Mark Harris, chief executive at mortgage broker SPF Private Clients, said: “On the ground, some lenders have been easing mortgage rates in recent days and weeks but swap rates, which underpin the pricing of mortgages, remain extremely volatile in response to tensions in the Middle East.”

The retailer expects retro-inspired toys to prove popular, with a mini vinyl record player, a wooden train set, and Donkey Kong in Lego form featuring on its list

Argos has revealed the toys that it predicts will dominate Christmas wishlists for 2026.

The retailer expects retro-inspired toys to prove popular, with a mini vinyl record player, a wooden train set, and Donkey Kong in Lego form featuring on its list.

The Mini Brands Really Works Vinyl Playset, priced at £20, is a fully functioning vinyl record player that plays songs from artists such as Katy Perry and Chappell Roan.

Meanwhile, the Chad Valley Alfie And Jo Wooden Train Set is the cheapest on the list at £15 and features easy-connect tracks for little hands.

The Lego Donkey Kong Arcade Building Set brings the classic 80s arcade game to the living room – but is one of the most priciest toys at £150.

Film and TV favourites including Toy Story 5, Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig and KPop Demon Hunters are also predicted to be big hitters.

The Argos-exclusive Toy Story 5 Bullseye Jumbo Plush is a huggable version of Woody’s loyal companion, priced at £50.

And the Megasaurus Dino Vehicle, £60, brings the PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie to life in the form of a 76cm dinosaur that inflates at the press of a button.

Chantal Pearce, Head of Toy Buying at Argos, said: “We’re always monitoring market trends to discover what truly sparks children’s imaginations, and our 2026 Top Toys list reflects the toys we expect to capture their attention this Christmas.

“From movie magic and retro nostalgia to screen-free storytellers and hands-on crafting, we’ve curated a range that inspires imagination, supports children’s development and encourages creativity through play.”

Argos top toys for 2026

• Mini Brands Really Works Vinyl Playset – £20
• Lego Donkey Kong Arcade Building Set – £150
• Hot Wheels City Ultimate T-Rex Garage – £130
• Chad Valley Alfie And Jo Wooden Train Set – £15
• Chad Valley Wooden Classic Kitchen – £30
• Tonies Lite – £60
• LLP My Magical Dragon Skye – £55
• Primal Hatch Megalodon Hatching Egg Shark Toy – £55
• VTech Kidi 12-In-1 Guitar Superstar – £50
• Projector Karaoke Machine – £90
• Lego Pokémon SMART Play: Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly Battle – £30
• Armosaurs Armor-Up Dinosaur T-Rex – £45
• Giftie Badge Maker – £35
• Jupiter Workshops Four Storey Wooden Doll House – £150
• Flutter Monster 40 cm Soft Toy – £20
• Toy Story 5 Bullseye Jumbo Plush – £50
• KPop Demon Hunters Golden Singing Dolls – £35
• Paw Patrol The Dino Movie Megasaurus Dino Vehicle – £60
• Peppa Pig Ready Pedal Peppa – £30
• Minions & Monsters Fart Blaster Pro – £30

Hipswell and Colburn councillor Kevin Foster said he was disappointed that the authority had declined to change the priority status of Gough Road and part of Plumer Road.

Senior councillors have agreed with highways officers that the roads should remain at their existing priority two status.

Cllr Foster highlighted Gough Road’s importance as an access route to several large retail outlets and the local leisure centre.

He also raised concerns about the incline close to its junction with the A6136, which he said becomes hazardous during icy weather.

The councillor pointed out that Gough Road and Plumer Road were used by service buses operating every 30 minutes in each direction during working hours.

He argued it was therefore important for the roads to be kept safe during cold weather.

But highways officers recommended against upgrading the route, saying its existing treatment was in line with council policy and consistent with arrangements elsewhere in North Yorkshire.

Reacting to the decision, Cllr Foster said: “I’m very disappointed in this decision.

“This is another issue when councillors are asking for improvements and it’s been decided by officers without debate.

“I made the request as it’s a major bus route going past Tesco, which is an important place for people to get to in bad weather.”

The recommendation was among a series of decisions on changes requested to the council’s winter gritting network ahead of the 2026/27 season.

All the recommendations put forward by officers were agreed.

Only one of the requests considered resulted in an upgrade.

