departure

MANCHESTER, England: Pep Guardiola’s departure was expected to shift the balance of power in Manchester.

The early signs suggest otherwise.

For the first time in 10 years on Sunday, Manchester United goes into the derby against a Manchester City no longer guided by the genius of Guardiola.

Yet, if City wins at Old Trafford, the team of new manager Enzo Maresca would open a 12-point lead on United only four rounds into the Premier League.

Even this early in the campaign that would be a huge gap for United to make up.

While City is still getting used to change at the top after a decade of Guardiola, United has endured a carousel of managers at the same time in a desperate bid to return it to former glories.

Michael Carrick is the seventh permanent manager since the retirement of Alex Ferguson in 2013.

United fans will hope Guardiola’s exit will prove as profound as Ferguson’s. United has not won the Premier League since Ferguson’s final season in charge.

In theory, Guardiola’s exit has removed the biggest barrier standing in the way of United’s route back to the top following his dominance of English soccer. Though he left without the title in his last two seasons, his run of six league crowns in seven years underlined City’s supremacy for the majority of his time at the club.

It would be asking a lot for Maresca — or anyone else for that matter — to emulate that level of success. Maresca, however, could not have made a better start to the season after a 100% winning record in the league and victory in City’s opening Champions League game this week.

Erling Haaland also looks at the top of his game with five goals in his last three appearances.

It’s been a different story for United after its resurgence under Carrick in the second half of last season led to a third place finish.

The opening day defeat to newly promoted Hull was an early blow. There was a win against another newcomer in Ipswich but a 2-2 draw at Everton after leading twice.

It is the type of inconsistency that has hindered United throughout the post-Ferguson years and something Carrick will need to quickly stamp out.

He has recent good memories of the derby. His first match in charge when appointed as Ruben Amorim’s replacement was a 2-0 win against City in Guardiola’s final Manchester derby.

Key matchups

The Manchester derby is the big one of the weekend, with pressure on United to get the season going, while it would be a first statement win for Maresca at City. Defending champion Arsenal is at Sunderland on Saturday.

Players to watch

Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard is in outstanding form with four goals in five games in all competitions. Haaland also has five goals and looks unstoppable.

Out of action

Cody Gakpo missed Liverpool’s game against Atletico Madrid because of an adductor issue. Bradley Barcola limped out of that match after appearing to hurt his calf, but coach Andoni Iraola said it was cramp.

Off the field

Manchester United fans plan to stage a protest ahead of the derby in opposition to a clampdown by the club on ticket touting.

The 1958 supporters group claims “loyal, generational” fans are being sanctioned or banned “without, clear and compelling evidence.”

United says its investigation has “uncovered significant and organized touting”.

Sept. 9, 2026 2:59 PM PT

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. — President Trump had been eagerly awaiting his trip to Texas for Republicans’ unusual midterm convention. But his new Air Force One had other ideas, at least for a short time.

The president arrived at Joint Base Andrews via Marine One on Wednesday afternoon for his scheduled departure to Dallas. But he was held on the helicopter for about 15 minutes as U.S. Air Force personnel were seen attending to Air Force One and an inflatable emergency slide that was seen deployed from the front right exit, across the plane from the door that Trump typically uses.

As Trump arrived at the base, the old blue and white presidential aircraft was seen moving from its hangar onto the tarmac a few hundred yards behind the new plane that Trump accepted as a gift from the Qatari government and had refurbished and painted red, white, blue and gold. The older plane’s front and rear steps were put in place, signaling the possibility that it would have to be used for Trump’s Texas trip.

Eventually, Trump emerged from Marine One and said the slide on the new plane was being tested.

“They want to make sure everything works perfectly,” the president said of the jetliner that Trump accepted as a gift from the Qatari government and had refurbished.

It was not immediately clear whether the slide was intentionally inflated for testing or whether it was an error that had to be assessed and corrected. But Trump said he was not worried. Asked whether he was satisfied that the plane was safe, he said, “Yeah, I am — or I wouldn’t be on it.”

Trump boarded shortly after as the crew continued to work. They appeared eventually to deflate, detach and cart away the deployed slide.

Air Force One, the designation for whatever aircraft carries a sitting president, took off for Dallas shortly after.

Barrow and Martin write for the Associated Press. Barrow reported from Atlanta. AP reporter Collin Binkley contributed to this report from Washington.

