‘Beautiful rug with vibrant colours that really brighten up the room and the quality is great for the price’

Adding a new rug to your home can instantly upgrade the space and getting one at half price makes the purchase all the more worthwhile. If you’re looking to give your living space a refresh without spending a small fortune, Dunelm has reduced one of its popular rugs in the sale.

Shoppers have been full of praise for the Traditional Patchwork Chenille Rug, with many saying it adds character and a cosy finishing touch to their home. The Traditional Patchwork Rug combines a timeless vintage-inspired pattern with a choice of rich jewel tones or neutral shades to suit different décor styles.

The rug is available in a multicoloured and a natural patchwork design. The multicoloured rug comes in sizes 240cm x 340cm, which was £319 and is now £159, and a larger 300cm x 400cm version for £224.50, down from £449 but we’ve found a few much cheaper alternatives.

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The natural patchwork rug is also available in the size 200cm x 290cm for £114.50, instead of the original price of £229. The Traditional Patchwork Chenille Rug is made from soft chenille fibres and is described as having a “luxurious underfoot feel”.

Among other stylish rugs on offer is the Hand Woven Wool Checkerboard Rug from Dusk. The rug is 120cm x 170cm and comes in a forest green colour. It was £85 but has been slashed to £52, giving shoppers a £33 saving.

Traditional Patchwork Chenille Rug

£319

£159.50

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The Traditional Patchwork Chenille Rug is currently 50% off

Elsewhere, the Homemaker Bukhura Traditional Red Rug is priced at £35 at Argos. It features a bold red-medallion pattern that’s designed to be hardwearing, colourfast and stain-resistant. The rug is also available in grey for shoppers who prefer a more neutral look.

Back to Dunelm, the Chenille Patchwork Rug has garnered an impressive 4.9/5 star review from 22 shoppers. One shopper wrote: “Gorgeous rug, you will not regret it. I had been waiting for this rug to come on sale for months and I got it for an absolute bargain price. It looks really classy! I got the extra large size and it has significantly improved the look and feel of my living room.”

Another wrote: “Really happy with the rug looks better in reality a nice twist between traditional and modern.”

A third pleased shopper wrote: “Beautiful rug with vibrant colours that really brighten up the room. The quality is great for the price, making it excellent value for money. Very happy with this purchase.”

One reviewer of the Dunelm rug wrote: “Whilst the rug looks lively, nice feel and great colours, it’s just too lightweight. We tried it on carpet, so it might be ok on a hard floor.”

Despite this, most reviewers praised the quality of the rug, like this shopper who said: “A great quality, good value rug that looks expensive, a bonus for us is that the dog’s hair doesn’t stick.”

Another pleased shopper wrote: “We love this rug. It gives our lounge a sense of calm and sophistication.”

By ISABELLA MACHIN, REPORTER

Published: 12:22 BST, 4 August 2026 | Updated: 13:07 BST, 4 August 2026

There is a huge prize on offer, as well as the money involved in European progress, with the winner of the tie set to face Scottish giants Rangers

Larne’s Europa League qualifying clash with FC Iberia looks set to go ahead despite not complying with UEFA regulations.

The Tbilisi club were due to arrive in Northern Ireland on Monday night for the match 24 hours later, but it’s understood their chartered flight was delayed over ‘paperwork issues’.

The squad are not now due to arrive until Tuesday afternoon, just a matter of hours before kick off at Inver Park (8pm).

Uefa regulations say teams must arrive in a country for a match at least 24 hours before kick-off. However Larne have taken to social media to allay fears over the fixture to say the match is “scheduled to go ahead as planned”.

It’s believed the Georgian team could still request that the game is delayed for 24 hours.

There is a huge prize on offer, as well as the money involved in European progress, with the winner of the tie set to face Scottish giants Rangers or Jagellonia Bialystock of Poland in the next round.

The losing team will drop into the final qualifying round of the Uefa Conference League.

Ahead of the game, Larne manager Gary Haveron warned his players to focus on the task at hand.

“It’s impossible to ignore the carrot of a competitive tie with Rangers should they progress in the Europa League,” said Haveron. “But we expect our players to keep their feet firmly on the ground for now.”

The loser will drop into the final qualifying round of the Uefa Conference League.

