This Christmas Eve, cities across Britain were left practically deserted as party goers stayed at home - or were locked up in self-isolation - amid the surge of the Omicron Covid variant.

Further Covid restrictions could be imposed just in time for New Year's Eve as Boris Johnson is set to review the latest figures on Monday. Restrictions could be in place until late March.

Ministers are said to be watching admission rates in London before pulling the trigger on more national curbs because the capital is a few weeks ahead in its Omicron outbreak.

London is being battered hardest by the new variant, with ten of the worst hit postcodes in England located within a mile between Wandsworth and Lambeth.

In pictures taken at 11.30pm on Christmas Eve, a group of 35 people were seen being brought to safety by Border Force officials, at Dover, Kent, having been rescued from a small dinghy.

Wicks first rose to prominence as a fitness coach and author of 'Lean in 15: 15-minute meals' which became a best-seller in 2015, But his popularity skyrocketed during lockdown.

In 2020, the most recent figures available, some 460 accidents involving e-scooters were reported to police across England, Scotland and Wales, according to newly released figures.

The fashion designer, 47, and the football ace, 46, were getting into the spirit of the Christmas Eve celebrations, as David wore a Santa hat and cooked up some festive treats by the flames.

Shoppers across the UK bought more wine last year than in 2019 - as people were urged to 'stay home' amid a string of Covid lockdowns - with rosé wine seeing the biggest increase in sales.

Kate recorded the song with Tom Walker in the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey, one day before a community carol service on December 8 which was shown on ITV this evening.

One in four NHS workers on Covid wards developed PTSD during the pandemic as a direct result of working with patients who had the virus, such as 37-year-old health assistant Shane Longton (pictured).

LadBaby has made chart history by securing the Christmas number one for a fourth consecutive year, becoming the first musician to do so in 70 years.

Departments stores like Fenwick and Selfridges have started their major clearances and Harrods began discounting as early as December 17 with Christmas Eve shopping down 21%

The television presenter, 54, read Love Came Down at Christmas by Christina Rossetti at Westminster Abbey in London at the service.

People living in Embassy Gardens, in Nine Elms, south London, say the water is too cold for people to swim in during the winter months when the temperature drops.

The Queen's Christmas speech has evolved since the days when her grandfather, King George V, used the radio to address his imperial subjects for the first time back in 1932.

Desperate New Yorkers spent their Christmas Eve scrambling for COVID tests as infections driven by the Omicron variant surged across the Empire State.

A festive 'Dickensian' scene of widespread snow on the ground could be consigned to British history due to climate change, the Met Office reports from its Exeter HQ.

From William Barlow's magnificent 1860s roof over St Pancras to the £550million King's Cross redesign finished in 2012, 'London's Great Railway Stations' covers a wide breadth of different styles.

Beth Coldrick, 37, (pictured) from Dorset, went from a 34D bra size to a 40HH in three years because of medication she was taking for Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease.

Sarah Cooper, 42, was hailed as an 'amazing, kind and caring person' by one devastated colleague at the Wolverhampton Refugee and Migrant Centre as tributes flooded in after her death.

The rapid rise of Omicron has resulted in 766,000 people across the UK testing positive for Covid since December 16 and current trends mean 125,000 more Britons could be diagnosed today.

Jeremy Farrar, a former SAGE member, pointed out that while another booster is already being mooted in the UK, many around the globe have yet to receive a first jab.

England footballer Jamie Vardy and his celeb wife Rebekah (pictured) have won planning permission for a new dressing room as part of a two-storey extension at his plush £3million mansion.

Harry Beardsley met John, 28, on the street and took him for lunch and for a game of pool at a pub in Reading, Berkshire.

Police Scotland have been accused of 'arresting people for making jokes' after a man was charged over an alleged Facebook post inviting revellers to a Hogmanay party at the home of Nicola Sturgeon.

Nearly two-thirds (60 per cent) of 18-24-year-olds in the UK think it is 'acceptable' for Father Christmas to be gay, while half said they were happy for an ethnic minority Santa, YouGov has found.

Dr Zudin Puthucheary, a member of the Intensive Care Society and doctor in London, said the number of patients coming into hospital who 'happen to be Covid positive' is skewing hospitalisation statistics.

EXCLUSIVE: Consumer giants Which? blind taste-tested 11 frozen tatties from leading supermarkets and big brands to see which was the tastiest treat to go with your turkey.

