West Ham forward Michail Antonio has said he has realised he “took life for granted” but is now thankful just for “being alive”, as he was discharged from hospital after a car crash in early December.
In a heartfelt message on Tuesday evening, he thanked the NHS, the air ambulance, and “everyone from top to bottom at West Ham United FC”.
“Every year around this time, I’m asked what I’m grateful for, and every year I’ve struggled to find the right words,” Antonio said in a post on Instagram, alongside a photo of him on crutches.
“But this year, I know exactly what I’m grateful for: being alive.”
Image: A picture appeared to show Antonio’s damaged car
The 34-year-old Jamaica international needed surgery on a lower limb fracture after a one-car incident outside London on 7 December, and his rehabilitation is expected to take quite some time.
But he promised to be “back on that pitch soon” as he wished everyone a happy new year.
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The striker said he realised he had spent “so many years taking life for granted”.
“I made plans for the next day, the next year, always assuming tomorrow was guaranteed.
“I’ve seen close friends pass away… and even then, I didn’t fully grasp just how precious life is.
“What I’ve been through recently has opened my eyes. Life is fragile, and every single moment matters. I’m so grateful to God for giving me the strength to keep going and for allowing me to still be here.”
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui previously described the outcome of the serious accident as a “miracle.”
In the first match after the crash, West Ham players wore “Antonio 9” shirts before kick-off.
The kit was then signed by the players, including Antonio, and auctioned off, generating almost £60,000 for the NHS and Air Ambulances UK Charity.
“Everyone at the club would like to reiterate their heartfelt thanks to the first responders, emergency services, air ambulance staff and the NHS for the incredible support given to Michail in the wake of the accident,” West Ham said in a statement earlier today.
As energy bills become more expensive from 1 January, respected forecasters have said they are likely to rise further in spring instead of fall, as first anticipated.
The energy price cap rises from January, bringing the cost of a typical annual bill to £1,738 – £21 a year more than from October to December.
Bills had already become more expensive from October, up 10% a year – or £12 per month.
But now the forecast dip in April will not materialise, according to energy consultants Cornwall Insight.
Instead, the firm said the cost is April is expected to rise to £1,785 a year for a typical consumer, nearly a 3% increase on January’s cap, about an extra £4 a month on the average bill.
Compared to the three months from July, it will cost £217 a year more, according to the forecast.
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Billpayers have seen energy costs rise every three months since July. Energy regulator Ofgem revises its price cap four times a year, setting out the maximum a provider can charge per unit of gas and electricity.
It’s assessed based on how much providers themselves are being charged to supply power and is intended to protect consumers and utilities.
Why are bills going up?
Continued volatility in international energy markets is behind the cost increases.
EU gas storage levels and uncertainty over the gas transit deal between Russia and Ukraine have contributed to “a level of volatility we haven’t seen for months”, according to Cornwall Insight’s principal consultant Dr Craig Lowrey.
The unknown impact of a Trump presidency on liquified natural gas (LNG) flows means the firm said its forecasts will “display a high degree of variability”.
These events resulted in higher wholesale prices which impact how much households are billed in the UK.
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Energy price cap rises again
These forecasts “could very well increase or decrease several times before the April cap is set”, Dr Lowrey said.
The official energy price cap announcement for the three months from April will come on 25 February.
Also influencing bills are possible changes to the standing charge, the fixed daily amount to receive gas and electricity.
Ofgem is consulting on introducing an option to include zero-standing charge options alongside existing tariffs, offering more consumer choice.
As of 31 December, Cornwall Insight anticipates a July price cap fall before an October rise.
New Year’s Eve revellers in Wales could help the country’s ambulance service, which has declared a critical incident after a huge increase in demand, by drinking in moderation this evening, its boss has said.
There were more than 340 calls waiting to be answered when the incident was declared on Monday evening, according to the service.
At the same time, more than half of the Trust’s ambulance vehicles were waiting to hand over patients outside hospitals.
Patients were waiting for “many hours” for an ambulance as a result, according to the service.
Jason Killens, the Welsh Ambulance Service’s chief executive, issued a plea ahead of New Year’s celebrations.