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Scarlett Moffatt has shared that she’s been through the “hardest month” of her and her partner’s lives as they suffer two heartbreaking family deaths

Scarlett Moffatt has told fans that she has been through the “hardest month” of her life after two family members died. The former Gogglebox star lost both her grandad and her mother-in-law in July.

Speaking on social media a the time, Scarlett said: “Unfortunately, more sad news for our family this week. My grandad Moffatt has sadly passed away.”

This came just days after the death of her fiance Scott Dobinson‘s mother Janice. “My heart is broken for Scott and all of his family at the loss of his mum Janice,” she wrote at the time.

“You were the best Nanna to Jude, the kindest mother-in-law and one of the loveliest people I’ve ever known. I’m so upset that you won’t get to meet your second grandson, but I know you will be watching over us all.”

In her post about her grandfather, Moffatt added: “Me, Scott and all our family really appreciate all of the love and kindness you’ve shown us following the loss of Janice and now my grandad. Thank you so much.”

Now, the star, who is also recently appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here South Africa, shared another post to Instagram, telling her followers that July had been her family’s “hardest month”.

“It’s been the hardest month of our lives so grateful we have each other,” Moffatt shared. “I now understand that grief is really just love. It’s all the love you still want to give, but no longer can.

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“I’ve known @scottdobby since I was 17, and I still can’t quite believe the life we’ve built together. When grief arrives, it has a way of making you hold on to each other even tighter. Amongst the sadness, we’re finding little pockets of joy, mostly thanks to Jude & bump and looking at old photographs and memories made x. Sending so much love to everyone who knows this feeling. Be gentle with yourselves.”

Amid the grief, Moffatt and Dobinson do have something to look forward to, as she recently announced that she is pregnant with their second child. The two already have a son, three year-old Jude, who was born after a four week fertility journey, leading Moffatt to call him her “miracle baby”. When announcing she was expecting another child, she called the baby “another miracle”.

In the announcement, Jude held up a personalised newspaper that read: “Baby Dobinson; another miracle coming soon!” Moffatt added in the caption: “We honestly can’t believe we’re writing this… After everything, we feel unbelievably lucky to be able to say… our family is growing. One little miracle gave us Jude, and now he’s going to be a big brother. And if there’s one thing we know for certain, it’s that he is going to be the most amazing big brother. We are so grateful, so excited, and still a little bit in shock… Our hearts are fuller than we ever thought possible.”

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PARIS (AP) — French and British teams rescued 157 migrants who were trying to cross the English Channel after the engine of their boat caught fire, French maritime authorities said.

On Tuesday morning, while the boat was still in France’s search-and-rescue zone near British waters, its engine caught fire and it rapidly began to break apart, the maritime prefecture for the English Channel and the North Sea said in a statement. French authorities deployed two rescue ships, a Navy helicopter and medical personnel. Britain’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Border Force also responded.

The rescue operation brought 157 people to safety — 103 rescued by French vessels and 54 by British vessels. All were due to be disembarked at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, in northern France, for medical assessment and assistance.

The boat had initially departed Monday from Normandy shores and was being monitored by French rescue vessels. During the night, five people onboard required assistance and were brought ashore at Boulogne-sur-Mer, while the remaining passengers refused help from French rescuers, the statement said.

French maritime authorities said migrants attempting the crossing in makeshift, overloaded boats often refuse rescue unless faced with an immediate danger. Rescuers do not force people off the boats because of the risk of capsizing that would put people’s lives at risk, the statement said.

Last week, four people died in two separate attempts to cross the Channel on small boats.

Earlier this year, the U.K. and French governments signed a new multimillion-euro deal aimed at reducing the number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats, with increased police patrols and enhanced surveillance in northern France.

The plan includes the deployment of new technologies aimed at reducing departures of “taxi boats,” the term authorities use for small motorized vessels that are typically inflatable and are used by smugglers to pick up migrants along long stretches of the northern French coast.

“It was a historic election result for the SNP, the largest ever gap, if I remember correctly, between us and those who came into second place, so I was really proud to stand in that election alongside John Swinney on a positive future for our country, on always standing up for Scotland.”

Flames have been burning on Llanwonno mountain above the Rhondda for days now

People are deliberately setting fires on a Rhondda mountain which has been burning for days. Fire crews have been trying to tackle a serious wildfire at Llanwonno since Saturday afternoon which led to a major incident being declared on Monday due to the scale of the fire and the amount of resources being used.

