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Prince Philip (pictured) attended the New Year's Day church service but without the Queen who is still recovering from a 'lingering cold'. She spent the morning inside at Sandringham House where sources insisted she was 'up and about' working on official papers. A spokeswoman said: The Queen does not yet feel ready to attend church as she is still recuperating from a heavy cold.' The sovereign and Prince Philip, 95, were forced to delay their journey to their usual Christmas residence in Norfolk on December 21 because both were suffering from what was officially described as 'heavy colds'. The Queen also missed the traditional Christmas Day service last week - the first time in 28 years.

Mariah Carey lashed out during her botched New Year's Eve performance, after the wrong lip-sync track played when she took the stage. The diva stormed around the stage, repeatedly asking for the monitors to be turned on, before trying to rescue her set by dancing briefly. However, she didn't last long, and then said into her microphone: 'I'm trying to be a good sport here.' She then remained on stage as one more song played, before walking off in a huff. There had been panic all day when the star's team appeared not to be aware of the world renowned ball-dropping ceremony. When producers asked what time she would arrive, Carey's people replied, 'What time exactly does the ball drop?' She later posted a picture of herself appearing to shrug on Instagram with the comment 'S*** happens. Have a happy and healthy new year everybody! Here's to making more headlines in 2017.'

It was a wild night of celebrations and booze-fuelled mayhem on the streets of Britain last night as revellers welcomed in 2017 - and no one was wrapping up warm. Millions of party-goers packed out pubs and clubs, with some braving freezing temperatures in skimpy outfits. However, as Britons waved goodbye to 2016, there were some unsavoury scenes, with one shirtless man seen kicking another man lying in a gutter in Manchester. For many, the name of the game was to drink to the point of oblivion, with dozens of party-goers unable to stand or speak, and having to be helped home by their friends.

Michael was found dead on Christmas Day at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. The Careless Whisper singer - whose real name was Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou - was found in his bed by Fawaz, who had gone to wake him up ahead of a planned Christmas Day lunch. In a series of tweets this morning, he wrote: 'Not sure who that nasty close friend of George but i was in relationship (sic) with george micheal till i found him dead in bed. 'The only thing George wanted is to DIE. He tried numbers of time to kill himself many times...'

Robbie Williams jumped into the crowd to sing Auld Lang Syne with fans at a performance in Westminster's central hall on New Year's Eve and was then spotted sanitising his hands. He was seen pulling a grimace as he squirted the clear liquid on his hands and carried on the performance. Many criticised his decision to use the gel on stage in front of his fans, but some said he was being sensible with illnesses rife during the winter months.

California's decision to legalize weed last year apparently left some LA pranksters in high spirits over New Year's Eve, as the Hollywood sign was altered to read 'HOLLYWEED'. Social media in the area was abuzz as locals shared photos of the altered sign (pictured left and right on Sunday) with the tag #Hollyweed. But the alteration might be more than a mere joke - it echoes a near-identical alteration (pictured center inset) made exactly 40 years ago by then-art student Danny Finegood.

The 68-year-old actor got a little hot under the collar during rehearsals at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, stripping off his shirt as he ran through his lines. Gerard moved about the stage in nothing but his jeans held up with braces, which stretched across his sizable stomach.

An Alabama man came home to find his wife canoodling in bed with another man - and was enraged. In a video clip that went viral on the Internet, the man is seen (right) climbing on top of his wife's friend as he is in bed wearing a T-shirt and a pair of underwear. The husband then grabs the man by the back of his head and pushes him off the bed. He then violently pulls him back by his shirt and sends him hurdling toward the ground (left) in a maneuver that could have been learned from watching pro wrestling.

2016 was the year the pundits called it wrong in almost every regard. So what on earth could 2017 have in store? Who better to turn to than our own Piers Morgan, the man who predicted Donald Trump would be President, for a wry look into his crystal ball...

The disgraced former BHS owner Sir Philip Green (pictured left) was spotted playing a game of tennis using £320 Louis Vuitton racket covers. He is in deep disgrace - none of those showbiz mates who used to hang around him are anywhere to be seen - and is said to have determined against his customary holiday at the Sandy Lane hotel in Barbados, as that display of conspicuous consumption might seem provocative. This must surely disappoint his flashy wife Tina (together with Sir Philip right), who has been a fixture for years at their annual New Year party wearing her stunning favourite £5 million, 52-carat, diamond necklace and chinking champagne glasses with Simon Cowell. Daughter Chloe (inset), 25, is also in Miami and has been pictured hanging out on the beach at the Hotel Faena.

Hundreds of thousands of people have lined the streets of central London as a blockbuster-themed parade celebrating the start of the new year kicked off. Heavy downpours didn't dampen spirits, but did force spectators under umbrellas and performers into rain ponchos as they entertained the crowds. The celebration follows a dazzling New Year's Eve firework display, which was watched over by 3,000 police officers in a bid to keep crowds safe following last year's terrorist atrocities in Europe. At the other end of the country, brave swimmers washed away their hangovers by running into the icy North Sea this New Year's Day. Around 100 people donned fancy dress outfits as they entered the chilly water at Whitley Bay, North Tyneside.

Donald Trump has promised to reveal new information after Russia's alleged hacking during the election on Tuesday or Wednesday next week. The president-elect made the remark when pressed by reporters after he arrived at his New Year's Ever bash at the Mar-a-Lago resort. 'I think it's unfair if they don't know. And I know a lot about hacking. And hacking is a very hard thing to prove. So it could be someone else. And I also know things that other people don't know, and so they cannot be sure of the situation,' Trump said. When asked by the reporter what the president-elect knows that others do not, he said: 'You'll find out on Tuesday or Wednesday.' Earlier, those attending the party - including Sylvester Stallone and his wife, Jennifer Flavin - were seen walking the red carpet. Guests were served, 'Mr Trump's Wedge Salad' (inset) as part of the menu.

