia Attwood’s new ITV show branded ‘a disaster’ after ‘serving lukewarm dishes’

According to The Sun, an onlooker revealed: “Despite sitting on different tables they managed to spend most of the evening together. At one point they were sat next to each other.” The Mirror has reached out to Pete and Olivia’s reps for comment.

But Olivia, who recently ended her three-year marriage to Bradley Dack, citing a “breach of trust”, seemed to dispel rumours. The reality star and presenter, who was on the ITV table, told the Sun on Sunday: “If you are going to be single anywhere this’d be the place. Is Harry Styles single?”

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Olivia has been sharing her break-up with fans, revealing on Valentine’s Day that it was her first one as single lady since she was a teen. Addressing her Instagram followers, Olivia said: “Happy Valentine’s Day, my cherubs. I love you all so much x. My first Valentine’s without a boyfriend since I was like 14 years old, lol, so I took myself shopping, obvs.”

She also shared a meme, which read: “Forever the girl who needs to stay busy to be okay.” Since splitting up with Bradley, 32, Olivia has been spotted partying with TOWIE star Pete, while she takes her mind off her relationship woes.

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Earlier in February, Olivia was papped with her pal Pete, with the pair attending a Garnier launch in London together. The pair could be seen at the Newman Hotel, before they both carried the party on with a group of Pete’s pals.

While Pete and Olivia seemed in high spirits, the host of ITV’s new show The Heat was notably without her engagement and wedding rings after the end of her marriage. Pete and Olivia work together on their Kiss FM radio show, with the former Love Island contestant keeping herself busy with filming her documentary series Getting Filthy Rich.

She has also been appointed as the new face of Garnier, giving the heartbroken star plenty to be proud of amid her relationship breakdown. While Olivia appears to be holding it together, her soon-to-be ex-husband Bradley was seen still wearing his wedding ring, despite Olivia making it clear it was over.

Although she hasn’t divulged what the “breach of trust” that ended their marriage was, she did admit that she had been feeling “disconnected” from Bradley. Speaking on Made In Chelsea star Jamie Laing’s Great Company podcast, Olivia confessed in February that her relationship was over.

She declared: “I’m very happy to share a lot. I kinda think there’s a newer generation of people existing in our industry that previous generations haven’t. A publicist would be like, ‘Don’t share that and just pretend everything is fine’.

“I just kinda thought, yes, I could easily go down that route, but also I just know that a lot of people will relate to the kind of year that Brad and I had. You know, when you have these young married people who have their careers, and they’re both high-pressure, and you’re doing your thing, it’s so easy to become disconnected.”

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It will be a situation Wrexham will have to get used to should they turn play-off promise into a fourth straight promotion and book regular visits from Premier League opponents.

For now, though, manager Phil Parkinson could only rue the refusal of the officials to read the script.

“Without VAR we don’t get a player sent off and that goal certainly stands so it’s against us tonight,” said Parkinson, with his ire more aimed at the Dobson decision for a foul on Alejandro Garnacho.

“It’s my first taste of it and I know the rule is that is has to be a clear and obvious mistake for the decision to be changed – and I think the referee’s got to back his judgement of the real time, instant moment. He was in a great position to see it.”

Being denied a level playing field when trying to bridge the Premier League gap was one thing, but being denied the chance for penalties was another.

Pundit Micah Richards told Match of the Day that “you don’t want to see goals being ruled out like that, we are talking inches”.

Parkinson was more accepting of the decision, refusing to blame Brunt for his instinctive goalline touch and suggesting Moore’s header would have hit the post.

He was adamant, too, that his side’s bid for a place in the Premier League will not be affected by the disappointment.

“I’ve said this before, just not to as many people,” said Parkinson, referring to the media attendance that trebled with the game being televised in 75 countries around the world with the global fascination of Wrexham very much a reality.

“But I always want my team and their performance to reflect the town, so people know what Wrexham are all about.

“We did that tonight and that’s very important.”

Guy Ritchie’s new Amazon Prime series, Young Sherlock, was filmed across stunning Welsh locations

Amazon Prime’s new series Young Sherlock is a prequel to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic Sherlock Holmes stories, starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Dónal Finn and Colin Firth. The series which was directed by Guy Ritchie was extensively filmed in Wales, which was apparently quite “a challenge” thanks to the cold Welsh winter.