On Tuesday South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) confirmed the major incident status remains active “due to the ongoing scale of the wildfire and challenging conditions on the mountain, including poor visibility caused by today’s low cloud, mist and rain”.

In a joint-agency message with South Wales Police, SWFRS said that while work is ongoing to prevent further spread and protect nearby properties, there were reports of deliberate fire-setting on the mountain overnight.

Anyone with information about these deliberate fires is asked to contact South Wales Police or neighbourhood policing and fire crime teams.

As part of the ongoing response to the blaze, which has left an area of land as large as 200 football pitches scorched, Natural Resources Wales has secured the deployment of a specialist firefighting helicopter.

However, poor weather conditions, including low visibility, mist, rain and forecasted thunderstorms, have delayed deployment. Conditions are being assessed throughout Tuesday.

Despite the damp weather seen in the Rhondda overnight the fire service said the mountain is continuing to smoulder. It is continuing to advise nearby residents to keep windows and doors closed where possible.

Anyone experiencing health concerns as a result of smoke exposure should seek appropriate medical advice, the fire service said.

The fire service said communities in Ferndale are well protected, with ongoing work looking to protect the Cwmaman side of the mountain while continuing efforts to contain the fire within forestry and upland areas.

A number of road closures remain in place in the small village of Blaenllechau to allow the fire service to get equipment to the mountain, with members of the public asked to avoid the area.

People are also being reminded that a temporary no-fly zone, including for drones, is in place in the area.

The latest update from the fire service reads: “South Wales Fire and Rescue Service continues to work with partner agencies to contain and extinguish the wildfire on Llanwonno mountain in Ferndale and prevent further spread, helping to protect nearby properties and communities.

“There were reports of deliberate fire-setting on the mountain last night. We ask anyone with information to call South Wales Police on 101, report anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or speak to the Neighbourhood Policing Team or Fire Crime Team, who will be patrolling the area.

“Firefighters worked throughout the night in challenging conditions to tackle the fire and protect properties. Incident commanders at the scene have confirmed that communities in Ferndale remain well protected, with today’s operational priority focused on protecting the Cwmaman side of the mountain while continuing efforts to contain the fire within forestry and upland areas.

“The incident remains a major incident due to the ongoing scale of the wildfire and challenging conditions on the mountain, including poor visibility caused by today’s low cloud, mist and rain.”

Anyone with information about fire-setting on the mountain can contact South Wales Police on 101, report anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or speak to the Neighbourhood Policing Team or Fire Crime Team, who will be patrolling the area.

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The man suspected of killing Scottish aid worker Elisabeth Jane Ross in Greece is 26-year-old Sharif Ahmadzai, the BBC understands.

He was arrested after the body of the 38-year-old was found in a suitcase in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district of Athens on 18 July, several days after she was reported missing.

Ahmadzai, who was born in Afghanistan and is a champion boxer, travelled to Greece as a refugee.

He is expected to appear in court in Athens on Wednesday.

The BBC understands Ahmadzai, who left Afghanistan after being orphaned aged 15, lives in Greece with his American wife and child.

His father, a commander in the Afghan army, was shot dead and his mother and siblings were killed by a suicide bomber in Kabul.

He travelled to Greece via Iran and Turkey, according to the charity, external The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), before settling in a refugee camp on the island of Lesbos.

It is understood this is where he met his wife and converted to Christianity. The pair then set up the charity Love Every Nation Athens to help other refugees.

It is thought that he met Ross through the charity.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Firefighters west of Athens raced to exploit a break in high winds on Tuesday, working to strengthen containment lines as forecasters warned that stronger gusts and rising temperatures would return in the coming days.

Several fires that burned through mountain communities and coastal areas west of the Greek capital were brought under control overnight. Planes and helicopters dumped water inside the contained perimeters through the morning, dousing hotspots while the winds stayed calm.

The army deployed tracked earth movers to carve fire breaks across the scorched hillsides, while specialist units pushed into forest areas on foot to extinguish smoldering embers before they could reignite.

Crews were working against the clock: Winds typically pick up in the afternoon, a coastal phenomenon common across the Mediterranean in summer as land heats faster than the sea and draws in stronger breezes.

The blaze jumped containment lines a day earlier.

More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from around the seaside resort of Porto Germeno and other areas west of the capital, including more than 250 rescued by boats from beaches in the area.