25+ min ago (364+ words) Serena Williams has denied that she will come out of retirement, despite beginning the process of a tennis comeback. The 23-time Grand Slam champion retired following her third-round defeat by Ajla Tomljanovic in New York. Williams, it seemed, had signalled her interest in a return after she was named in the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA)s player drug-testing pool. The 44-year-old has not played on the WTA Tour since her exit at Flushing Meadows three years ago, and rumours began swirling when her name was seen on the most recent ITIA publication dated on October 6. However, the American has swiftly put out the "wildfire, insisting that she will not pick up her racquet again. Williams sister Venus, another great of the sport, made a surprise comeback earlier this year after almost a year and a half away. Serena Williams…...

31+ min ago (542+ words) Sir Keir Starmer is to face MPs" questions about the consequences of the Budget after a report warned of the impact of tax hikes on the British economy over the next two years. The Prime Minister will appear in the House of Commons on Wednesday for his weekly clash with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, a week after Chancellor Rachel Reeves set out the Budget. Sir Keir faces continued scrutiny over the Government"s fiscal plans, including from the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which has warned that tax hikes and reduced spending will act as a "headwind" to the UK economy over the next two years. The OECD, a major international organisation, also warned in its latest report that inflation in Britain will be highest of all the G7 advanced economies this year. Growth will slow this year and…...

32+ min ago (864+ words) The King and Queen are welcoming the German president to Windsor Castle on Wednesday for a festive state visit. A glittering state banquet will be staged in honour of Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, former judge Elke Budenbender, in the grand St George's Hall, with a towering Christmas tree serving as the backdrop. The six-metre (19.6ft) Nordmann fir has been illuminated with 3,000 lights and decked out in shimmering green and gold ornaments and stretches up to the vaulted ceiling, with garlands adorning the room's balconies. Some 160 guests will dine on a nearly 50-metre long (164ft) mahogany table which runs the entire length of the hall. They will also be served a bespoke cocktail created specially for the occasion " a tradition started by the King. As Christmas comes to Windsor Castle, the Duchess of Sussex's With Love, Meghan holiday special is premiering on…...

32+ min ago (1313+ words) Systemic failures" rather than a conspiracy to sabotage the prosecution led to the collapse of a case against two alleged Chinese spies, a parliamentary inquiry has concluded. In a damning report, the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS) criticised both the Government and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over a process beset by confusion and misaligned expectations". And it cautioned against dismissing the case as a one-off" caused by outdated espionage laws, warning that there are parallels in new legislation which must be handled carefully to prevent a similar issue from recurring. Former parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry " who both deny wrongdoing " had been accused of passing secrets to Beijing between 2021 and 2023. Charges were dropped in September with the CPS saying it could not get evidence from the Government referring to China as a national security…...

32+ min ago (497+ words) Sales of jacket potatoes, butter and full-fat products have soared this year as consumers turn away from ultra-processed foods and seek out flavour, according to Waitrose. The upmarket supermarket said it had seen a "fundamental change" in how customers shopped, influenced heavily by concerns over UPFs and the rise in weight-loss jabs. Among this year's "trends" have been what the supermarket describes as the "great carb comeback" with sales soaring for everything from beans to bread as an "obsession" with gut health and plant-based eating led consumers back to the importance of fibre. Sales of large potatoes are up by a third at Waitrose on this time last year, while searches for "jacket potato" on Waitrose.com are up 178%. Shoppers have also showed a renewed interest in pork " with a fillet costing around "20 a kilo compared with beef fillet now…...

32+ min ago (548+ words) Frankenstein director Guillermo del Toro will be recognised for his "extraordinary contribution to film and the distinctive artistry that runs through his work" when he is given the British Film Institute's highest honour " the BFI Fellowship. The Mexican filmmaker is best known for his Oscar-winning films The Shape Of Water, Pinocchio and Pan's Labyrinth, as well as Hellboy, Crimson Peak and Pacific Rim. His most recent film, a new retelling of Frankenstein starring Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac, recently launched on Netflix and has generated Oscar buzz. Del Toro will be awarded with the BFI Fellowship at the annual BFI Chair's dinner in London in May 2026. He will also take part in a public retrospective of his career at the BFI Southbank and will curate a film season at the venue at a later date. Del Toro will also deliver…...

1+ hour, 49+ min ago (506+ words) Reform UK and the Tories have insisted they have no plans for an agreement or merger ahead of the next election. Reform donors told the Financial Times that Nigel Farage expects his party to join with or make a deal with the Tories. A deal would eliminate the rival party on the political right and boost Reform's chances in the polls, the paper said. One of those who spoke to the FT said Mr Farage had described such an agreement as "inevitable" but that it would take some time because he was wary over making a pact between the two. But a Reform UK source insisted the report was not true, and pointed to Mr Farage's own words in the FT. "Sometimes people hear what they want to. After next May the Conservatives will no longer be a national party,…...

2+ hour, 9+ min ago (307+ words) Ella Purnell dazzled in a sculpted midi dress as she joined her fellow castmates for the London screening of Fallout S2. The 29-year-old actress wore a shimmering outfit that blended metallic tones with a beaded texture, giving her a futuristic edge befitting the premiere of this post-nuclear dystopian franchise. She was joined by cast members Walton Goggins, Kyle MacLachlan and Justin Theroux at the screening at Picture House Central in London. Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul made a surprise appearance, arriving in an all-black outfit with a coat and beanie. Executive producer Jonathan Nolan previously told IGN that Paul was a fan of the show. Fallout Season 2 will continue the story from the end of the first season, following Lucy and the Ghoul's journey to the post-apocalyptic New Vegas to find Lucy's father, Hank. The first season was a major success…...

2+ hour, 45+ min ago (334+ words) Presenter Laura Woods collapsed during ITV's coverage of England Women's friendly against Ghana on Tuesday. The 38-year-old was leading the broadcaster's coverage of the match at St Mary's in Southampton when she fell forward. She was caught by pundits Ian Wright and Anita Asante before the camera cut away from the scene and went to an advert break. Woods, who is a regular on ITV, TNT Sports, and Amazon Prime, was said to have been taken unwell but "in good hands. When the coverage resumed, colleague Katie Shanahan had taken over and confirmed Woods had been "taken ill". "As you have probably noticed, we don't have the wonderful Laura Woods because she's just been taken ill, but she's in very good hands so I'm stepping in at late notice," Shanahan said. "We're wishing her a speedy recovery, Shanahan added. Woods…...

3+ hour, 35+ min ago (778+ words) Angela Rayner will push for part of Labour's workers' rights Bill to be brought in sooner after the Government scrapped a key plank of the legislation. Plans to give workers day-one protection against unfair dismissal were abandoned last week and replaced with a six-month qualifying period. The former deputy prime minister plans to table an amendment this week seeking to have that qualifying period, reduced from the current two years, apply from 2026 rather than 2027 as is currently planned. She and former minister Justin Madders are understood to have been speaking to MPs and union colleagues as they prepare the amendment together. An ally of Ms Rayner said: "As key architects of the Bill, they know it inside out. "They will be spearheading efforts to ensure the best possible package of reform is delivered and implemented to an ambitious timeline. "They…...