A gang of urban explorers have accessed an abandoned Debenhams store after the shop closed down. The retailer, who was founded in London in 1778 closed for good in May.

SIMON WALTERS: If Boris Johnson does not move to sort out his dysfunctional administration, he has little chance of fighting the next general election, which could be just two years away.

Prince Albert of Monaco, 64, and the couple's children Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriela, six, will visit their mother Princess Charlene during the holidays, according to a palace statement.

Retired businessman Charles Ryan, has been accused of knocking through a dry stone wall beside his house in Quebec, Co Durham without appropriate planning permission.

Klaudia Soltys, 30, was living in Hull with boyfriend Amadeusz Sekula who stabbed her to death on March 27 after becoming jealous. The pair began a relationship in Summer 2020 after meeting online.

The three-year-old girl was rushed to hospital in a critical condition as the horror unfolded in Yardley, West Mids, on Wednesday.

Sohna and Mohna Singh, 19, who were abandoned by their parents at two months old, have been employed by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited as electricians.

Governments across Europe are racing to contain Omicron's rapid spread, urging citizens to get vaccinated while implementing new measures as infections rise.

US intelligence and new satellite images dated between October 26 and November 6, 2021 show Saudi Arabia has a base capable of building ballistic missiles near Dawadmi, in the country's centre.

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The UK is about to be hit by a large wave of Covid hospitalisations and the peak could be even higher than last winter despite the reduced severity of the Omicron variant, SAGE have warned.

Families in the town of Braemar in the Scottish Highlands woke up to a covering of the snow on Christmas morning after most of the country was left disappointed.

Rugby league great Chris Walker admits he 'cheated death' when he survived being crushed by a shipping container that collapsed on him and now has to learn to walk again.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, leader of the Catholics in England and Wales, said it was clear that large spaces such as churches were 'not places where we spread the virus'.

One Sydneysider claimed he waited seven hours at the Prince of Wales testing site, and saw others being turned away due to large numbers of residents wanting to get a swab.

A poll for MailOnline found broad support for the Tories getting rid of Mr Johnson as leader - with 25 per cent backing the idea and another 35 per cent saying it was the right thing to do.

There was no shortage of Christmas spirit along Sydney's Bondi Beach as beachgoers donned Santa - despite the mercury rising to a scorching 30C.

Tanya Utting, 37, from Elmswell, Suffolk, secretly bought and distributed gifts including flowers, plant bulbs, chocolates and Christmas cards to 220 homes in random acts of festive kindness.

Army physiotherapist Preet Chandi, 32, who serves in a Medical Regiment in the north-west of England, kicked off her epic journey on November 24 after flying to Antarctica from Chile.

Kiwi company Woop boasted it would provide 'the easiest and most delicious Christmas ever' with their bumper festive feast kits which cost up to $600 - but delivered disappointment for many.

By 9am on 9/11, all US airspace was shut for the first - and only time - in history. The 4,546 planes still airborne were ordered to land immediately at the closest available runway, or risk being shot down.

Washington Football Team safety Deshazor Everett crashed his 2010 Nissan GT-R, which has a top speed of 193 mph, along with his passenger, 29-year-old Olivia S. Peters of Las Vegas, who died.

Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, said talk of invasion could destabilise Ukraine and play into Putin's hands. 'Putin wants to destroy our country,' he said.

In the Wednesday video, Christine Maxwell, at left, can be seen being comforted by twin sister Isabel as she sobs after hearing their sibling will spend her 60th birthday on Christmas behind bars.

Judge April Newbauer slammed Correction Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi and Mayor Bill de Blasio, who she claimed 'utterly failed' to prevent the crisis at Rikers that violated an inmate's rights.

Sara Trost, a 40-year-old British mother of one living in Florida as a real estate agent, was allegedly shot dead in her car by an evicted tenant Thursday, following her online calls for tighter gun restrictions.

A parent told President Joe Biden 'Let's Go Brandon!' during the NORAD Santa Tracker event with First Lady Jill Biden at the White House complex on Friday.

Aimo Koivunen, a Finnish soldier, was fleeing Soviets troops during a scouting mission in 1944 when he accidentally took his whole squad's supply of Nazi meth pills - sparking a two-week trip.

From the murder of a TV star to a banker gunned down at his front door while his children slept upstairs, some of Britain's most horrific murders have remained unsolved for decades.

Members of the climate group Extinction Rebellion gather with car headlights on and speak in hushed tones in an unassuming car park as they plan their demonstrations, it can be revealed.