“People out celebrating can help us tonight by of course, having a good time, but drinking sensibly, eating before they go out and looking after their friends,” he said.
Mr Killens said the increased demand was “a result of flu and COVID and other respiratory viruses circulating through the winter.”
“What we have seen in the last 24 to 48 hours is an acute accumulation of those pressures,” he added.
Image: Hospitals around the UK are struggling with a “quad-demic” of winter illnesses. File pic
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Mr Killens apologised to patients “who waited too long yesterday and continue to wait this morning”.
“The pressure for us continues this morning, we had a very busy day yesterday,” he said, adding he expected waits to continue through until Tuesday evening.
‘Quad-demic’ hits UK health services
The Welsh Ambulance Service covers three million-plus people across Wales.
“It is very rare that we declare a critical incident, but with significant demand on our service and more than 90 ambulances waiting to hand over patients outside of hospital, our ability to help patients has been impacted,” said Stephen Sheldon, the organisation’s head of service.
He urged the public to only call 999 in the event of “a life-threatening emergency”.
“That’s a cardiac arrest, chest pain or breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness, choking, or catastrophic bleeding,” Mr Sheldon added.
“If it’s not a life-threatening emergency, then it’s important you use one of the many alternatives to 999, starting with the symptom checkers on our NHS 111 Wales website as well as your GP, pharmacist, and Minor Injuries Unit.”
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Image: Ambulances in London – where health services are also under pressure. Pic: iStock
Hospitals around the UK are already struggling with a “quad-demic” of flu, COVID-19, RSV and norovirus, as well as preparing for a busy New Year’s Eve.
Data released by the NHS showed an average of 1,861 patients with flu were in hospital every day in the first week of December – a 70% increase from the previous week when there were 1,099 patients.
The number was also 3.5 times higher than the same time last year.
Hundreds of people are being recognised for their services to the country in this year’s New Year Honours.
Here are just some of the people who earned a gong this year.
Sir Gareth Southgate is knighted for services to association football after leading England to the finals of the Euros in 2020 and 2024.
Sir Stephen Fry also receives a knighthood in recognition for his services to mental health awareness, the environment and charity.
London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has been honoured by being knighted for political and public service, having held his role since 2016.
Beloved author Jacqueline Wilson, who created the Tracy Beaker series, has been made a Dame Grand Cross (GBE) for services to literature.
Image: Jacqueline Wilson has been made a dame. Pic: PA
Television presenter Alan Titchmarsh becomes a CBE while Scottish journalist Jackie Bird is made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Nobel Prize-winning novelist Sir Kazuo Ishiguro is made a Companion of Honour for services to literature while author Robert Harris becomes a CBE.
Lee Castleton, Josephine Hamilton, Christopher David Head, Dr Kay Catherine Sheila Hilary Linnell, Seema Misra, Richard Gresham Haley all receive honours for their work on behalf of wrongfully convicted subpostmasters following the Horizon scandal.
Read more: Stand-out names receiving New Year Honours Hundreds of unsung heroes receive recognition
Image: Keely Hodgkinson celebrates after winning the women’s 800-meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Pic: AP
In sport, twenty-two-year-old Keely Hodgkinson earns an MBE after claiming gold in the 800m at the Olympics and becoming the sixth fastest woman in history at the distance.
Two-time Olympic champion Tom Pidcock is made an OBE after winning gold in mountain biking, while Paralympian Hannah Cockroft becomes a CBE after coming first in the T34 100m and 800m.
Swimmers Duncan Scott (OBE) and William Ellard (MBE), sailor Ellie Aldridge (MBE) and rowers Lola Anderson, Hannah Scott, Lauren Henry, Emily Craig, Dr Imogen Grant and Georgie Brayshaw, Gregg Stevenson (all MBE), fencer Dimitri Coutya (MBE) are all honoured after their gold medals at the Games.
Paratriathlete David Ellis, shotputter Sabrina Fortune, athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, archer Nathan MacQueen, gymnast Bryony Page and cyclists Sophie Capewell, Sophie Unwin, Finley Graham, Dannielle Khan and Elizabeth Jordan are all made MBEs.
