Erling Haaland score the only goal of Manchester City’s unconvincing home win against newly promoted Coventry City.
Published On 5 Sep 20265 Sep 2026
Manchester City maintained their winning start to the season to move to the top of the Premier League, but Erling Haaland’s solitary strike against newly promoted Coventry City couldn’t hide the nerves in the Etihad Stadium.
The Enzo Maresca era has started with three consecutive Premier League wins, but it was a far from perfect performance on Saturday as the hosts needed a pair of late saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma to deny Coventry a first top-flight point for 25 years.
Haaland’s header midway through the first half proved decisive for his third goal in as many games this season.
Maresca was able to unleash summer signings Enzo Fernandez and Iliman Ndiaye after their arrivals completed a record outlay by any club of £460 million ($622m) in the transfer market to refresh the City squad after Pep Guardiola’s decade in charge.
Fernandez was supposed to start on the bench after completing his £125 million move from Chelsea to match the Premier League transfer record.
However, an injury to Nico O’Reilly in the warm-up meant the Argentine was thrust into the starting line up.
Ndiaye was also handed his City debut by Maresca alongside Haaland, Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki in a fearsome front four.
Coventry had failed to score in three consecutive defeats to mark their return to the top flight after 25 years.
Yet, Frank Lampard’s men could not have come closer to breaking their duck early on thanks to a gift from Donnarumma.
The giant Italian miscontrolled a backpass and recovered to clear off his own line with inches to spare.
Taiwo Awoniyi and Jack Rudoni also missed big chances to give the visitors the lead before City began to find their stride.
Cherki smashed off the post before Fernandez was involved in the opening goal.
His pass fed Semenyo sprinting down the right and his cross was hung up perfectly for Haaland to head home at the back post.
The Norwegian was denied a second by Carl Rushworth before half-time, but City failed to build on their advantage and were left clinging on for the three points.
Donnarumma was needed to produce two huge saves to deny Loum Tchaouna and Ellis Simms an equaliser and a historic moment for Coventry.
Despite another defeat, there was plenty of encouragement for Lampard that Coventry can compete back in the big time.
Maresca will know City will need to be much improved when they travel to local rivals Manchester United next weekend.
But the blue half of the city move to the top of the table ahead of champions Arsenal’s clash against Chelsea on Sunday.
Michael Lomonaco can account for every minute of the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 — including the small decision that saved his life.
Lomonaco, the executive chef who ran Windows on the World on the 106th and 107th floors of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, was on his way up to his office when he stopped at an optometrist shop on the ground level to have his eyeglass frames adjusted.
He was still inside when American Airlines Flight 11 hit the tower above him at 8:46 a.m.
“I felt the buidling shake,” he recalled in the new CNN Films documentary “Top of the World.” “And I thought that can’t be the subway. That’s impossible.”
Lomonaco was evacuated. From the street, he watched employees of his own restaurant wave a white tablecloth from a window more than 100 floors up. Seventy-nine Windows on the World employees and 91 guests died that morning in the gastronomic soul of the Twin Towers — the one part of the complex that belonged to New Yorkers who didn’t work there, and to visitors from everywhere else.
“Top of the World” premieres Monday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CNN and begins streaming the following day on the network’s subscription streaming platforms. The documentary short arrives on a double anniversary: 25 years since the attacks, and 50 years since Windows on the World opened on April 19, 1976.
It is the work of producer-director team Betsy West and Julie Cohen, who made “RBG,” the Oscar-nominated portrait of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The film is a production of CNN Films, TIME Studios and Tribeca Studios, in association with Montalto Pictures and Storyville Films, and was inspired by Tom Roston’s book “The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World.” Actor Denis Leary voices the restaurant’s creator, Joe Baum, drawn from decades of archival recordings.
West and Cohen were reluctant to take it on. Both were working in network television news in 2001.
“There’s like a part of you that doesn’t want to go back there,” Cohen said in a recent interview. “But when we read this book and met some of the amazing people who had worked at Windows over its 25-year history, we realized this was actually a really good way into remembering there was a lot of beautiful stuff in the Twin Towers and like we shouldn’t let that disappear just because it ended so painfully.”
