Britons stuck inside while self-isolating took to social media to report having trouble getting slots before December 25 at the likes of Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Waitrose.

Pubs, restaurants and bars across the UK have been devastated by the plunge in custom during the normally busy Christmas period over the past couple of weeks as Britons stay at home.

SAGE member Professor Ferguson and his team at Imperial College London found Omicron sufferers are between 15 and 20 per cent less likely to be admitted than those who catch Delta.

Kate's message of hope comes in a special introduction to her Royal Carols: Together At Christmas one-hour television special which will be broadcast on ITV on Christmas Eve.

The rollout of a second set of boosters is being examined by experts on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

Samuel Campbell, 24, died from a single knife wound to his chest during the scuffle with his sibling William in their mother's back garden. William (pictured) has today been found guilty of murder.

Samuel Mulligan went on a theft spree in the weeks before he decided to break into Cardiff's Las Iguanas. Mulligan passed out after helping himself to alcohol and staff found him hours later and called police

ICU consultant Dr James Haslam was one of the medics treating the Skripals after the novichok attack in 2018 and said he feared assassins would try and finish them off while they battled to save them

The woman was allegedly raped by two males in bushes at Winn's Common in Plumstead on Tuesday night before a dog walker managed to detain the 13-year-old boy while the second male fled.

An RAC spokesperson said the 'vast majority' of drivers are still determined to 'do Christmas properly' this year despite the Omicron variant, while rail strikes threaten to wreak havoc on travel plans.

NHS England told health bosses on Tuesday of plans to create 'lots of little Nightingales' should Covid-19 hospitalisations surpass those of last January's peak.

Ministers hope the proposals would help stifle the black market and help reduce the recent surge of migrants making the perilous journey to Britain on dinghies.

Northumbria Police confirmed a man was found dead in his car at Marsden Grotto in South Shields on Wednesday - just three days before Christmas.

Owners claim they have been told the bubbling is caused by the substitute leather reacting to lotions, hair sprays, hand sanitisers and other products used on the hair and skin.

Detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command raided Emil Bogdan Savastru's home in Bow, east London, in January last year.

Sri Lanka is hoping to send £3.8million worth of tea each month to repay Iran for oil purchases over the last four years. At that rate, it will take more than four years to repay the £190million debt.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will hold a special cabinet meeting on Thursday to approve a law by degree that will make masks mandatory outside as Covid-cases reach a record 60,000.

The Imperial War Museum Duxford is hosting what it says is a world first as 12 airworthy Spitfires of varying marks have been brought together under one roof for a special exhibition.

Potential stroke victims are delaying seeking medical attention because they are reluctant to burden the NHS and worry about catching Covid in hospital, says The Stroke Association.

Tracey Cox says stepping outside society's expectations can make for a better relationship. The British sex expert speaks to three women who've ignored the norms while dating.

A short biography of Marina Ogilvy in yesterday's feature about a newly discovered Royal Family Christmas portrait was wrongly illustrated with an incorrectly captioned...

Carrie Johnson, 33, is head of communications at the Aspinall Foundation wildlife charity, which is preparing to relocate 13 elephants from the Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent to Kenya, in Africa.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced Russia had agreed to the talks just one day after his US counterpart Antony Blinken revealed they were on the table, after aggressive rhetoric from Putin.

David Aslam Choudhry and five accomplices provided false salary records and immigration sponsorship papers to 53 foreign students.

Last week, Heather Mills walked into a shop in London in a white dress only to emerge in a different white dress. Was this a coded message about her marital status?

The former Prime Minister highlighted the rapid spread of the Omicron variant as a cause for concern, saying Britons who decline the jab were 'going to get it (Covid)'.

Julie Morris, 44, and partner David Morris, 52, filmed themselves abusing and raping a girl under the age of 13 in a series of videos. Julie taught at a school in Wigan.

Anna Valente, 57, was fined £1,078 after she was caught scraping her keys along a £50,000 Tesla Model 3 by the vehicle's own cameras in a Dorset retail car park.

EXCLUSIVE: MailOnline has confirmed that the retired Royal Navy Vice Admiral is recovering from the virus. It is understood he is isolating at the Gatcombe Park Estate he shares with Anne.

David McLeod, 78, from Galashiels, Scottish Borders, and his wife Sandra, 79, were known to say 'if one died first the other would meet them on the way'.