The cast were spotted filming across South Wales in 2024, with a substantial portion of filming taking place at Great Point Studios in St Mellons, Cardiff, with the production team also utilising the Civic Centre in Cardiff city centre.

Merthyr Mawr Estate in Bridgend County stood in for the Holmes family’s English country estate, whilst Bannau Brycheiniog served as the backdrop for a Chinese village. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter

Young Sherlock is the latest addition to an extensive roster of major TV productions filmed in Wales that have premiered in 2026. Amazon Prime’s Young Sherlock joins Netflix’s Seven Dials with Martin Freeman and Sky’s Under Salt Marsh stars Rafe Spall and Kelly Reilly, all of which have capitalised on the talent and locations Wales provides.

Deon Du Preez, supervising locations manager, told Radio Times: “The Chinese Village, script-wise, was interesting, but challenging. We did not have the budget to build a whole village for those flashback scenes.

“Once we realised the landscape of Brecon Beacons could be the landscape scale we needed, we built a Yurt Chinese Village which looked great.

“Fighting the Welsh winter was a challenge for that build!”

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He also highlighted the abundance of Victorian buildings and estates in Wales, along with locations in the south west of England and Oxfordshire, as providing a plethora of budget-friendly filming sites.

Deon shared: “The region has a strong selection of film-friendly Victorian and period locations, including historic streets, civic buildings, heritage sites and country estates.

“Located roughly 25 miles west of Cardiff, Merthyr Mawr is a large privately owned estate known for its 19th Century manor house and picturesque historic village.

“We filmed various scenes throughout the village and within the estate’s extensive woodland areas.”

You can watch Young Sherlock on Amazon Prime now.

Powerful storms have ripped through parts of Michigan and Oklahoma, leaving flattened homes and scattered debris.

Volunteers are assisting residents with cleanup, sifting through rubble, as severe weather threats linger across the US midsection.

Authorities, meanwhile, searched through rubble and debris in southern Michigan on Saturday after suspected tornadoes tore through the region and killed four people, including a 12-year-old boy, during powerful storms also blamed for two deaths in eastern Oklahoma.

First responders from multiple agencies in the Union Lake area near Union City looked for more possible victims and worked to clear roads, authorities said. Photos and videos posted on social media showed flattened homes and downed trees in a lakeside neighborhood.

The National Weather Service said an initial assessment confirmed that an EF3 tornado with winds of at least 150 mph (241 kph) struck the Union Lake area Friday.

The weather service also reported seven preliminary tornado tracks in eastern Oklahoma that same day, according to the state’s emergency operations center.

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The threat of severe weather continued Saturday in the nation’s midsection, with tornado watches posted in the afternoon for eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia and western Pennsylvania and New York.

Severe thunderstorms that began in northern Indiana appeared to spawn multiple tornadoes in southern Michigan the previous day, said meteorologist Lonnie Fisher of the National Weather Service, which sent teams to the region to evaluate the damage and confirm tornadoes.

“Mostly likely there were three distinct tornadoes, but we won’t know 100% for sure until they finish the survey,” Fisher said, adding that the storms intensified rapidly in southern Michigan after hitting northern Indiana.

Three people were killed and 12 were injured in the Union Lake area, according to the Branch County Sheriff’s Office.

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It was the second tornado to hit Union City in two years. An EF1 tornado with 95 mph (153 kph) winds touched down briefly in May 2024 and destroyed a machine shed.

Lisa Piper stood on her back deck and took video of a terrifying scene that played out on the other side of frozen Union Lake as a funnel cloud formed and then dropped toward the ground Friday. Trees were torn from their roots, and debris flew into the air.

“It’s lifting houses!” she said. As the devastation continued, she exclaimed: “Oh my heart is pounding. Oh, I hope they’re OK.”

Dan Taylor raced home to Union City from his cleaning job at a nearby hospital that day to find his brother and two dogs safe. But a tree fell on his home of 20 years, and portions of the roof of a house across the street blew into his yard.

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“I didn’t know what to say. I was lost for words,” he said Saturday. “I’m just thankful that my brother’s all right, my dogs, because it could have turned bad. We’re not guaranteed of anything.”