New statistics reveal South Derbyshire and Salford have the highest rates of new build houses in England, with 7 percent of dwellings in these areas built in the last three years

A 52-year-old woman has been stabbed to death at a home in front of two teenagers in Hobart's east.

Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins was all smiles as he celebrated his son Ablie's first Christmas with fiancée Becky Boston ahead of the Boxing Day Ashes Test.

The cases, which were announced on Saturday, come as 88 backpackers from the hostel at the Old Fire Station in Fremantle, Perth, were hauled into hotel quaratine.

Justice Charles Wood ordered The Times to give back all copies of their Project Veritas documents and destroy any electronic copies the newspaper has as they were protected by attorney-client privilege.

NY Governor Kathy Hochul, 63, pardoned nine immigrants and commuted one on Friday as she announced her plans to refurbish the state's clemency process

TikToker Jenny Tian has shared a hilarious breakdown of what your email sign-off etiquette says about your personality.

Jay Whitehill, 18, will be forced to spend the festive holiday and New Years Day alone after attending the rave at Perth Mess Hall on December 19.

Virginia police are looking into Washington Football player Deshazor Everett's 2010 Nissan GT-R car crash, which can go up to 200 mph, after Everett's girlfriend Olivia S. Peters, 29, died in the accident.

Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich filed a lawsuit against the January 6 House Committee after they used a subpoena to request his financial documents

The Queensland premier addressed her state in a Christmas message on Saturday, the same day a record 765 new Covid infections were reported.

Some supporters of former President Donald Trump were turned away from the Trump Grill in Trump Tower in New York after they refused to show proof of vaccination. The supporters filmed video.

A prank inspired by Christmas Vacation went awry after a fire department was called when it was assumed a Clark Griswold mannequin hanging off the roof of a home was a real decorator

President Joe Biden boasts his love of chocolate chip ice cream yet again in a letter to Santa Clause in his first Christmas Eve message as president.

Harris has repeatedly tested negative for COVID this week, but her latest results on a PCR test won't be available until later on Friday, after she already met with LA first responders.

Cases of COVID are spiking ahead of the Christmas holiday even in the nation's sunniest states. Hawaii saw a 805 per cent uptick in new cases and Florida reported a 711% increase.

Joe Biden's nephew Cuffe Biden Owens, 42, and Meghan King, 37, have split. The pair met in the summer and went public in September. They married in October and now appear to have separated.

Jose Ruiz Gutierrez, 23, was fatally shot outside the Bossa Nova restaurant in Hollywood on November 23. He was coming to the aid of a woman he was with who was being robbed at the time.

An unruly Delta passenger who was reportedly violating mask mandates engaged in little impromptu MMA with a fellow traveler, newly released on TMZ shows.

A Connecticut resident shopping for a brand new passport holder on Amazon was left outraged after he received a fake COVID-19 vaccination card in his package.  

New York Governor Kathy Hochul officially shortened the quarantine for fully vaccinated 'critical workers' who test positive for COVID to five days on Friday as Omicron surges through the country.

More than 679 flights have been canceled and 711 more were delayed for Christmas Day due to staffing shortages caused by the ongoing COVID-19 Omicron surge.

Footage captured the wild celebration as the young revellers danced along to a DJ set at the Old Fire Station in Fremantle, Perth, on Friday.

New disturbing details have emerged after the family of an American woman who was murdered at the Club Med Resort in Turks and Caicos in 2018 hired a P.I. to look into the unsolved murder case.

Australian Christmas revellers woke with sore heads this morning after celebrating into the early hours on beaches across the nation.

Dr Jozsef Piri, 49, was arrested on Dec. 16 in connection to a fatal road rage shooting of a delivery truck driver in Vermont more than two years ago, allegedly blaming it on having a 's-t day.'

Tash Peterson has slammed those enjoying Christmas lunch in an Instagram rant, by comparing it to the holocaust while holding a severed pig's head.

A layby near an Amazon site in Tursdale, County Durham was shut for good after residents were left horrified by a pile-up of human faeces and bottles of urine which had become a daily occurrence.

A former X Factor contestant from Kent has been jailed for a second time for subjecting her therapist to a hate campaign weeks after her prison release.

James Franco, 43, has been subpoenaed to appear in 58-year-old Johnny Depp's $50 million defamation case against Amber Heard, 35, over an op-ed article she wrote in the Washington Post.