North Cowton Parish Council successfully asked for the route into the village from the B1263 to receive more regular treatment.

Officers agreed that the road and the route around the village green should be upgraded from Priority 3 to Priority 2 because of the size of the village and frequency of buses, including school services. The change will add about one kilometre to an existing gritting route.

Elsewhere in the Richmondshire area, a resident’s request to upgrade the road through Whitaside, near Low Row, was rejected despite concerns about black ice, compacted snow and difficulties getting children to their school bus.

The council said priority three remained appropriate, although it will check the provision and spacing of grit heaps and bins on routes considered in the review before winter.

The authority has an £8.59m winter service budget, with the North Cowton change expected to cost less than £5 for each gritting run.

The film saw Parton nominated for Best Original Song at the Oscars

A ‘masterpiece’ Dolly Parton comedy has been added to Netflix just days after the iconic singer’s devastating death.

The Jolene singer passed away on Tuesday, August 25, after what her representatives described as a ‘brief battle’ with cancer. She was surrounded by family and friends at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville.

Parton, who was 80, had spoken candidly in recent months about a number of health issues that had forced her to cancel and postpone public engagements, including a planned Las Vegas residency. Just days before her passing, she disclosed that certain health concerns had gone unattended while she was devoted to looking after her husband.

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She lost her husband Carl Thomas Dean in March 2025 following an unspecified illness. The couple had been married for nearly 60 years.

Speaking after being compelled to withdraw from an appearance at Dollywood, Parton said: “I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl. It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health. But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago.”

Parton is to be laid to rest alongside her beloved husband. A small group of the singer’s family members congregated at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville over the weekend.

Prior to her passing, Parton had decided against a huge public send off, instead opting for an intimate goodbye attended solely by those nearest and dearest to her. “At Dolly’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family,” her family said.

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It has yet to be confirmed whether Friday’s (August 29) gathering was the funeral itself. But Page Six reports that relatives arrived bearing flowers while police and security personnel were stationed around the cemetery.

With fans around the world listening to her music as a coping mechanism, many are beginning to take a look at her filmography. On top of her music achievements, Parton was nominated for two Academy Awards.

Nominated for Best Original Song in 2005 for ‘Travelin’ Thru’ from Transamerica, the film which landed Parton her first Oscar nomination has just been added to Netflix. Also the name of one of her best songs, it’s an essential watch for any Parton fan.

Released in 1980, 9 to 5 is directed by Colin Higgins, who would go on to work with Parton again on The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Higgins, who died of AIDS-related illness in 1988, at the age of 47, is also known for writing Harold and Maude.

Parton, in her film debut, stars alongside Hollywood legends Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in the film that many households stick on during the Christmas period. Also starring in 9 to 5 is You’ve Got Mail’s Dabney Coleman, The Addams Family’s Elizabeth Wilson and Dr. Strangelove’s Sterling Hayden.

It tells the story of three working women who live out their fantasies of getting even with and overthrowing their company’s autocratic vice president, who is played by Coleman. In order to do this they decide to kidnap him and run his business on their own.

Costing just £10 million to make, 9 to 5 was a massive hit for 20th Century Fox, grossing over $103.3 million. On top of this, the success to the title track launched Parton into mainstream pop culture.

Despite critics at the time only giving it a score of 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, 9 to 5’s legacy has been colossal. A TV show based on the film ran for five seasons in the 1980s, and a musical stage adaptation with new songs written by Parton opened on Broadway in 2009.

As fans and musicians from all around the world continue to mourn Parton’s loss, now is the perfect time to discover or revisit why Parton could have become one of the film industry’s greats if she didn’t have a music career to go back to.

The advice also warns against cutting grass when the ground is very soft, wet or frozen

Households across the UK are being urged to stop mowing their lawns when temperatures drop to a specific level.

As we enter September, people will be trying to catch the last glimpses of warm weather before the seasons change, which means keeping their garden intact.

But gardeners are being urged to check the temperature outdoors before reaching for the mower. According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), you should stop cutting your grass when temperatures drop to 7C, although frost and the condition of the ground matters just as much as the reading.

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The RHS says grass ‘continues to grow in temperatures above 7C,’ making 7C a practical threshold for deciding when to stop regular mowing when temperatures consistently fall below this level. But it also warns against mowing when ground is very soft, wet or frozen.