About 50 miles (81 kilometers) southwest of Union Lake, a 12-year-old boy died and several other people were injured during a possible tornado, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office said. Sheriff Clint Roach said in a Facebook post that Silas Anderson’s parents found him injured and provided first aid, but he later died at a hospital.

Disaster relief workers went door to door in the Union City and Three Rivers areas to offer meals and cleanup supplies. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she would declare a state of emergency in Branch, Cass and St. Joseph counties.

Joe Cole has described Joao Pedro as a ‘monster’ for Chelsea after their 4-2 win against Wrexham in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Liam Rosenior’s side survived a scare against their Championship opponents as they needed extra time to secure their place in the FA Cup quarter-final draw.

Wrexham took the lead twice in the game before they were reduced to 10 men in the 90th minute. Chelsea capitalised in extra time as Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro both found the net to seal their victory.

Pedro has now scored 11 goals in his last 12 games for Chelsea and is in sublime form ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League last-16 first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday evening.

‘He’s a monster, he really is,’ Cole told TNT Sports.

‘I think he’s decided what he’s already doing [for his goal vs Wrexham], he’s playing with them, he takes the centre-half over to the left, drags him back, he actually strikes it into the floor, everything he’s hitting at the moment going in.

‘He plays that No.9 role, he plays it not like an Erling Haaland where he’s constantly on the shoulder, he will drop in and drift in because he’s got quality.’

Ben Foster, who was a pundit alongside Cole for the FA Cup tie, played with Pedro at Watford and believes the Brazilian’s versatility in attack is what makes him such a threat.

‘I’ve got to say I’m so happy to see Joao doing really well,’ Foster said.

‘I was with Joao at Watford, you could see all the raw elements were there, he had that real bit of Brazilian flair about him and nastiness as well.

‘But to see him now in the Premier League doing it week in, week out. He played on the left for us, on the right, up top, he could do all of those little positions and I think that’s why he’s scoring so any goals and being so effective, he’s taking positions and defenders don’t know where he’s going to be.

‘I was really surprised he didn’t start tonight, to be honest, because when somebody has just scored a hat-trick, confidence, especially strikers, they feed off this ego and when they score a hat-trick they just want to score more and more. To see him come on I thought, ‘oh no, here we go’.’

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A university student from York surprised both the judges and viewers at home

Britain’s Got Talent viewers couldn’t believe their ears after a singer stole the show with his “unexpected” performance. On Saturday (March 7) night, more hopeful contestants arrived in Blackpool hoping that they’d be able to impress the Britain’s Got Talent judges.

With a £250,000 prize and a spot at the Royal Variety show at stake, contestants have been battling it out to claim their place in the coveted final through a very competitive set of auditions.

Last year, magician Harry Moulding won through the public vote and gave a showstopping routine at last year’s Royal Variety performance.

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On Saturday night, it was a rocky start for the auditionees as Canadian trampolining duo failed to impress judges Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and KSI after one of them took a tumble mid-performance.

It was Ukraine act AntiGravity who secured their golden buzzer after Alesha and Simon fought over who would give them the ultimate pass through to the live shows.

But it was 20-year-old Finley Barrett-Carter from York who won over the judges and the audience in Blackpool with his surprising rendition of Elvis Presley’s Burning In Love.

After his performance, three out of the four judges gave a standing ovation as KSI exclaimed: “Fin, where did that come from?!” as the singer added that it was a “dream come true” to perform on the stage.

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Discussing his performance, Finley added: “I’m a university student, but I busk every week in York and the amount of times I’ve heard people say that I don’t look like how I sound.”

As he was surrounded by applause, he continued: “I love all types of music but my favourite music to sing is the older stuff. It’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but it’s my cup of tea.”

He made it through to the next round with four “yes’” from the judges under his belt, but the audience members at home couldn’t get over how different his voice sounded from what they first expected when he appeared on stage.

On X (formerly known as Twitter), @robgillettwelsh wrote: “Well wasn’t expecting that from the singer on #BGT” as @ryansoapking25 added: “WOW I DIDN’T SEE THAT ONE COMING! His voice is giving a young Elvis or Rick Astley. A really entertaining audition and he’s so charismatic. Well done Finn that was amazing!”