Barbara Twumasi, 35, admitted to the Met Police that she 'tasted' cocaine after they arrested the London teacher.

NSW has recorded 6,288 new Covid-19 cases while Victoria has reported 2,108 new infections and six deaths.

Aldi has issued an urgent recall notice and warned consumers not to eat its one litre Indulge butterscotch pear gourmet ice cream if they are allergic.

Reg Mead, 79, and Richard Miles, 58, had shared stories about the local legend of lost Celtic coins on the eastern side of the island of Jersey for more than 30 years.

The body of a man has been found on Christmas day during a search for a missing jet-skier near Shiprock Reserve, Dolans Bay, in southern Sydney.

The family of Gill North who died after a remarkable mesothelioma battle in which she threw herself into researching asbestos and proposing reforms has released a video of its effects on her.

Queensland Covid cases have spiked again to 765 after opening its borders to holidaymakers.

Father Edward Beck, who is a religious commentator for CNN, said on Friday during a segment of the network's New Day, that he believes all churches should require proof of vaccination.

Natalie Isaac runs restaurant chain Bar 44 with her two brothers in Bristol, and warned the current situation wreaking havoc throughout the hospitality industry 'can't continue'.

A total of 1,035 passengers were banned from leaving their cruise ship in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on Thursday after 21 crew members produced positive COVID-19 tests.

Thousands of Americans will be forced to spend Christmas alone after airlines canceled over 600 flights and delayed nearly 2,500 on Christmas eve due to staffing shortages.

An unidentified Detroit man called 911 on December 3 to tell police that he found the Crumbley's Kia in his work parking lot. He also told the operator that Jennifer, 43, was there.

The former premier revealed she was looking forward to spending a low-key day with her loved ones and relatives on the festive holiday.

A wrestling fan was ejected from an AEW Dynamite event on Wednesday after holding up a sign saying 'Nyla Rose is that guy's dad' to female transgender wrestler Nyla Rose.

A bicycle deliveryman and a pedestrian were both dragged and killed by a box truck after it mounted an Upper East Side sidewalk on Friday in a Christmas Eve double tragedy.

Vladimir Putin's internal military force wore Grandfather Frost (Russia's Santa) costumes in the wilds of Kemerovo, Siberia, as they joined young police cadets on the military manoeuvres.

Valentina Orellana Peralta, 14, was shopping for a quinceanera gown with her mother at this Burlington store in North Hollywood on Thursday when she was struck by cop's stray bullet.

US Army Colonel Edward McDaniel Jr, 55, and his wife, Brenda McDaniel, a retired colonel and nurse, were shot dead in Virginia on May 26, allegedly by a man who claimed to have been robbed by their son.

According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, 2,348 flights were grounded today, while a further 1,556 have already been cancelled ahead of tomorrow.

It's Christmas for 40,000 Australian prison inmates who will eat turkey or vegetables in a foil tray. Dining alone in a cell will be cocaine dealer Danielle Hogan (left) and pack rapist (top right) Bilal Skaf.

New data from Springboard revealed footfall levels in central London dropped by nearly a third (30.3%) compared with last Friday.

As world powers race to develop advanced weaponry, Russia has carried out a number of successful tests of its Zircon hypersonic cruise missile.

Katie Bryant, Daunte Wright's mother, told CNN's New Day that former cop Kim Potter's guilty verdicts are a 'victory' and bring accountability, but not justice, to her son.

Tommy the Worcestshire donkey was given a free custom prosthetic after struggling on his deformed front right leg for a number of years and faced being put down because of his disability.

Lt. Col. Stuart Sheller, who was court martialed after blasting the Biden Administration's pullout of US troops in Afghanistan, has announced he has been discharged from the Marines.

President Joe Biden's new German Shepherd puppy Commander was spotted Friday playing fetch with a handler on the South Lawn.

Scanlon said on Thursday she was 'scared that someone would do something even more stupid than steal a car' when five teens carjacked her at gunpoint in Philadelphia.

Former Japanese princess Mako Komuro appears to be in the holiday spirit ahead of her first Christmas in New York as she was spotted with gifts in hand while stepping out in the Upper East Side.

Professor Bela Stantic of Griffith University on the Gold Coast believes if the election were held now the Prime Minister would win a narrow victory similar to last time around.

HOGSHEAD-MAKAR: Transgender women should be allowed to compete in women's athletics, so long they've mitigated the athletic advantages that come with male puberty.