Doctors are braced for a 'difficult' Christmas and New Year as they treat a surging number of new Covid patients in hospital at the same time as more staff are absent because of the virus.

Britain's Rail Delivery Group has said that around one in 20 train services were cancelled in the past week - up from an average of one in 40 this year.

David Hunter, 74, allegedly killed his wife Janice, 75 - who had previously been diagnosed with incurable leukaemia - at their home in Tremithousa, a village near Paphos, by covering her mouth and nose.

Parts of Britain face a 'whiteout' Christmas with snow expected to start falling to herald a wintry run-up to Christmas Day and beyond - although which regions will be hit worst is still in doubt.

While the actual moment of solstice - when the northern hemisphere is at its furthest from the sun - was at 3.59pm yesterday, pagans and druids spent a second morning at Stonehenge.

Riding school receptionist Kirstie Whittington, of Enfield, repeatedly punched instructor Hayley Dickens by striking her in the ears, eye and jaw outside a stable block on May 21 this year.

George Robertson, 64, was rambling a remote mountaintop in the Highlands of Scotland, hoping to snap wild hares when he captured more than he'd bargained for.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star Sally Ann Howes, whose career as an actress spanned eight decades after she made her first appearance on screen aged 12, passed away on Sunday.

Included in the order are 2.5million more doses of Pfizer's Paxlovid, which has been shown to slash the risk of vulnerable adults being hospitalised by up to 90%, and 1.75m courses of Lagevrio.

Justine Laymond, 48, contracted Coronavirus in November and tragically passed away earlier this month - 15 years after surviving a double lung transplant.

GDP expanded by 1.1 per cent in the three months to September, revised down from a previously estimated 1.3 per cent.

The Most Rev Justin Welby said that getting the jab reduces the chances of illness being spread and that 'it's not about me and my rights to choose - it's about how I love my neighbour'.

Brutal briefing against Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has emerged after a series of ministers let it be known that they opposed tough new Covid curbs.

Officers launched an urgent social media appeal after Corde went missing from his home in Grove Park in Camberwell, south London, at 1am this morning.

A landlord had to 'dig his way out' of his own Oldham property after a tenant piled it high with rubbish and human waste - and then suggested their £500 deposit would cover cleaning.

CCTV shows Stephen Beach running at an unaware Stephen Bellamy prior to the fatal attack in Grimsby in April. Yesterday Beach and accomplice Luke Teague were found guilty of his murder.

The English actress, 75, said there has been a 'revolution' that has left comedians so scared of offending anyone it was 'balance whether we're ever going to be funny again'.

A coastguard rescue helicopter and Llanberis Mountain Rescue volunteers were called out to the incident after hearing the woman's partner and others shouting from the peak.

The Home Secretary has vowed to overhaul laws on 'hate incidents' following this week's landmark Court of Appeal ruling that police guidance on trans tweets interfered with the right to freedom of expression.

Here Michael Raphel (pictured) who co-owns a chain of six restaurants tells how Omicron has wreaked havoc on his business.

People living in areas where Omicron is rising fastest, including many of inner London's boroughs such as Lambeth, say they are unable to find the lateral flow tests.

Dario Rebac, of Stockport, grabbed ex-girlfriend Samantha Potts by the throat and threatened her with a kitchen knife because she was 'late' after stopping off at McDonald's.

Two maps of local government areas across the Sydney region taken this week and six days prior before Covid-19 cases across NSW exploded to record levels..

Pubs, restaurants and bars have been devastated by the plunge in custom during the normally busy Christmas period over the past couple of weeks.

George argues in a precis of a 1748 political treatise by Montesquieu, the French jurist, that slavery is 'equaly (sic) repugnant to the Civil Law as to the Law of Nature'.

Professor Neil Ferguson found the mutant strain was up to 45 per cent less likely to lead to hospitalisation - supporting Boris Johnson's decision to delay imposing restrictions.

The 25-year-old driver escaped from the 12-foot deep hole assisted by witnesses after workers failed to adequately mark out the crater in the busy street in the Russian city of Kursk.

Police are on the hunt for two male youths who were caught trying to steal a car in broad daylight this week in Auckland, New Zealand. The car owner said it was similar to a 'training exercise.'

The two predators clashed in the undergrowth before spilling out in front of passing drivers in Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand earlier this month on December 9.

Huge flames could be seen shooting out of the San Jacinto Bay chemical plant and into the night sky near Houston, Texas this morning.