What emerges is a history of how a restaurant transformed the reputation of the monolithic Twin Towers, which received little respect from architecture critics and bafflement from a public that wondered why it was built in the 1970s by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as the city was fighting off financial collapse.
“This film tells a story of a restaurant that was very special to New York a time when New York was getting kicked in the teeth,” the Brooklyn-born Lomonaco said in a recent interview.
The World Trade Center operators turned to restaurant impresario Joe Baum to create a dining experience that would draw people to the Manhattan neighborhood largely known for its blocks of stores that sold radios and electronic parts. Baum was known for such New York dining landmarks as the Four Seasons and Tavern on the Green, and his new creation became an immediate hit after it opened in 1976, becoming a magnet for tourists and celebrities alike who came for the eye-popping views through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
At the time of the 9/11 attack, the World was the highest-revenue-generating privately owned restaurant in the U.S.
West noted another draw to the story was the stories of the many immigrants who worked at Windows, which proudly called itself “the U.N. of restaurants.” The film’s focus on the contribution of the foreign-born population to the restaurant industry stands in stark contrast to the image of immigrants conveyed by the Trump White House to justify its deportation efforts.
“Immigrants continue to make a contribution to our country and to the economy,” West said. “This was an opportunity to tell that positive story as opposed to what’s going on in our country now.”
Cohen and West scoured the Windows on the World Facebook page to find surviving former employees to help tell the story. Nathalie Tolentino was a hostess whose family came to the U.S. to escape political upheaval in Peru. Sekou Siby was a line cook from the Ivory Coast, who swapped shifts with one of the workers who died during a morning breakfast held in the restaurant on 9/11. Both talk about how the restaurant changed their lives.
Lomonaco is a central character in the “Top of the World,” as his arrival as the executive chef of Windows in 1997 boosted the restaurant’s culinary reputation. A hot chef who oversaw a turnaround at the 21 Club, another legendary New York dining spot, Lomonaco turned Windows into a destination for American cuisine along with the breathtaking views.
Lomonaco arrived after the restaurant was closed for three years following the first terrorist bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 that killed six people and injured more than 1,000 but left the towers intact.
Once Windows on the World was gone, Lomonaco was offered high-profile restaurant jobs in other parts of the country. But he had unfinished business in New York.
“I didn’t want to abandon my city,” he said.
In the first days after the attacks, Lomonaco said, he read nothing about Windows on the World; coverage centered on the massive loss of life among the first responders and at the financial firms inside the World Trade Center. But over time, he got attention and support for the families of the employees who lost their lives that day.
Lomonaco and the restaurant’s owners formed Windows of Hope, a charitable foundation that raised more than $22 million to pay for healthcare and tuition costs for the children of the victims. “We were giving checks to people to pay their rent before federal funds came through,” he said.
Lomonaco said he still meets patrons who give him a matchbook or coaster from their visit to Windows. “They feel like they have to give me or send me these little artifacts,” he said. “That’s what has touched me the most.”
Orange Lutheran High does not have an easy game on its schedule. MaxPreps ranked the school’s schedule as the toughest in the nation, as it faces off against five opponents in the website’s preseason national top 25 rankings.
The first three weeks have been a true gauntlet.
It started with an away game in Florida against Miami Central High, the seventh-best team in the state, according to MaxPreps. Orange Lutheran only lost by one point.
After beating the 15th-best team in California, San Diego Cathedral, last week 38-24, the Lancers faced its biggest test yet: Chandler (Ariz.) Basha, the No. 1 team in Arizona, and ranked 12th nationally. Orange Lutheran is the eighth-ranked team in California and 61st nationally.
A 30-24 loss to Basha last season still hung in the air around Orange Coast College on Friday night, and it looked like Orange Lutheran would be in for another one after Basha senior quarterback and Princeton commit Jake Rogers threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Jaden Baldwin on the third play of their first drive.
However, because they didn’t make this season about themselves, Orange Lutheran has a prime directive to make things as hard as possible on opponents. A 23-17 win Friday suggested they followed through on that goal.
After the first quarter, Basha was not able to do anything effective on offense.
Every possession in the third quarter was a three-and-out, with one resulting in a punt out of the end zone. Basha had a bad snap, giving Orange Lutheran two points.