Sept. 4, 2026 1:04 PM PT

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday named Adam Telle, a civilian leader in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as the acting Army secretary following the departure of Dan Driscoll amid widespread reports of tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Telle is currently the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works. But he spent more than 20 years working for Republican senators as well as in the White House during Trump’s first term, serving as the president’s chief liaison to the Senate, according to an Army bio.

“He is a Great Patriot, who is respected by all,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

Hegseth echoed that in his own post on X.

“Huge congrats to Adam. Strong and whip smart,” Hegseth wrote. “He is indeed a great Patriot — and will be an immediate asset to the @USArmy.”

Driscoll gave no explanation for his decision to quit this week as the Army’s top civilian official. His clashes with Hegseth have been widely reported, and some of Driscoll’s allies in the Army were ousted this year by Trump’s Pentagon chief.

Telle has been at the Army Office of Civil Works since August 2025, according to Legistorm, a website that tracks lawmakers and Capitol Hill staffers. Before that, Telle worked as chief of staff for Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee from 2021-25.

Telle spent 18 months working in the White House during Trump’s first term and 10 years working for the late Republican Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, according to Legistorm.

Telle also worked as the chief staff member on the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Homeland Security Subcommittee, according to Hagerty’s remarks when Telle was nominated for the civil works job in May 2025.

In his most recent job, Telle focused on matters involving commercial navigation, flood damage reduction and permitting under the Clean Water Act. Telle issued a statement in August about the approval of a company’s plans to reroute an aging oil pipeline around a Wisconsin tribal reservation. In May, he was quoted in a story in the Forum, a newspaper in Fargo, N.D., about a $3.2-billion flood control project that will protect more than 200,000 people.

Telle will now be overseeing the nation’s largest fighting force at a time when the U.S. is still engaged in conflict with Iran and significant Army forces are stationed in the Middle East.

The war has significantly contributed to the U.S. military’s shortfall in critical weapons like the Patriot and THAAD defense missile interceptors systems, which are operated by the Army.

Driscoll, an Army veteran who served in Iraq, is a friend of Vice President JD Vance and had good relationships with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

His allies in the Army who were ousted by Hegseth included its top uniformed leader, Gen. Randy George. Gen. Christopher LaNeve took over as the Army’s acting chief of staff and recently pulled the plug on a drone modernization program that Driscoll had championed.

Driscoll spoke with Trump on the current state of the Army before he submitted his resignation, the Associated Press has reported.

Driscoll did not allude to any problems in the only public statement on his departure, saying Tuesday that it has been “the honor of a lifetime” to serve as Army secretary under Trump and Hegseth.

Democrats and Republicans lamented Driscoll’s departure, with some blaming Hegseth directly.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who is retiring and sometimes has clashed with Trump, said on social media that Hegseth “is creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks.”

Cooper and Finley write for the Associated Press.

Emmerdale’s Claire King revealed her heartache over co-star Olivia Bromley’s exit from the ITV soap, following Dawn Fletcher’s death

Emmerdale actress Claire King has shared her heartache over co-star Olivia Bromley’s exit from the soap, following an explosive episode.

The 30-year-old has played Dawn Fletcher in the long-running ITV programme for eight years, sharing the screen with Claire’s Kim Tate, her stepmother.

Fans were left shocked when her character was killed off in devastating scenes on her tragic wedding day, after prematurely giving birth to a baby boy with partner Joe Tate. In the emotional footage, she suffered internal bleeding and sadly died after giving birth.

Touching on the episode in a press roundtable, Claire described their final few moments together on set as “heartbreaking”.

“But we did have a good laugh that week because we were all outside this massive marquee where we were doing all the wedding stuff and car crash, and it’s all supposed to be tragic but we were all actually having a good life.

“We had some really nice people on set that day. Great crew, and it was just a bit of camaraderie.

“But I could see as the days went on to the final day she was getting more and more sort of angst and things.”

Dawn made a big impact when she arrived in the Dales almost a decade ago, and has been at the centre of huge storylines since then – including the moment she found her long lost son, and her on-off romance with ex-husband Billy.

Olivia was told of her character’s fate earlier this year, with bosses teasing the huge exit plot. However, despite the advanced warning, she admitted that she found it tough to bid farewell.

“It was the toughest storyline I’ve done during my time in the soap,” she told the Mirror.

“I was surprised by how emotional I found it and it was way more emotional than I was expecting. I did cry.

“It is very strange to kill off your character as an actor and in front of your colleagues. But that said, what a gift to be given. Often people leave and just slip off.”