Europe minister Clement Beaune - known as an attack dog for Emmanuel Macron - warned that legal action over licences for French vessels to use British waters will begin early in January.

As Covid cases explode across NSW, hitting 5,715 on Thursday, tens of thousands are being forced to isolate after being exposed, despite being vaccinated - but there is no signs of change

The University of Richmond has suspended its chapter of the Kappa Gamma fraternity after a  video of its members singing a racist song about the South was leaked last week.

Home Alone actor Devin Ratray, 44, was arrested on domestic charges on Wednesday for a violent altercation he had with his girlfriend earlier this month before he was released on a $25,000 bond

A shocking insight into the state of NSW's healthcare system was laid bare as Premier Dominic Perrottet revealed 1,500 healthcare workers are currently infected or isolating awaiting test results.

Finnish motorist Tuomas Katainen blew up his Tesla S Model 2012 with 66lbs of dynamite after its battery failed and he was faced with the whopping £17,000 repair bill.

Neville Scattergood, 58, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after being hit by the falling bough of an oak tree while on the Isabel Trail in Stafford. Now Staffordshire County Council has been fined.

Officials of the Sydney to Hobart believe the annual prestige yacht race will be staged this year despite rising case numbers across the nation. Almost 1000 sailors were tested for Covid on Thursday.

Scientists at Imperial College London found the chance of having to stay in hospital overnight was even lower, with a reduced risk of between 40 and 45 per cent.

WA Health has started contact tracing after a person infected with Covid-19 attended a Perth nightclub last weekend. The nightclub in question is The Geisha Bar in Northbridge (pictured).

Boris Johnson has delayed decisions on toughening up Covid rules until after Christmas Day with the government stressing that there is not yet compelling evidence on whether they are needed.

Self-confessed sex addict Adam Kelly, 35, raped a woman as she walked home from work near an alleyway in Burnley, Lancashire. He was found guilty and jailed for 16 years.

Guy Shiker claimed ex-spy boss Yossi Cohen, 60, told him and his then-wife how he was recruited to the Israeli spy agency, how they had tracked an Arab leader's doctor and other classified anecdotes.

A mainly dry and cloudy day is forecast for most parts of England and Wales on December 25, with wet weather moving in from the South and West later, but snow is likely on northern hills.

Researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington expect the virus to hit the US hard come January, peaking at 2.8 million new cases a day

Today, the depraved story of paedophile teacher Julie Morris and her perverted partner - David Morris - can be told for the first time after she admitted child sex crimes at Liverpool Crown Court.

Ghislaine Maxwell will spend Christmas Day in a 10x12ft prison cell in New York as she awaits a verdict in her high-profile sex trafficking case.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant discouraged close-contact activities as Premier Dominic Perrottet reintroduced QR code check-ins and mandatory mask rules indoors on Thursday.

Video of Jayden Moore, 13, from Minnetonka, Minnesota which has been viewed almost 6 million times saw the teen spinning around before missing a shot at the hoop in a basketball game.

Cawthorn announced their divorce Wednesday, citing his job in Congress member as a factor in the split. He said they wanted to make things work but instead suffered 'irreconcilable differences'.

A photo of a US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber was posted by a Reddit user after it was spotted on Google Earth flying over a farmer's field in Missouri

A Kansas woman has been sentenced to 31 years and 3 months in prison after pleading guilty to her role in killing her boyfriend's 3-year-daughter and burying her in a shallow grave in 2020.

Fishy smelling ice, sugar ants and an array of foliage are far from traditional Christmas gifts. But they're exactly what the residents of Sydney's Taronga Zoo wanted.

South Australia's Covid-19 cases have more than doubled in 24 hours to 484 infections, as the paramedics union warns the hospital system isn't coping.

Erin Scanlon, 25, was a junior Army officer who served in the artillery branch at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. A night in September at a party with Vallejo would forever alter her career.

Jennifer Arcuri has taken to posting bizarre conspiracy theories on social media which include suggesting a link between Satanism and the Prime Minister's wife Carrie Johnson.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet says the state's residents should not get tested for Covid with PCR tests unless people feel unwell.

CEO Wayne LaPierre claimed his travels were 'security retreats' after his life was threatened. However, NY AG Letitia James claims he failed to disclose the personal use of the yacht.

The jury in the Kim Potter trial remains deadlocked on Wednesday after more than 24 hours of deliberations. If they fail to reach a consensus, a mistrial will be declared.