If a mild spell of warm weather keeps the grass growing, the RHS says winter mowing can still be done occasionally on a high cut setting.

Six checks to make before the final cut

1. Use 7°C as a weather marker. Look at the forecast and the grass itself, then stop routine cuts once the temperature is no longer supporting visible growth.

2. Wait for a dry, defrosted lawn. A cold or saturated surface is more easily damaged and can be compacted by the mower.

3. Leave the mower higher for the final cut. The RHS gives up to 40mm as a general spring and autumn height for ordinary domestic lawns.

4. Never remove more than one-third of the blade at once. If the grass is long, make a lighter pass instead of trying to reach the final height in one go.

5. Change the direction of travel. Alternating the cut helps prevent ruts forming in lawns that are mown repeatedly along the same lines.

6. Clean the machine before storage and test its safety controls. The RHS specifically advises checking the dead man’s handle, while electric mower users should fit an RCD.

The advice also says that the last cut should not be a race to make the lawn as short as possible. Using a higher autumn setting leaves more leaf area, and waiting for dry conditions reduces the risk of tearing turf or pressing down wet soil.

Daniel Weston, Founder at SEO Backlinks, said: “Treat 7°C as a guide, not a promise. Check the forecast and the condition of the grass before the final cut, and leave the mower in the shed when the ground is wet or frozen.”

That means a lawn can still need attention after the thermometer dips, but not necessarily another full cut. If it is still growing in mild weather, make a light pass on a high setting. If the ground is wet or frozen, leave the mower in the shed.

The U.S. Postal Service is poised to launch a hastily built, error-riddled computer system that could jeopardize the process of mail voting relied upon by one-third of all voters, according to a whistleblower statement released Tuesday by Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

The effort is part of the implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting mail voting and has been temporarily halted by a federal judge. The ruling is being appealed by the administration and the directive may ultimately end up back before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The disclosure from the unidentified whistleblower contends that the Postal Service has been scrambling to try to build a complex system that would normally take a year or more in only three months, sometimes in defiance of the judge’s orders halting work. The goal is to have it ready for use in the midterm elections.

The disclosure contends that, due to the new procedures, a single scanning error in a batch of tens of thousands of ballot envelopes could prevent any from reaching voters. It details a system that election officials have already warned could not be implemented before the first mail ballots begin going out Friday in North Carolina.

“The Postal Service has designed a system to disenfranchise millions of Americans,” Blumenthal told reporters in advance of releasing the whistleblower information. “This administration seems hell-bent on changing the framework on casting ballots in this country clearly for political reasons.”

Executive order is subject to furious court action with midterms nearing

Trump’s executive order, signed in March, directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the commissioner of the Social Security Administration to develop state citizenship lists and then required the Postal Service to send mail ballots only to voters who are on such a list. Ballot envelopes would have to comply with new Postal Service rules and include bar codes.

The online portal that is the subject of the whistleblower complaint is intended for states to deliver their lists of verified voters to the Postal Service.

The Postal Service did not comment on Monday night. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. The White House has called the mail voting provisions “commonsense measures” necessary to combat fraud.

Trump has long opposed voting by mail, even though he has repeatedly used the method to cast his own ballot. He falsely blamed mail voting for his 2020 election loss and has spent years spreading conspiracy theories about it. A report by the Brookings Institution published in 2025 found that mail voting fraud occurred in only about four cases out of every 10 million mail ballots cast.

Since returning to office, Trump has said Republicans should be “taking over” vote counting in Democratic areas and launched a sweeping attempt to reinvestigate the 2020 election, despite a mountain of evidence that he lost fairly to Democrat Joe Biden.

Until Trump came out against mail voting in 2020, the system was used equally by both parties. Since then, it has become more common among Democratic voters. More than 29% of all voters in 2024 cast their ballots through the mail.

After Trump issued his executive order, Democrats and civil rights groups sued and eventually won a ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani in Boston barring implementation of the system before the November midterms. But without ruling on the legality of Trump’s order, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority last week found that was premature and overruled Talwani, momentarily clearing the way for its implementation.

On the night of Aug. 21, the Postal Service released a final rule outlining how it would implement the order.

It said it would only send mail ballots for states that got approval for the design of their envelopes and submitted a list of voters receiving them through the still-not-active online portal. That rule gave plaintiffs a chance to sue again, and Talwani on Thursday night issued a 14-day restraining order against implementation of the measure.