Beyond that, twin brothers and juniors Anhor The Great Johnson and King Rich Johnson swarmed everything that Basha tried to do.
It started with a 75-yard pick-six from King Rich on a snaking sideline return that gave Orange Lutheran a lead they never conceded.
Anhor The Great had so many pass breakups that counting would’ve been a fool’s errand.
Defensive line bat downs and sacks haunted Rogers, who finished the game with 192 yards passing and two touchdowns with two interceptions as well as a less than 50% completion on passes and two interceptions.
Senior lineman Lucas Rhoa got to watch this all unfold from the sidelines, and he was truly in awe after the game.
“One of the best defensive games I’ve seen,” he said. “Really, two big plays and three other points [is all Basha got]. We couldn’t do it without them, because we only put up 23 points.”
The only score given up in the second half was a 30-yard pass from Rogers to senior running back Noah Roberts. It gave the Bears life for the first time since the half. It was also Roberts only big play on a night where he averaged less than two yards per carry.
It was senior night for Orange Lutheran, with emotions flowing around Orange Coast College stadium all night, but it was a sophomore running back who had the most explosive performance.
Ryan Christianson finished with 151 yards rushing and one touchdown on 31 rushes. He was buoyed by Rhoa and a strong offensive line performance.
“Our running back is amazing, he did amazing things,” he said. “I’m proud of the way we played tonight, but there’s so much more we could clean up. So many points were left on the board. If we clean it up we’re going to be very good.”
First year head coach Ray Fenton inherited this insane schedule, but he probably would’ve booked the same battles. Many of his players will be playing Division I football on Saturdays, so why not test them now?
Plus, Orange Lutheran plays in the Trinity League. With highly ranked schools such as St. John Bosco, Mater Dei and Santa Margarita on the schedule, playing weak schools in nonleague games does nothing but harm Orange Lutheran’s talented roster.
“We can’t hide from our league, it’s like the SEC of high school football,” Fenton said.
“Over the last five or six years, man-to-man pressure has become bigger,” Kane says.
“European football is physical and top teams are trying to win the ball back high, trusting their defenders and midfielders to defend man for man to win their battles.”
Given that change, the best teams have recruited physical athletes and brilliant dribblers who can beat their man when the game becomes a series of one-against-ones.
Kane, not known for his dribbling – and by his own admission “not the fastest”, has thrived on his own terms.
Against Dortmund, there was a specific moment Kane dropped deep, looking to arrive in space unmarked. Recognising the danger, two players converged on the Englishman.
Kane’s dribbling is cerebral. His speed of thought provides him solutions to problems others would attempt to solve with their feet alone.
After getting low and using his strength to shrug centre-back Waldemar Anton off him, Kane rose, slightly adjusting his body to the right. These micro-adjustments are a hallmark of his game and through them he is able to shift an entire team’s momentum.
Fooled by this feint, Daniel Svensson and Jobe Bellingham found themselves wrong-footed as Kane snapped the ball back the other way, opening up the entire pitch from within Bayern’s half.
SYDNEY Sweeney has flashed her underboob in a very short lace crop top as she arrived to the Venice Film Festival.
The American actress, 28, is attending the city’s annual film festival in her role as an ambassador for Armani Beauty.
Sydney Sweeney has flashed her underboob in a very short lace crop top as she arrived to the Venice Film FestivalCredit: SplashThe American actress is attending the city’s annual film festival in her role as an ambassador for Armani BeautyCredit: Getty
The Housemaid star looked stunning in a gold lace handkerchief top which she paired with a pair of cream bermuda shorts.
But the cheeky star, who turns 29 in a few days, couldn’t help flash a bit of underboob under her gorgeous short top.
Sydney looked sensational as she made her way to the film festivalCredit: SplashSydney was seen kneeling at a fridge in just her undiesCredit: SyrnSydney is seen pulling down her underwear with a look of surprise on her faceCredit: SyrnSydney Sweeney with her boyfriend Scooter BraunCredit: Getty
She is also seen pulling down her underwear with a look of surprise on her face.
In one particularly raunchy scene, she slapped flour onto her backside and left hand prints all over bottom.
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Sydney captioned the post: “celebrate my birthday month with my newest @syrn collection. coming september 1st.”