International arrivals to Australia have been freed to roam the streets without a Covid test as clinics prioritise departures to Queensland which requires a negative PCR test to enter the state.

Sirras Consultants director Emma Ingram, 30, ended her engagement to partner Lucas Hunter in June after admitting to him that she was having an affair with her married-with-children co-worker.

Regions of the US West Coast are projected to be hit with wintery conditions for the upcoming holiday seasons as areas of higher elevation may see up to 10 feet of snow

Two teenagers have been arrested over a horror triple stabbing in a suburban Sydney park that was allegedly sparked over a cat, rent and a PlayStation.

Western Australia's capital Perth could break the record for the hottest Christmas Day ever recorded there, but a total fire ban could mean some plans have to change.

ROBERT HARDMAN: Grey Squirrels are the biggest avoidable threat to British forestry right now so scientists are trying to come up with a humane solution which would reduce the population

Producing or using a fake coronavirus vaccination card has become a state crime in New York thanks to a bill signed into law by State Governor Hochul on Wednesday.

Grange Road Christmas Lights in Sandringham, Victoria, is reconsidering its future after Bayside Council backtracked on an agreement with the organiser.

A leading Australian pharmacist says measures such as wearing masks and getting six monthly Covid-19 vaccinations could be a reality for many years.

Sydney man Rahul has been hit with almost $2500 in fines after he was pulled over by police during a spin on his brand new e-scooter and told he wasn't permitted to ride the vehicle on public roads.

NSW top doctor Kerry Chant has confirmed 80 per cent of Covid cases in NSW are Omicron - and the variant does appear to be less severe than previous strains.

Queensland's new Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard is showing refreshing candour at daily updates on the pandemic, including saying the current Omicron outbreak is 'necessary'

Young Aussies are taking to social media to let their friend and followers know they have caught the virus and, often, how much fun they were having up to the point of getting it.

Infamous animals rights supporter Tash Peterson stormed Perth 's Royal Show in September and leapt over the fence in the midst of a cattle judging event.

Australian influencer Nikki Potter uploaded a video on Wednesday saying she felt 'gaslit' by New South Wales Health's confusing policies in the lead up to Christmas.

GOP Rep. Tom Rice said Wednesday that he regrets his vote against certifying two state's electoral votes for President Biden as he now blames former President Trump for the Jan. 6 riot.

A house has been transformed into a spectacular Squid Game themed Christmas light show in Victoria, complete with a techno remix of Red Light Green Light and a smoke machine.

Joseph Iniguez, Gascon's chief of staff, was responding to a stop the officer made on a Tesla driven by Iniguez's fiance on December 11 for an illegal U-turn.

Eric Adams, who takes over as mayor on January 1, said on December 16 he would not continue with a plan to end solitary confinement - angering progressives. Adams on Wednesday hit back.

The Biden administration has yet to actually sign a contract to buy the tests, and the website to order them will not be up until January. It is not even known how many tests will be immediately available.

'No test kits in some places - three days before Christmas. Is that good enough?' ABC's David Muir asked Biden. The president responded: 'No, nothing's been good enough.'

A 40-year-old father is dead, his son, 19, is fighting for life and that boy's uncle, 23, is in hospital following a triple stabbing at Whalan Reserve, western Sydney.

US Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon and Illinois State Senator Kimberly Lightford, two Democrats who supported police reform, were both carjacked just 16 hours apart from each other

Former prime minister Tony Abbott is worried about health bureaucrats becoming addicted to having crisis powers. He feared Australians would not be able to enjoy life as a result of this.

Dave Dutton, from Ambulance NSW urged Australians to save 000 calls for emergencies. His speech followed NSW Premier's announcement that several Covid rules would be reintroduced.

Dr Nick Coatsworth, Australia's former deputy chief medical officer, is facing a bitter backlash online after calling for calm amid doomsday warnings over the latest Covid outbreak.

Declean was one of two boys that were moved out of the intensive care unit at the Royal Hobart Hospital, having been injured in the accident at the Hillcrest Primary School last week.

An unvaccinated man in his 40s with underlying health conditions has died as New South Wales has recorded 5,715 new Covid-19 cases.

Keith, a five-year-old black cat, is responsible for a string of burglaries plaguing a quiet suburban street in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The state's Deputy Premier James Merlino said face coverings would once again be mandatory for patrons at cafes, restaurants and pubs in a bid to stem the spread of the new Omicron variant.