Olympic and Paralympic champions Helen Glover, Samantha Kinghorn, Lauren Rowles, Alice Tai, Dina Asher-Smith and Jaco van Gass are also all made OBEs, while Stephen Clegg is made an MBE.
The former captain of the Northern Ireland women’s football team, Marissa Callaghan, has been made an MBE.
Former Masterchef and Through The Keyhole presenter Loyd Grossman is awarded a knighthood.
Actresses Carey Mulligan, Sarah Lancashire and Coronation Street star Anne Reid become Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to drama, while Desmond’s star Carmen Munroe is made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).
Actor Eddie Marsan, Inspector Morse and Lewis actor Kevin Whately and Bafta-winning actress Anne-Marie Duff are made OBEs.
Radio and TV presenter and former Popstars winner Myleene Klass, Radio presenter and DJ Steve Lamacq and former Doctor Who star Tom Baker are made MBEs.
Costume designer Sandy Powell, meanwhile, is made a CBE.
Former F1 driver and broadcaster Martin Brundle has become an OBE and former Scotland and Liverpool footballer Alan Hansen is made an MBE.
Labour MP Emily Thornberry becomes a dame and former West Midlands mayor Andy Street is knighted.
Carole Gould and Julie Devey, co-founders of Killed Women, are made OBEs for their campaigning work for women murdered in their homes.
Image: Ivan Black began raising money after his brother Ian died from leukaemia. Pic: Ivan Black / Facebook
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Cancer fundraiser Ivan Black is made an MBE after raising more than £700,000 over his lifetime.
18-year-old cancer survivor Mikayla Beames, the joint youngest on the list, is awarded a British Empire Medal after founding her cancer charity.
Image: Mikayla Beames is the youngest person on the list to receive an honour. Pic: PA
Shipwreck hunter David Mearns, who has discovered 29 shipwrecks over his career, is made an OBE.
Joeli Brearley, founder of parents’ rights group Pregnant Then Screwed, is made an MBE.
Nathaniel Dye, a music teacher who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2023, has said he hopes being made an MBE will be a “springboard” for his campaigning work.
Eric Brown, 78, is made an MBE for his campaigning work for victims of terrorism after founding the South East Fermanagh Foundation.
Also awarded an MBE is retired solicitor Gordon Hay, who was given the honour for services to the promotion of the Doric language, which is spoken in northeast Scotland.
He spent 17 years translating the New Testament and then the Old Testament into Doric, the first time the whole text has ever been changed into any variant of the Scots language.
The oldest person on the list is 103-year-old World War Two Mosquito pilot Colin Bell, who is given a British Empire Medal (BEM) for charitable fundraising and public speaking.
The King’s GP Dr Douglas Glass and his physician Professor Richard Leach have also been recognised for their service to the Royal Family, with Dr Glass being appointed a Commander and Prof Leach being made a Lieutenant of the RVO.
Another to be knighted is head of MI5 Ken McCallum.
More than 1,200 people from across the UK received honours in the latest list.
Women make up 49% of those honoured, with 12% of recipients from ethnic minority backgrounds.
3% of people on the list identify as LGBT, 15% have disabilities or long-term health conditions and 33% are from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Seven five-week-old lurcher puppies have been stolen from a family just days after Christmas.
Police said the family, from Shroton in Dorset, have been left “devastated” after the dogs were taken between 10.50pm and 11.10pm on Saturday.
A 28-year-old man from east Dorset and a 22-year-old woman from Wimborne have been arrested on suspicion of burglary in connection with the incident.
However the puppies have still not been found and they are reliant on their mother to feed and survive.
PC Sebastian Haggett, of Dorset Police’s rural crime team, said: “I am keen to hear from anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the area, as well as nearby residents with doorbell or CCTV cameras or motorists with dashcam who were driving in the area and may have captured relevant footage.
“We are particularly interested in the activity of a white Audi A1 that was seen in the vicinity.”
