Oxford Union cancels Anna Kournikova address

Sad news from the Oxford Union. The debating society's attempt to coax Anna Kournikova, the glamorous former tennis starlet, to address a hall of students about her life has fallen by the wayside over the Russian's expensive list of demands.

Faced with having to transport and provide five-star accommodation for Kournikova's two assistants, the Union decided that it wouldn't be wise to squander the majority of its £3,800 budget for the term on just one of the 22 invited speakers. Especially as it has already forked out £1,400 on jetting Martin Sheen, the president from The West Wing, over from America.

Corey Dixon, Union president, explained the decision to Cherwell, the university newspaper: "The latest estimated costs of her visit to the Union, including flights and accommodation, was in excess of £2,500, and we felt that it would be fiscally irresponsible to spend this amount on a single event."

Kournikova's cancellation, together with that of the veteran Olympian swimmer, and Strictly Come Dancing contestant, Mark Foster, leaves the debating society with a politico-heavy bill.

Nick Clegg, John Redwood and Tessa Jowell will all speak there this term. Light relief, meanwhile, will come from TV presenter Ben Fogle, Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan and David Ulliott, a one-time minor player in the Hull underworld, now famed for his success on the professional poker tour. He likes to wear knuckleduster rings which read 'Devil' and 'Fish'. ·