White House staff have told Politico that they are demoralized and disappointed at the lack of camaraderie. They have also complained about being overlooked for invites to events.

Joe Biden on Wednesday night told ABC News that he would consider running again in 2024 if he remains in good health - and if Donald Trump is the Republican challenger, it was even more likely.

Australia recorded a record 8,210 cases on Thursday including 5,715 in NSW, 2,005 in Victoria, 369 in Queensland, 85 in the ACT, 26 in Tasmania and 10 in the Northern Territory.

Dr. Monica Casper, a dean at San Diego State University has described the 'right's agenda' to consist of racism, unintelligence, and inequality.

Two fires have been sparked on separate levels of a Melbourne hotel housing 45 refugees and asylum seekers as concerns are raised about the welfare of the men inside.

The photo shows eight alleged Wheatland Union High School students topless and sporting swastikas painted on their chests. The district has launched an investigation into the incident.

The girl was playing with friends in bushland in North Rocks in Sydney's north-west when she was approached by a man allegedly sexually assaulted.

Zane Mellor, 12, died along with five of his classmates after falling from a jumping castle blown into the air by a gust of wind at Devonport's Hillcrest Primary School last Thursday. 

Elon Musk is reportedly secretly living in a $12 million mansion in Austin, Texas despite his claim to reside in a spartan $50,000 rental module at SpaceX's Boca Chica launch site.

Australia's unique weather is set to deliver widespread rain on the east coast, scorching temperatures in the west and a tropical cyclone in the north of the country over the holiday period.

Both NSW and the ACT are punishing traffic offences - such as speeding or using a mobile phone while driving - with double demerit points from 12.01am on December 24 to 11.59pm on January 3.

Gillian North, 61, died from asbestos-related cancer on Thursday just days after speaking out about the deadly substance.

The Northern Territory has detected 10 new Covid-19 cases as the number of infected travellers carrying the virus into the territory grows and the Omicron variant reaches Central Australia.

Victorian Deputy Premier James Merlino said his government was not considering adding to the world-record 262 days Melbourne has spent in lockdown since the pandemic began.

An Oklahoma man's murder conviction was overturned after it was revealed the married district judge who presided over the case was having an affair with one of the prosecutors on the case.

Australians could struggle to find their last-minute Christmas presents as the global supply chain crisis stops goods getting to shelves. China's actions are taking the fun out of the festive season.

Earlier this month jab advisory group ATAGI cut the timeframe between second and third doses from six to five months after data showed boosters were effective at tackling Omicron.

Two boys who were seriously injured in the Devonport jumping castle tragedy have been moved out of the intensive care unit.

Jo Bamford, the son of billionaire boss and Tory donor Lord Bamford, is suing his former best friend Joseph Manheim in a row over the ownership of a company in the US they set up together.

A huge rain bomb has drenched Sydney, causing power outages in some areas.

St Andrews, Stanley (pictured) and Marazion are facing off against dozens of other towns in a bid to be granted city status by the Queen as part of next year's Platinum Jubilee.

Residents of 432 Park Avenue in NYC filed a lawsuit against the developer, Los Angeles-based CIM Group. They claimed residential skyscraper was plagued by poor maintenance.

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Every day the evidence continues to vindicate this paper's firm conviction that while Omicron is a cause for concern, it is not a cause for panic.

Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard said Queenslanders need to build up immunity by either getting vaccinated or catching Covid which requires greater transmission.

Dominican Republic drug trafficker César Emilio 'El Abusador' Peralta was extradited from Colombia to Puerto Rico on Wednesday. He faces 10 years to life in prison if he is convicted.

Zane Mellor died after falling from a jumping castle blown into the air by a freak gust of wind during end-of-year celebrations at Devonport's Hillcrest Primary School last Thursday.

TikTok has knocked Google off the top spot as the most popular web address in the world due to a surge in popularity during the Covid pandemic

The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday wrote to Michael Rapino, the CEO of Live Nation, asking for his cooperation with an investigation they have launched into Astroworld.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced another steep rise in the state's Covid numbers, with 369 new cases.

AOC and members of the so-called 'squad' applauded President Joe Biden's move to extend the moratorium on student loan payments - and encouraged him to go further.

The spike in infections - which is the largest daily total in the state since the pandemic began - comes after a major backflip on restrictions with millions again required to check into venues via QR codes.