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He urged anyone who may have seen them for sale locally “in unusual circumstances” or who has any information about their whereabouts to urgently contact Dorset Police.
“The family involved in this reported theft are devastated and we wish to do all we can to get these family pets home,” he said.
The operator of nearly 150 Pizza Hut restaurants in the UK is in advanced talks with potential buyers as it races to wrap up a deal to secure its future.
Sky News has learnt that Heart With Smart (HWS), the US-owned brand’s biggest UK franchisee, is aiming to select a preferred bidder in January after weeks of talks with suitors.
Sources close to the process said a range of trade and financial buyers had expressed interest in acquiring a large stake in the dine-in chain.
In November, Sky News revealed that HWS had begun approaching potential bidders as it sought to mitigate the impact of tax hikes announced in the previous month’s Budget.
HWS, which operates roughly 140 Pizza Hut restaurants, is working with Interpath Advisory on the process.
The company, which was previously called Pizza Hut Restaurants, employs about 3,000 people, making it one of the most significant operators in Britain’s casual dining industry.
It is owned by a combination of Pricoa and the company’s management, led by chief executive Jens Hofma.
They led a management buyout reportedly worth £100m in 2018, with the business having previously been owned by Rutland Partners, a private equity firm.
HWS licenses the Pizza Hut name from Yum! Brands, the American food giant which also owns KFC.
Insiders told Sky News last month that the increases to the national living wage and employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) unveiled in the budget by Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, would add approximately £4m to HWS’s annual costs – equivalent to more than half of last year’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.
The structure of a takeover or capital injection was unclear on Monday, although the last eight weeks have seen a string of bleak warnings from the hospitality industry.
Even before the budget, restaurant operators were feeling significant pressure, with TGI Fridays collapsing into administration before being sold to a consortium of Breal Capital and Calveton.
Sky News also revealed during the autumn that Pizza Express had hired investment bankers to advise on a debt refinancing.
HWS operates all of Pizza Hut’s dine-in restaurants in Britain, but has no involvement with its large number of delivery outlets, which are run by individual franchisees.
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Accounts filed at Companies House for HWS4 for the period from 5 December 2022 to 3 December 2023 show that it completed a restructuring of its debt under which its lenders agreed to suspend repayments of some of its borrowings until November next year.
The terms of the same facilities were also extended to September 2027, while it also signed a new 10-year Pizza Hut franchise agreement with Yum Brands which expires in 2032.
“Whilst market conditions have improved noticeably since 2022, consumers remain challenged by higher-than-average levels of inflation, high mortgage costs and slow growth in the economy,” the accounts said.
It added: “The costs of business remain challenging.”
Pizza Hut opened its first UK restaurant in the early 1970s and expanded rapidly over the following 15 years.
In 2020, the company announced that it was closing dozens of restaurants, with the loss of hundreds of jobs, through a company voluntary arrangement (CVA).
At that time, it operated more than 240 sites across the UK.
A British teenager sentenced to one year in prison in Dubai after a “holiday romance” with a 17-year-old girl has surrendered himself to authorities to begin his sentence, according to a campaign group.
Marcus Fakana, 18, was with his family in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) when he met the girl, who is also from London and is now 18.
He was arrested and charged after the girl’s mother found their chats and pictures and called the Dubai police.
Campaign group Detained In Dubai previously said Fakana planned to appeal the sentence and urged UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who is the family’s MP in Tottenham, to intervene.
However, when asked about the case, the foreign secretary said people should “follow the rules” of other countries. He also said Fakana had “all the support available” from UK officials.
The head of Detained In Dubai, Rahda Stirling, said Fakana had now handed himself in to authorities and intended to serve his year-long sentence in Dubai’s al Awir prison.
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Lammy on British teen in Dubai
She said he still hoped for a pardon from Dubai’s ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, and help from Mr Lammy and the British embassy.
She said: “I worry about the impact of Dubai prison on an 18-year-old’s life. It wasn’t easy to find the words to say to him as he surrendered his freedom.”
Image: He will serve his sentence in al Awir prison, according to the campaign group Detained in Dubai
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Ms Stirling also shared a message from Fakana, who said: “Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my fight.