The actress went Instagram official with her new boyfriend Scooter Braun in April – as he gushed he’s a “lucky b******”.
Sydney confirmed the romance in a loved-up post, sending fans into a frenzy.
Meanwhile, Venice Film Festival’s red carpet events began last week with the premiere of British director Danny Boyle’s film Ink which is about the rise of media magnate Rupert Murdoch.
It closes on September 12, with Italian costume drama Dio Ride (God Laughs), written and directed by Giovanni Veronesi.
WASHINGTON — The highest-ranking officer in the U.S. military says there are no plans to send troops to polling places during November’s midterm congressional elections, addressing concerns among Democrats that the Trump administration could use the military to interfere with the vote.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the statement in a letter to Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who recently asked Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to confirm they won’t send troops to the polls.
“The Joint Force has no plans to send Federal military personnel or Federalized members of the National Guard to polling places during the 2026 elections,” Caine said in the letter to Slotkin, which was obtained Monday by the Associated Press. “Likewise, the Joint Force has no plans to use such personnel to seize ballots, voting machines, or other election-related material.”
Caine, who advises Hegseth and President Trump on military matters, also wrote: “I have neither received nor anticipate receiving any unlawful order concerning the role of the Joint Force in the upcoming November 2026 midterm elections.”
Anxiety among Democrats that the Trump administration could try to meddle in the midterm elections has grown, particularly after the president deployed federal agents in Democrat-led states over the objections of local leaders.
Slotkin told the AP earlier in August that Trump has been laying the groundwork to claim the elections were stolen. She noted that Trump contemplated using the military to seize voting machines after his loss in 2020 and has deployed the National Guard to cities against the wishes of Democratic leaders. He also deployed active-duty Marines to Los Angeles during his immigration crackdown in 2025.
Federal law prohibits the deployment of armed federal forces to election locations unless “necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States.” If any element of the military were to get involved, it would probably be the National Guard under state control.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles denied in a Vanity Fair interview last year that Trump would use the military to suppress voting in the midterms.
Sonja Thrasher, Slotkin’s press secretary, said Hegseth has not replied to the letter asking him to confirm troops won’t be deployed to the polls in November. Slotkin had asked for a response by last Thursday.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to an email from the AP asking for the status of Hegseth’s response to Slotkin. The Pentagon previously said it would respond directly to the senator.
Slotkin asked Hegseth during an April congressional hearing if he would follow orders to seize ballots. Hegseth called the question a “gotcha hypothetical,” but said, “I’ve never been ordered to do anything illegal, and I won’t.”
In 2020, Gen. Mark Milley, then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, responded to a similar letter from Slotkin, then a congresswoman.
“I believe deeply in the principle of an apolitical U.S. military,” Milley wrote. “In the event of a dispute over some aspect of the elections, by law U.S. courts and the U.S. Congress are required to resolve any disputes, not the U.S. military.”
There was a moment, not so long ago, when Bradley Barcola’s career appeared to have stalled.
Having earned rave reviews after nailing down a regular starting place in Lyon’s starting XI under Peter Bosz, the 20-year-old winger was out of favour and in the reserves by the time the Dutch coach was replaced by Laurent Blanc in October 2022.
According to L’Equipe,, external Barcola was close to joining Swiss club St Gallen in January 2023 in order to get more game time before an act of petulance by a team-mate helped pave his return to the side.
Fans were unhappy with the team’s poor form – making first-choice forward Karl Toko Ekambi a target for their frustrations.
The relationship between the Cameroon international and Lyon’s ultras fractured further when he stormed down the tunnel and kicked a rubbish bin in frustration after being substituted during a 2-1 home defeat by Strasbourg.
The incident was caught on camera and Toko Ekambi never played for Lyon again.
That presented Barcola with an opportunity which he seized. He started the majority of the remaining matches that season, scoring five times, including a winner at champions-in-waiting Paris St-Germain in April 2023.
Five months after that goal at the Parc des Princes, Barcola was a PSG player.
His reported £38.5m move – two weeks after Brazil forward Neymar swapped Paris for Saudi Arabia – came with Lyon struggling in the table and also unable to sign replacements because of financial restrictions.