Whistleblower complaint says portal development is rushed and sloppy

The letter from Blumenthal and an accompanying summary of the whistleblower’s statements says the Postal Service began work on the portal on June 15 and stopped on June 25 after Talwani’s initial order. Then on July 29, the Postal Service restarted the work. That was when the administration appealed the judge’s order to the Supreme Court. The high court did not strike Talwani’s injunction down until Aug. 24.

Talwani last week found the Postal Service violated her order by continuing to work on the final rule, but she imposed no sanctions on the government. On Monday, she issued a ruling refusing to lift the restraining order that also said the Postal Service could continue work on its portal, as long as it wasn’t forcing states to use it.

In its summary of the whistleblower’s statement, the group Whistleblower Aid says the hurried construction of the portal, with a goal of being active on Tuesday, meant it did not undergo full testing.

“The apparently sloppy and rushed manner in which the Federal Ballot Mail Portal and supporting IT systems are being built poses significant risk,” the group wrote. “Potentially millions of American voters may not receive their mail-in ballot this election cycle in a timely manner, or at all.”

The statement also says the Postal Service is implementing a “zero percent” rule in which any errors in any mail ballots sent out by an election office could lead to all of them being discarded — even if it’s simply one problem amid tens of thousands of legitimate ballots.

The rule requires ballots to be handled in a physical post office by an election official. Those will then be scanned to ensure they match the voter database. During three layers of checks, a single apparent error could cause the whole batch to be rejected, the statement says.

Blumenthal said he has “a very strong hope and some faith that our system of justice will strike down this unconstitutional and unconscionable rule.” But, he added, if it somehow goes into effect for the midterms, he would not advise voting by mail.

___

Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this story.

Norway’s Queen Mette-Marit missed her husband’s swearing-in ceremony today as she suffered ‘complications’ from her lung transplant.

The new King Haakon VIII, who became king when his father King Harald V died on Friday morning aged 89, swore an oath of allegiance to the country’s constitution on Tuesday.

However, his wife, who is under scrutiny for her ties to late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, missed the historic day as she is under medical observation due to the ‘complications’ from her surgery in June.

The queen, whose son from a previous relationship was found guilty of rape and domestic abuse earlier this year, was also unable to attend her late father-in-law’s church memorial service over the weekend. 

Images from today’s ceremony showed King Haakon VIII standing without his wife, as their daughter took Mette-Marit’s place. 

The Norwegian Royal Family shared a statement this morning from pulmonologist Dr Are Holm from Norway’s National Hospital confirming the 53-year-old’s absence.

He said: ‘It is not uncommon for complications to occur after a lung transplant. The Queen has had complications on some occasions since the operation, including today. 

‘As a result, the Queen must be observed throughout the day. The Queen will therefore unfortunately not be able to attend the swearing-in ceremony in the Storting today.

‘Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra will accompany His Majesty the King. Queen Sonja and Prince Sverre Magnus will attend the swearing-in from the Storting Hall.’

The 53-year-old was also removed from the event programme available on the Royal House’s website, and the new king will instead be joined by his children Princess Ingrid and Prince Sverre, alongside his mother Queen Sonja.

Norway’s Queen Metter-Marit has suffered ‘complications’ from her lung transport, forcing her to miss her husband’s swearing-in ceremony

King Haakon VIII addressed the Norwegian people for the first time in his new role following the death of his father King Harald V on August 29

In June, Mette-Marit’s son, Marius Borg Høiby (pictured), was convicted on two counts of rape and jailed for four years 

The new queen has suffered for several years from chronic pulmonary fibrosis. Her condition deteriorating significantly over the past six months and she was placed on a waiting list for a lung transplant earlier this summer. 

Doctors said the procedure was a last resort when a patient is believed to have less than two years to live without new lungs. 

After the surgery, the Royal House of Norway confirmed the transplant had been successful and that ‘everything has progressed well so far’. 

In July the future queen suspended her official duties, and Norway’s royal court said ‘there will be a longer period of rehabilitation and training’ during which ‘there will initially be no updates’. 

Haakon confirmed at the time he would cut back his public engagements to spend time with his wife, however this may change now that he is Norway’s new king. 

