CATEGORIES

Escaping party bores is an art form; here's what to do

IF ANDY WILLIAMS’S lyrical old adage is to be believed, we’re barrelling towards the most wonderful time of the year.

Hales says sorry for ‘incredibly reckless and foolish' blackface photo

ENGLISH cricket’s racism crisis shows no sign of abating, as Alex Hales apologised for dressing up in “blackface” and ECB chief executive Tom Harrison met county chiefs at the Kia Oval.

Small rate rise holds no fear for families, says Nationwide chief

FAMILIES need not fear a small rise in interest rates, says the boss of Nationwide Building Society, as he unveiled a near threefold leap in half-year profits to £850 million.

ScarJo's back on red carpet after second child

SCARLETT JOHANSSON makes her first red carpet appearance since welcoming son Cosmo with husband Colin Jost.

Time for Zouma to show he's a leader

KURT ZOUMA has hit the ground running at West Ham but now faces the task of truly living up to his billing as a leader at the back.

Unilever tea deal gets a cool reception

MARKET ROUND-UP

The era of the high fashion footballer

Prada short suits, super-stylists and magazine covers — our players are scoring some serious style points, says Phoebe Luckhurst

HUGE CUTS THREAT TO TUBES AND BUSES

DRASTIC WARNING BY MAYOR OVER AXE TO SERVICES, KEY ROADS AND NEW BIKE ROUTES

US-China oil pact weighs down FTSE energy giants

BRENT Crude dipped below $80 a barrel and shares in London’s oil giants have fallen after China and the US launched an unprecedented joint effort to tame inflation.

Rise of £200-a-head super restaurants

7 London venues charging top prices as bounceback after Covid continues

Adele: I used to think I had to put up with sadness but I don't

ADELE says she has learnt she does not have “to tolerate” sadness any longer and feels her life is “falling into place”.

Bank stocks rise on hopes of a Christmas rates hike

CHRISTMAS cheer from the Bank of England will be in short supply if today’s bigger-than-expected jump in inflation to 4.2% means interest rates rise next month.

Federer set to miss Wimbledon as he plots ‘miracle' comeback

ROGER FEDERER is unlikely to return in time for Wimbledon this summer but still plans a comeback.

Charles and Camilla follow in footsteps of Jesus to the Sea of Galilee

THE Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall traced Christ’s footsteps today when they visited an ancient site where he is said to have performed one of his seven miracles.

Amazon shows Visa the red card in bust-up over ‘high and rising' fees

A ROW broke out between Amazon and Visa today over the use of credit cards on the online retail giant’s website.

Boris's new MPs are the masters now... and they won't let him forget it

POWER. It’s the lifeblood of Westminster. Like mercury in a petri dish, it ebbs and flows according to pressures exerted on it. Over the last two weeks, SW1’s mercur y has shifted, and dramatically.

Aussies recall Khawaja for Ashes openers

AUSTRALIA have recalled Usman Khawaja to their squad for the first two Ashes Tests, with the veteran batter competing with Travis Head for the vacant No5 spot.

Have you Heard? Amber makes Groucho return

AMBER HEARD was among guests at a star-studded fashion party at the Groucho Club.

I'd have slapped Stanley Johnson if he'd touched me, says minister

A CABINET minister today said she would have “slapped” Stanley Johnson if he had touched her inappropriately in the way alleged by a Tory MP.

London calling! Capital stars in contention for the World Cup

Dan Kilpatrick runs the rule over England’s choices ahead of Southgate in the next year

‘ONE THOUSAND WHISTLEBLOWERS'

COMMISSION ‘INDUNDATED WITH CALLS’ ON RACISM IN WAKE OF RAFIQ CLAIMS | Committee member Knight praises Rafiq as ‘utterly humbling’

Future looks bright but doubts remain

Standard Sport

Dürer's European odyssey helps him defy boundaries

Dürer’s Journeys: Travels of a Renaissance Artist National Gallery

HOSPITAL BOMBER'S ‘LONE WOLF' PLOT

HE PLANNED ATTACK FOR ‘WEEKS OR MONTHS AS HE BUILT IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE’ | We’re just so sad… we loved him, say couple who gave bomber a home

More heat than light sees Imperial's fortunes fizzle

INVESTORS are still waiting for Imperial Brands to catch fire, and there is a sense that patience is wearing thin.

PM's father accused of groping MP and journalist at Tory conferences

A SENIOR Conservative MP and a journalist have both accused the Prime Minister’s father, Stanley Johnson, of inappropriately touching them.

Revolution targets ‘favourable' high street rents for new bars

YOUNGER drinkers returning to partying habits since “Freedom Day” have helped Revolution Bars’ sales top preCovid levels — and the chain now plans to capitalise on cheap rents up for grabs on UK high streets.

Taiwan support ‘playing with fire', Xi warns Biden at leaders' virtual summit

CHINA’S President Xi Jinping warned Joe Biden that US support for Taiwanese independence is “like playing with fire” as the pair held their first-ever virtual summit.

Tesco ad: if anyone needs Covid pass, Santa does

WHEN the Tesco PR team spotted #boycottTescos was the top trend on Twitter this morning, I imagine they spluttered into their corn flakes. What could possibly have prompted such a wave of outrage?

£12m in bonuses for bosses at crisis-hit TfL

TRANSPORT for London is offering senior executives more than £12 million a year in bonuses if they help it break even, the Standard can reveal.