“Barcola’s first game for PSG was back at Lyon,” Pierre-Etienne Minonzio, football journalist for L’Equipe, told BBC Sport.
“He was booed by the Lyon fans because it was just after the transfer. PSG boss Luis Enrique asked Barcola, who was very young at the time, if he was ready to play.
“He said yes, came on as a substitute, and it was impressive.”
Barcola, nicknamed the ‘grasshopper’ because of his speed, agility and slight frame, has since gone on to win three Ligue 1 titles and back-to-back Champions Leagues in his three seasons in the French capital. He broke into the France side two years ago, and scored three times as this summer’s World Cup as they reached the semi-finals.
It has been quite the journey from kicking a ball about as a schoolboy on the playing fields of Vaulx-en-Velin – situated to the east of Lyon – to becoming a superstar worth nine figures. But the path has not been without challenges.
“Barcola is hugely ambitious,” added Minonzio.
“He is from a generation of young French talent who are prepared to work hard and want to be a better version of themselves.
“They will do whatever they have to do to get there. They don’t ask questions – they just do it.”
DID you know that Buckingham Palace has its own cinema, post office and even a mini bank?
I didn’t. Nor did the handful of punters and their kids behind me, who were now all gawping with fascination at the extravagant building from their shiny bus seats.
The Original’s London Kids Bus Tour is designed specifically for youngsters
Claim 25% off children’s tickets for the The Original London Kids Tour
The royal premises is certainly a spectacular sight to behold with its grand curved arches and towering bronze statue.
And we’ve got one of the best views in town: from the upper deck of an open-roofed London bus.
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The Original’s London Kids Bus Tour may be aimed at youngsters, but there are enough juicy facts in there to keep adults hooked on their guide’s every word as they tour the capital’s most recognisable landmarks.
And right now Sun readers can save 25% on children’s tickets by clicking here, with ages two and under going free.
In just under an hour, my niece and I had ticked off Big Ben, Downing Street, the London Eye, and of course the residence of King Charles.
His Majesty wasn’t at home, though. “You can tell from the flag’s position,” our guide explains. “If it’s flying high, he’s in the building.”
That’s one fact I did know.
We also learned the stories behind the four grand lion statues in Trafalgar square and how Nelson’s Column was built to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar, hundreds of years ago.
Facts were cleverly sandwiched between fun sightseeing tasks for kids, like spotting the golden pineapples on top of Lambeth Bridge.
Kids had to use their noggins, too, to answer age-appropriate quiz questions such as: “What’s the name of that big clock over there?”
Tours tick off Big Ben, Downing Street, the London Eye and Buckingham Palace
Claim 25% off children’s tickets for the The Original London Kids Tour
I’ll give you one guess as to where our guide was pointing.
And just as we were gazing up at the mighty Big Ben he roared into action, bellowing his tuneful chime.
That’s the other brilliant thing about these tours, each one is perfectly-timed to include key moments like this.
On top of Big Ben’s gong, we heard the merry jingle from Fortnum & Mason’s grand clock on Piccadilly and watched from a distance as visitors piled into pods on the mighty London Eye.
“That is SO high,” my niece squealed, pointing excitedly at the big wheel.
This monument is actually taller than Big Ben, our guide highlights. Those trivia facts just keep on coming.
When we clamber off after an exhilarating hour, a free activity booklet will keep kids faces from going sour.
It’s loaded with mini tasks like spot the difference, word searches and dot-to-dots, all leaning on their new-found knowledge of the capital.
Sun readers can bag 25% off children’s tickets plus seven extra freebies for The Original London Kids TourCredit: The Original Tour
Something to keep them busy while parents grab a coffee.
I can’t think of a better way to see the sights, either, than from the comfort of a classic red double-decker (don’t panic, the upper deck is partially roofed for when the weather takes a turn).
There’s plenty of space on board, too.
We were visiting on a maximum-capacity day and there were still lots of free seats scattered around.
At £24pp it’s cracking value, too. And now you can bag yourself an even bigger discount, with 25% off children’s tickets.
The Times’ top 10 high school flag football rankings:
1. JSerra (9-0) The Lions are 37-0 since the start of last season and all but four of the wins during their streak have been by 10 points or more. Next: Wednesday at Corona Santiago.