“It’s been a long fight, but nothing is hard with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ guiding me.
“I’m grateful for all the people who have helped by donating to me and my family of faith for supporting me.”
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Fakana previously said the pair kept their romance secret from the girl’s family “because they were strict” and had hoped to continue seeing each other back in the UK.
However, he said police turned up at his family’s hotel and took him into custody without explanation.
Dubai is well known for its strict laws on drugs, alcohol and sex. The age of consent is 18 and strictly enforced.
In a previous statement, prosecutors said: “Under UAE law, the girl is legally classified as a minor, and in accordance with procedures recognised internationally, her mother – being the legal guardian – filed the complaint.
“Dubai’s legal system is committed to protecting the rights of all individuals and ensuring impartial judicial proceedings.”
Actress Michelle Keegan is expecting her first baby with husband Mark Wright, the celebrity couple have announced.
Keegan and former The Only Way Is Essex star Wright, both 37, shared the news on their Instagram accounts with the caption “2025 is going to be a special one for us” followed by a baby emoji.
A picture on the social media site posted on Sunday shows the couple standing opposite each other on a beach as former Coronation Street actress Keegan holds her bump.
Keegan, also known for her roles in Sky comedy Brassic and Netflix’s Fool Me Once, is wearing a white off-the-shoulder top and skirt, while Wright is dressed in a beige shirt and trousers.
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Coleen Rooney, comedian Joel Dommett, and Bridgerton actress Jessica Madsen were among those to congratulate the couple in comments on the post.
Radio host Wright, who appeared on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, began dating Keegan in 2012.
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They got engaged the following year before getting married at St Mary’s Church in Bury St Edmunds in 2015.
Police are “extremely concerned” about a woman who appeared to be trying to escape from a car in Stockport, before she was reportedly dragged back in and assaulted.
Greater Manchester Police are still searching for the woman and fear she may need urgent safeguarding or medical care.
They are appealing for information after receiving the report on Saturday.
Image: The car was last seen on at about 6.30am on Saturday morning. Pic: GMP
The woman was said to have attempted to get out of the car at the crossroads of Rostherne Road and Garners Lane, but was “dragged back in and assaulted”, police said.
The car, described as a dark coloured hatchback, was last spotted shortly after 6.30am on Saturday, heading towards Davenport Train Station.
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They believe the woman is white and was wearing dark leggings and UGG boots.
The driver is thought to be a white man wearing a black coat or jumper.
PC Natalie Jamieson, of Stockport CID, said: “We have been conducting house to house, CCTV and dashcam footage enquiries since the report, trying to establish the full circumstances of what may have happened.”
She added: “We are now in a position of needing to appeal for the wider public’s help.
“At the centre of this is potentially a woman who is in need of urgent safeguarding or medical care, and we need to locate her as soon as possible.”
They asked anyone with any information to get in touch, and reminded the public the vehicle could now be outside Greater Manchester.
Anyone with information is asked to call Stockport CID on 0161 856 9790 or 101 quoting log 537 of 28/12/24. They can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
Six teenagers and a 52-year-old man have been arrested after an 18-year-old was stabbed to death in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.
Four 17-year-old boys have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Two girls aged 15 and 16 have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, as has a man, 52.
Police were called to reports a man had been stabbed on Rose Avenue on Saturday evening.
They found the victim on nearby Heanor Road with a stab wound but despite the efforts of the emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene just before 9pm.
“The investigation is very much in its early stages and we are urging anyone with information that may assist with our inquiries to contact us as a matter of urgency,” said Detective Chief Inspector Claudia Musson.
The teenager’s family have been made aware and are being assisted by specially trained officers.
The murder probe is being led by the East Midlands special operations unit.
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Police are particularly keen to hear from people with CCTV or doorbell footage and any dashcam footage between the times of 7pm and 9pm in the areas of Heanor Road, Rose Avenue, Summerfields Way, Kedleston Drive and Peveril Drive.
Anyone with any information has been asked to contact Derbyshire Police quoting incident number 940 of December 28.