She added: “Psychologically, now I have had time to reflect, I know it’s good for me, because I can say bye to my Emmerdale chapter. It’s been brilliant. I was originally only signed up for 12 episodes and I’ve stayed eight years!”

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Jet2 regularly keeps its passengers informed

Jet2 has reissued a “12 hours” update to all passengers who have flights and holidays booked with the carrier.

The travel operator regularly keeps passengers informed, including flagging any events likely to cause disruption or delays, and the latest travel information section of its website continues to update travellers. The alert reads: “Please check this section of the website at least 12 hours before your flight for the latest flight information. Customers are advised to arrive at their departure airport at least 2 hours before their scheduled departure time.

“In the event of any flight delays further information can be found by using the above search panel by entering your flight number or route. As a reminder check in desks will close 40 minutes before your scheduled departure time. Rest assured, in the event of flight disruption our dedicated Operations teams are always working hard behind the scenes at our UK-based HQ to get you on your way as soon as possible.”

Jet2 check-in desks typically open a minimum of two hours and 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time. Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare, as the check-in process must be completed at least 40 minutes before take-off.

At certain UK airports, Jet2 provides a Twilight Check-in service, allowing you to drop off your luggage the evening before your flight if it’s scheduled to depart before midday. You can also check in online anytime from 28 days up to six hours before departure via the website or app.

Should you opt to check in online, you’ll need to either print your boarding passes or download them to your device. Jet2 reminds passengers that online check-in is not available for flights departing from Turkey.

“You can still complete the process and get your pre-allocated seats, but you’ll need to visit our airport check-in desks to collect your boarding pass before you go to security.”

Nico Iamaleava became a household name among college football fans.

Not because of his five-star, blue-chip status, leaving Warren High as the second-ranked prospect in the 2023 class and top-ranked recruit out of California.

Not for leading Tennessee to its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance and a 10-3 record — tying for the Volunteers’ second-best finish since 2001.

Instead, Iamaleava is remembered for his tumultuous exit from Knoxville, a parting characterized by head coach Josh Heupel that the program would move on without its starting signal-caller, leading the Long Beach product to UCLA.

More than one year removed after his departure, Iamaleava reflected at preseason media day on his time with the Volunteers, the effect last season had on his mental health and his mindset heading into 2026.

“In Tennessee, I was in a rough mental state as far as being far from home, but that’s what came with me growing and maturing,” Iamaleava said Wednesday. “So coming back home has been a great transition, and I can’t wait to play this year.”

While returning to Southern California brought the Bruins’ starting quarterback closer to his roots and family, the social media ridicule chased him cross-country, targeting not just him, but his parents too.

To combat the animosity centered on his family, Iamaleava focused on his support system, leaning on those around him and strengthening relationships with the people that he loved.

“Mental health is huge, and having a great support system with you definitely helps. I’ve had that with my parents, going to them whenever I need something,” Iamaleava said. “I have brothers that I can go and rely on, and coming back home to my family has been easy. I don’t really focus on the outside noise.”

While the majority of Iamaleava’s criticism stemmed from his departure from Knoxville, it reignited after UCLA started out the season 0-4 and finished the 2025 campaign 3-9 — a program worst since 2018.

Iamaleava could have allowed the disparagement to compound, but the starting signal-caller is using it as fuel for a 2026 season where many have the Bruins painted as a potential dark horse.

“Everybody counted us out. Last year wasn’t a great year for us, so we’re not on anybody’s radar,” Iamaleava said. “That fuels us, and really playing for each other is going to be the main thing.”

Being one of the few returning starters, Iamaleava has embraced a “vet” role, and has subsequently taken the mantle and burden of being the team’s leader.

And despite all of the negative sentiment surrounding Iamaleava and his time at Tennessee, it was with the Volunteers when he learned how to effectively lead and cultivate camaraderie.

“I learned a lot of that in Tennessee. I had a great vet in Joe Milton. He was a great quarterback,” Iamaleava said. “He’s at the Cowboys now, so learning under him, and then my whole O-line from Tennessee, I love them boys, and they helped me a lot too.”

Iamaleava is building on everything — the good and the bad — he learned from his time in Knoxville and his first year in Westwood entering the new season.

And as he enters his senior season with professional football aspirations on the horizon, Iamaleava has learned to not let external voices interfere with his internal confidence.

“I like to let people assume. Not a lot of people know me on a personal level, so it’s kind of hard to really focus on what they have to say,” Iamaleava said. “Those who know me in this locker room, those who know me in the building, those are the people I care about.”