2. Newport Harbor (8-1) Scarlett Guyser threw for three touchdowns, ran for another and intercepted a pass in the Sunset League opener versus Edison. Next: Monday at Marina.
3. Orange Lutheran (7-1) Wide receivers Josie Anderson, Ava Harrison and Summer Mele have combined for 96 catches, 892 yards and 13 touchdowns. Next: Monday at Woodbridge.
4. Sierra Canyon (5-2) Makena Cook threw seven touchdown passes in the Trailblazers’ 53-0 win over Bishop Alemany in their Mission League opener. Next: Monday at Flintridge Sacred Heart.
5. Corona del Mar (8-1) Addi Stern threw for two touchdowns and had three sacks, seven deflections and an interception in upset of Huntington Beach. Next: Monday vs. Los Alamitos.
6. Huntington Beach (4-2) Four receivers have 25 or more catches for the Oilers. Roxie Shaia threw for four touchdowns in 20-18 loss to Corona del Mar. Next: Monday at Fountain Valley.
7. Dos Pueblos (8-2) The Chargers capped a 4-0 week with a 58-0 rout of Fillmore and an 18-6 win versus Scripps Ranch at Saturday’s Ventura Showcase. Next: Tuesday at Santa Barbara.
8. Westlake (7-3) Star receiver Olivia Elsokary and the Warriors rebounded from a 21-19 defeat to Dos Pueblos with a 26-13 victory over Oxnard. Next: Thursday vs. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
9. Lakewood St. Joseph (7-0) The Jesters outscored their last three opponents (Mira Costa, Redondo Union and Atherton Sacred Heart Prep) by a margin of 80-12. Next: Tuesday at Beckman.
10. Oxnard (6-4) Ryanna Harris has rushed for 575 yards and eight touchdowns in 80 carries and has six interceptions and 40 flag pulls. Next: Tuesday at Buena.
Teenager struggled in Barca’s La Liga start at Elche but improves against Athletic Bilbao, according to Hansi Flick.
Published On 30 Aug 202630 Aug 2026
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has indicated that teenage star Lamine Yamal is finding his way back to his “top level” before Monday’s La Liga clash against Rayo Vallecano.
The 19-year-old struggled in Barca’s first match of the season at Elche but improved against Athletic Bilbao in the second, Flick said, although he did not find the net.
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“I know everyone is worried about how is Lamine, how is he doing. And of course, look at his situation – he played a World Cup after a huge injury,” Flick told reporters on Sunday.
Flick said the Spanish World Cup winner is returning to his best, which Yamal has not hit since suffering a hamstring injury in April.
The winger returned at the World Cup but, despite Spain’s success, had limited individual impact at the tournament.
“Now he’s coming back after three weeks holiday, and also the first game maybe was not his best game.
“But I said this, I was very happy that he starts the game and he worked for the team.”
Yamal disappointed in the first half against Athletic on Thursday but stepped up a gear after the break.
“He played 90 minutes against Bilbao. And for him at the moment, it’s also good to [have] 90 minutes on the pitch,” Flick continued.
“We saw him in some situations really on this top level. And now, you couldn’t see this in the training today, but I saw it, and it was excellent.
“Everyone loves Lamine, and he’s in a good way. And we have to support him, and we do that.”
Yamal seemed in a bad mood after the game against Elche but happier in training before the Rayo clash.
“Of course, it’s always good when the players are smiling, but it’s not every day the same way,” Flick added.
“I’m also not smiling every day. It’s like that.”
Barca won both of their opening fixtures with Raphinha playing as a makeshift number nine after the champions were unable to land top target Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid.
“Of course, I’m happy with my team. [Sporting director] Deco is working on that to strengthen the team. We don’t have pressure,” Flick said, reiterating he is content with the players available to him if Barca don’t sign a new striker.
Foreign, defence ministers and military chiefs from three countries to meet for first time since signing Mecca pact.
By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and Reuters
Published On 30 Aug 202630 Aug 2026
Top officials from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan will gather in Istanbul on Monday for their first meeting since signing the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement earlier this month.
Turkish officials said on Sunday that the meeting will be attended by foreign ministers, defence ministers, and chiefs of staff from the three nations.
