Smyths Toys has recalled seven children’s sand-based ‘dig’ toy products after testing detected trace levels of asbestos, the retailer and Irish regulators said on March 23-24, 2026. Affected items include Dino Dig Sensory Bin, Gold Dig It Kit, 10-piece Dig It Out Dinosaur Eggs, Dig It Up Pirates Treasure Set, Gem Dig Kit 8 Pack, Pocket Play Gold Treasure Chest Dig It kit and Gem Dig Kit 12 Gem Pack. Parents have been advised to stop using the products immediately and return them to any Smyths store for a full refund. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) echoed the recall and advised careful cleaning of any sites where the sand was used (wet wiping, gloves, masks, double-bagging and secure disposal) to avoid dust. The move follows separate recent recalls in Ireland and the UK of other sand-based toys sold by Tesco, Amazon and manufacturers including Addo Play Ltd, ORB Funkee and IG Design Group UK Ltd. Smyths and regulators said the overall risk is low but the action is precautionary while investigations continue.

Warner Bros. and New Line announced on March 25, 2026 that late‑night host Stephen Colbert will co‑write a new Lord of the Rings film, provisionally titled The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past. Colbert will develop the project with his son, screenwriter Peter McGee, and veteran LOTR scribe Philippa Boyens; producer‑director Peter Jackson introduced Colbert as a “very special partner” in a video posted for Tolkien Reading Day. Warner Bros. described the story as drawing on chapters III–VIII of The Fellowship of the Ring: set 14 years after Frodo’s passing, Sam, Merry and Pippin retrace their original journey while Sam’s daughter Elanor uncovers a long‑buried secret. The film is slated to follow Andy Serkis’s The Hunt for Gollum, currently in pre‑production for release in 2027. Colbert said he will begin work after his CBS Late Show run ends on May 21, 2026; no director or release date for Shadow of the Past has been confirmed. The announcement provoked strong responses among fans and has been framed in industry coverage alongside wider studio consolidation and franchise expansion at Warner Bros./New Line.

Democrat Emily Gregory won a March special election to represent Florida’s 87th State House District — the district that includes President Donald Trump’s Mar‑a‑Lago estate — defeating Trump‑endorsed Republican Jon Maples by about 2.4 percentage points (roughly 797 votes). Gregory, a first‑time candidate and small‑business owner who campaigned on affordability, health care and insurance costs, will take a seat in a GOP‑dominated legislature but her victory is symbolic. Democrats also narrowly flipped a Tampa‑area state Senate seat (Brian Nathan) in the same round. The wins are the latest in a string of special and off‑cycle victories that analysts and Democratic organisers say total nearly 30 state legislative flips since early 2025, while Republicans have struggled to capture Democratic seats in this period. Republicans have largely brushed off the results as special‑election anomalies, but some GOP lawmakers privately warn that aggressive redistricting plans — including a Florida special session called by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April to redraw maps — could make some incumbent seats more vulnerable rather than safer.

On March 25, 2026, Dame Sarah Mullally was formally enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral as the Church of England’s first female Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the 106th holder of a role that is also spiritual head of the global Anglican Communion. The 63-year-old former nurse and ex-chief nursing officer for England took her seat on the ancient Chair of St Augustine before about 2,000 guests including the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and senior faith leaders. The 90-minute service — which began with the traditional three knocks at the west door and included vows sworn on the St John’s Bible, multilingual readings and contributions from the “Africa Six” — mixed centuries-old ritual with intentional symbolism. Mullally acknowledged past safeguarding failures that precipitated her predecessor Justin Welby’s 2024 resignation and pledged commitment to victims, trauma-informed practice and justice. Her appointment has drawn both wide celebration and dissent from conservative provinces and groupings such as Gafcon and some African primates, underscoring ongoing tensions over women’s leadership and sexuality within the Communion.

Bayern Munich beat Manchester United 3-2 in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League quarter-final at Old Trafford on March 25, 2026. Pernille Harder put Bayern ahead twice with goals inside the opening minutes and again after half-time, while United replied through a Maya Le Tissier penalty and a Hanna Lundkvist header. Momoko Tanikawa, a second-half substitute who had just returned from Japan’s Women’s Asian Cup, created Harder’s second and curled in the 84th-minute winner to give Bayern a slender advantage heading to the Allianz Arena for the second leg on April 1. The occasion, United’s first WCL quarter-final since the team’s reformation, drew a modest crowd of around 7,000–7,500. Bayern arrive with domestic momentum — leading the Frauen‑Bundesliga and unbeaten in the league — while United face a congested schedule and squad availability questions ahead of a WSL derby with Manchester City before the trip to Munich.

NASA has published full media coverage plans for Artemis II and unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its lunar and deep‑space strategy. The agency set a livestream schedule beginning with crew Q&As on March 27 ahead of a targeted launch window no earlier than April 1, 2026 (6:24 p.m. EDT) for the crewed Artemis II Orion flight carrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Mission coverage will stream on NASA+, YouTube and other platforms with daily briefings during the roughly 10‑day lunar flyby. Separately, at an “Ignition” event NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced pausing the Lunar Gateway in its current form to redirect hardware and funding toward a $20 billion phased Moon base program and a push for more frequent lunar landings (eventually every six months). The agency also disclosed plans for Space Reactor‑1 Freedom, a nuclear‑electric propulsion demonstration intended to send robotic “Skyfall” helicopters to Mars by 2028. The changes raise questions about timelines, budgets and roles for international partners such as ESA, JAXA and CSA.