The 53-year-old is scheduled to swear the oath in the parliament’s main chamber, Storting, today at 1pm (11am GMT), which has been decadently prepped and searched by sniffer dogs for bombs.

The swearing-in comes days after thousands of mourners descended on Oslo to pay their respects to the late king, placing flowers, flags and condolence cards outside the royal Palace.

Harald, who is a cousin of King Charles III, died following a hospital admission in Oslo where he was being treated for haemolytic anaemia, a disorder causing red blood cells to be destroyed at an abnormally fast rate.

Presiding Bishop of the Church of Norway Olav Fykse Tveit was pictured laying flowers at the Palace Square, 29 August 2026

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On Saturday evening the new king paid tribute to his late father in his first official speech as monarch, in which he thanked Harald ‘for everything he was and everything he did’.

The late king enjoyed massive support despite the slew of scandals that dogged his family in the final stretch of his 35-year reign.

On Tuesday, a poll published by public broadcaster Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation showed that support for the monarchy has clearly increased following Harald’s death.

Nearly three out of four Norwegians (72 per cent) said they supported the monarchy, a rise of eight points compared with a previous survey in May, according to the poll carried out over the weekend.

The past year has been a turbulent one for the Norwegian royals.

Mette-Marit faced intense scrutiny following the release of the Epstein Files, which revealed she stayed at paedophile Epstein’s Palm Beach residence in 2013 – after he was convicted for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14.

The new queen claimed this year she had been misled by Epstein as she sought to contain the fallout. 

Alongside her associations with the paedophile, Mette-Marit’s son Marius Borg Hoiby is currently under house arrest pending his appeal against a four-year sentence for two rape convictions.

In June, an Oslo court found him guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend, Nora Haukland, issuing threats and committing traffic offences, although he was acquitted of two other rape charges. 

The 29-year-old had been charged with sexually assaulting four women who were asleep or otherwise unable to resist between 2018 and 2024. 

Although he does not hold a royal title or carry out official duties, he has long been closely associated with the Norwegian royal family.

On Monday, he was among those who moved the late king’s casket to the chapel of Oslo’s royal palace, and he was also been granted permission to attend Harald’s funeral on September 9.

A detective said that the victim could have died if members of the public hadn’t stepped in to help him

A man has been sent to prison for a stabbing outside a kebab shop in Peterborough city centre – after another customer rang the bell on his e-scooter. Kris Stimson, 44, was at the takeaway in Fitzwilliam Street at about 2.30am on June 20, 2025, when he became enraged after hearing the bell.

Mistakenly believing it was the victim who had rung the bell, an argument ensued outside. He produced a knife and stabbed the man in the abdomen, before leaving the scene and discarding the weapon behind locked gates in Geneva Street.

Armed police found Stimson nearby and used incapacitant spray to arrest him. Members of the public tried to stem the victim’s bleeding, before paramedics arrived and he was taken to hospital, according to Cambridgeshire Police.

A cordon was put in place and officers recovered the weapon. While in custody, Stimson asked whether the man had died.

The victim underwent surgery and was placed in an induced coma. Hr required further treatment for several weeks before being discharged.

Stimson, of Greenham, Bretton, Peterborough, admitted assault causing grievous bodily harm without intent and possession of a knife in public. On Friday, August 28, at Cambridge Crown Court, Stimson was jailed for 16 months.

DC John Pentney said: “Stimson’s shocking actions were completely disproportionate for something as trivial as the bell being used on his scooter. Stabbing someone like this is extremely reckless and we could easily have been dealing with a murder investigation.

“I would like to commend the members of the public who stemmed the victim’s bleeding while waiting for paramedics to arrive. Their actions could well have contributed to him surviving.”

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Aston Villa have completed the signing of 18-year-old Senegal winger Ibrahim Mbaye from Paris St-Germain for a fee of 55m euros (£47m).

Mbaye scored three goals and provided two assists in 31 games in all competitions last season as PSG successfully defended their Ligue 1 and Champions League titles.

The teenager appeared in all four of Senegal’s matches at the 2026 World Cup. He scored in a 3-1 defeat by France, becoming the youngest African player to score at a men’s World Cup.

Mbaye is the latest attacker to join Unai Emery’s side following Alejandro Garnacho, Johan Manzambi and Nicolas Jackson.

More to follow.