Andrew Cuomo lashed out at AG Letitia James after Nassau County confirmed Cuomo won't face criminal charges for inappropriately touching a female state trooper at Belmont Racetrack in 2019.

James Grant, 29, from Garner, North Carolina, was accused of driving while intoxicated, and being in possession of an assault rifle, ammunition and weapon accessories.

Former President Donald Trump would beat President Joe Biden by six points if the 2024 presidential election were held today.

Miami police suspect that real estate agent Willy Suarez Maceo, 25, killed two homeless men and wounded a third in a series of shootings from his Dodge Charger and may have more victims.

Steve Rogers slammed the guilty verdict reached by jurors in the manslaughter trial of Kim Potter Thursday, saying it would have a 'chilling effect' on cops across the nation.

Mirard Joseph was returning to an encampment under the Del Rio bridge in Texas with food for his family when he suffered what he called 'most embarrassing' moment of his life

Cynthia Millen, who had officiated events at USA Swimming for three decades resigned on December 17 in protest over Penn's Lia Thomas, 22.

Footage shows baby girl Sally with a look of euphoria on her face after tucking into just a small piece of margherita from mom Steph Kimball at their home in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

CCTV footage shows the driver jump out of the way moments before the the lorry jackknifes and slams into his vehicle on a road in Ningbo in the Zhejiang province of China.

Steven Shaffer, 54, walked into the home of the unnamed married couple in their 70s in Berwick Township around noon on Wednesday.

Father Christmas, who is understood to be booster-jabbed, was seen wearing a face mask to protect from Covid as he descends down of chimneys into billions of homes across the world.

Fox hauled 29 percent of the liberal audience compared to 24 percent for CNN, according to averages from April to August. MSNBC captured the majority of liberals with a 46 percent share.

Jurors in the Ghislaine Maxwell trial will resume deliberations on Monday after turning down the offer to reconvene for one more day before Christmas break.

Austria's Vaccination Board announced the decision in updated guidance published Thursday, but said there was not enough data for it to recommend fourth shots be given more widely.

These are some of the amazing images of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, RAF and British Army taken during operations conducted across the globe.

Sharon Bell is prohibited from approaching or messaging the star, his popstar wife Victoria, and their children Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz or Harper under the terms of an interim stalking order.

A tax on ultra-rich Americans' wealth was part of an alternative proposal to Biden's social reform and climate change spending package that Manchin presented to Biden last week.

Today, South African Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa has blasted the auction, saying it should not go ahead and that the key 'belongs to the people of South Africa'.

President Joe Biden will spend his first Christmas as president at the White House with family and is giving up his New Year's tradition of sun and St. Croix for the chill of Delaware this year.

Kent Police received multiple reports of decoration thefts from front doors and gardens in the early hours.

Kathleen Fitzpatrick, or better known as Ms. Fitz to her Washington DC third-grade students, made a full-court shot that lead to a hot chocolate party and some holiday joy.

Richard Thomas, 52, (pictured) was dragged from the smoking caravan. The police were alerted to the fire at around 2.30am on Monday at Beeches Residential Caravan Park in Knolbury.

The 48-year-old, who has not been named, was caught on camera repeatedly jabbing the beast as he held it up by its tail in Epping Forest, Essex.

In 2019, Berfin Ozek, 20, was left disfigured and with limited vision in one of her eyes after Casim Ozan Celtik, 23, threw acid in her face following the end of their relationship.

Leona Peach, 12, (pictured) was last seen in the Hele Park area of Newton Abbot on Monday. She is dark-haired and believed to be wearing grey/blue leggings or skinny trousers.

Hospitality and business leaders today led fury at politicians in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for imposing much tougher Covid-19 restrictions than England.

Nick Clarke, 49, says the problem has been going on for four years but has returned with a vengeance since Cheshire East Council's 'temporary fix' for the sinkhole last month.

Footage shows Kyle Bostick's Garden City, Michigan home covered in Christmas lights that are synced to Deck The Halls - sung to the tune of Black Sabbath's War Pigs.

Moscow has for weeks been massing tens of thousands of troops, tanks and artillery pieces along the eastern border of Ukraine, though the Kremlin has insisted it is merely a defence force.

Left-wing Gabriel Boric, 35, stormed to victory in Chile's December 19 presidential election with 56 per cent of the votes and will be the youngest person ever to lead a South American state.

Abbey Jackson, 22, (pictured) said Manchester bouncers allowed two clubbers in without showing their vaccine passports. Her friend then confronted security.