Tom Hardy, best known for his roles as Bane in Batman and Max Rockatansky in Mad Max, appeared on CBeebies on New Year's Eve to read the daily bedtime story, much to parents' delight. The actor read the surreal You Must Bring a Hat, by Simon Philip and Kate Hindley, complete with character voices. Men and women tweeted their enjoyment of the five-minute slot, hoping he would return to the children's channel. Many admitted they had not been watching it with their children, or had recorded it to watch again, classing it as 'Mummy time'.

The victim died after falling through a utility room ceiling at a flat (inset) in Charles Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, near Hastings, East Sussex, at around 4.46am. A Sussex Police spokesman said: 'The man had apparently fallen from a flat above and despite efforts to resuscitate him was pronounced dead at the scene.' Five people from a flat in the building were arrested on suspicion of murder and inquiries into the death were continuing, the spokesman added. Blue tarpaulin (right) was draped over railings at the property as forensic officers (left) began their investigation.

Michael Smith (left) was arrested in 2009 and accused of stealing from his former employer, property empire Dubai World, owned by Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum (right, with wife Princess Haya). He was granded a pardon in June 2014, but is still yet to be freed. He said the British government have done 'nothing' to help.

Bikram Choudhury (far left) has been stripped of his worldwide empire by a Los Angeles court - the latest twist in a £6.4 million sex harassment case brought by Oxford-educated lawyer Minakshi Jafa-Bodden (left with Choudhury and right). Choudhury made his name and a £60 million fortune from superheated yoga in which devotees, including celebrities such as David Beckham, Lady Gaga and Madonna, sweat through exercise routines in 105F heat. And as well as being awarded the 700 franchised Bikram Yoga studios around the globe, Miss Jafa-Bodden will also receive Choudhury's multi-million-pound fleet of 43 cars (main picture), which includes 13 Rolls-Royces, eight Bentleys and three Ferraris.

A French woman is recovering in hospital after she was bitten by a crocodile while foolishly trying to get a selfie with it. Benetulier Lesuffleur, 46, was bitten on the leg after tripping over next to the crocodile while taking the picture. She had been at the Kho Yai National Park, in central Thailand, with her husband when she saw the crocodile in a pond.

They are the smallest twins ever born in Britain - and their devastated parents were told there was only a one in ten chance they would survive. But a year later, a thriving Rylea and Robyn weigh a healthy 14lb each and have celebrated their first Christmas at home with their mum and dad. The girls were born an astonishing 23 weeks into the pregnancy of mother Claire Cunliffe. Rylea was a mere 15oz, while sister Robyn was a touch heavier at 1lb 3oz.

Two puppies who grew up together on a dog meat farm have been reunited after being rescued and adopted by different families in the USA. Kenji and Sophia, both white Samoyeds, were used at the farm to breed puppies that would be killed for food. They were rescued last year, and after months apart saw each other for the first time recently.

The iconic dinosaur skeleton (bottom right) will embark on a national tour around eight UK locations from Dorset to Glasgow when it moves out on Wednesday - but when this is finished there are no plans for what happens next. Taking Dippy's place will be the genuine skeleton of a whale that was found on an Irish beach in 1891, and museum staff have been slaving away behind the scenes (left and top right) to get it ready. Each individual bone has been painstakingly readied individually to ensure that it makes as much of an impression as its famous predecessor.

A Thai crocodile trainer has amazingly escaped serious injury after a three metre man-eater grabbed a hold of his arm and performed a 'death roll'. Anusak Salangam, 47, was filmed entertaining a small crowd at Phuket Crocodile World on Friday when the show went horribly wrong after Mr Anusak inserted his right arm into it's fang filled jaws. Mr Anusak is reported to have returned to work the following day.

Bianca Lawrence, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, developed the unsightly keloid scars when she was just 13 years old and, now aged 22 they cover much of the upper half of her body. But she has been refused NHS funding for specialist laser treatment on the basis it is 'cosmetic' - and she and her family must scrape together to fund the £350-per-session treatment. Bianca, a spa therapist, first saw signs of the condition as childhood acne disappeared and the consequent scarring went into overdrive.

An incredibly adorable bald eaglet has finally broken out of its shell in its Florida nest. Eagle parents, Harriet and M15, are Fort Myers' most beloved bald eagles and onlookers from across the globe watched eagerly as the pair welcomed their first hatchling Saturday morning. After it was born, the baby bird was heard singing as Harriet and M15 continued their wait for their second egg to hatch. Both eggs were expected to hatch between Christmas and News Year's Day. And since the second egg has yet to hatch, some are speculating that the sibling eaglets may be born in 2016 and 2017. At one point the mama bird left her nest, allowing viewers to get a good look at the newest addition to the bald eagle family. The little ball of fluff waited patiently for its mother to return and even chirped a little. Once Harriet came back to the nest, she carefully maneuvered her body so that the egg and her hatchling would fit comfortably under her belly.

A golden long-haired dachshund held a peeled banana between his paws and noisily munched away at it until his owner finally took it away. Veterinarians even recommend bananas for pooches with stomach trouble.

After defecting from the Soviet Union in 1961, Rudolf Nureyev (top right) stayed with friends for 15 years at five-bedroom Crays Pond House (left) in Oxfordshire, and the relished the tranquillity of its country setting. While he also kept a flat in London, Nureyev would spend long periods at the home (bottom right) with its owners, Paklusha Bicat and her husband Andre and their young children. The house, which dates from 1820 and was originally a bakery, is being sold for only the third time since the Second World War and is on the market for £1.825 million.