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According to AFP, the Istanbul meeting will formally establish a “political and defence strategic committee” comprised of such national representatives.
Turkish Foreign Ministry sources, quoted by Reuters news agency, said the agenda will cover international security issues, as well as discussions on improving military cooperation and capabilities.
The Mecca agreement forms a collective security pact similar to NATO, under which an attack on one member could be considered an attack on all. The alliance was established following the United States-Israel war on Iran.
Turkiye possesses the second-largest military in NATO, Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed Muslim country, and Saudi Arabia is the world’s leading oil exporter.
In an August interview with Al Jazeera, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Egypt could potentially join the pact.
Bangladesh has also stated it is actively considering joining the agreement. The potential expansion is being closely monitored by India, whose Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, told reporters that New Delhi would take all necessary steps to safeguard its national security.
AFTER months of extreme heat, there is rain on the horizon, so where should you spend a bank holiday weekend when it’s a washout?
To keep the family entertained we’ve put together the UK’s best indoor waterparks with tropical temperatures, high-energy waterslides and family-friendly pirate ships.
There are huge indoor waterparks around the UK – like Sandcastle in BlackpoolCredit: Sandcastle Waterpark Blackpool / Facebook Coral Reef has a huge pirate ship and tipping bucketsCredit: everyoneactive
Waterworld, Stoke-on-Trent
Waterworld describes itself as the “number one indoor tropical aqua park” with over 30 rides and attractions.
The waterpark is home to a wave pool and rapids as well as the Thunderbolt ride, which is the UK’s first trap door drop waterslide and riders travel at 25mph.
One of the newest rides, Hurricane, descends at 17mph with lightning effects inside the tunnels.
There are also dedicated water attractions for younger children like the interactive Jungle House and Toddler Boat slide.
For anyone looking for a moment to catch their breath, take a break in one of the waterparks’ bubble pools.
Waterworld has over 30 rides and attractions including rapids and a trap door waterslideCredit: Waterworld
Waterworld also has a mini adventure golf course as well as a restaurant and cafe serving up pizza, burgers, salads and drinks.
At reception is a brand new dessert bar where post-swim you can pick up a milkshake or one of the 22 different flavours of ice cream.
Tickets for adults and children start from £17.70, children under three-years-old start from £6.10.
Coral Reef Waterworld, Bracknell
This indoor waterpark is one of England’s biggest, so it’s perfect for a family outing on a rainy day.
It has tropical temperatures of 30C along with a giant pirate ship and erupting water volcano, rapid river, bubble pool and children’s splash zone.
Coral Reef Waterworld has tropical temperatures of up to 30CCredit: everyoneactive
The pirate-themed splash area is centered around a huge ship called The Coralina – it also has water cannons and interactive water features.
There are five high-tech waterslides with an option for everyone from Aquaplash which is suitable for smaller children.
The biggest waterslide is The Cannon, which launches riders down a 67 metre-long chute like a cannonball.
Poseidon’s Peril is another popular ride where two people are attached to an inflatable raft as it rotates and swirls through a tunnel with colour-changing lights.
If you’re after relaxation, then the CoralSpa is the place to be with heated loungers, three saunas, a cool pool and a Japanese steam room.
Adult tickets cost £20.55, children 5-16 cost £14.55 those aged children between 0-4 cost £1.95. Book tickets ahead online.
Splashdown Waterpark, Poole
If adrenaline-filled waterslide fun is what you’re after, then head to Splashdown Waterpark.
This action-packed waterpark has 13 indoor and outdoor flumes that visitors can use whether it’s rain or shine.
The Splashdown Waterpack has 13 flumes that can be used in all weatherCredit: TripAdvisor
If you’re a daredevil, then check out The Screamer. The ride plummets a near-vertical 40-meter drop in under five seconds.
Or there’s Black Thunder which is a waterslide that’s completely in the dark. The Infinity waterslide plays music and has a flashing laser show too.
It’s not all about the big rides though, there’s plenty to do for the little ones with the interactive water cannons at Buccaneer Splash.
Admission for three hours costs £23 per person, £9 for 1-4-year-olds and £6 for children under 1. (Child tickets include entry for a companion adult.)
The enormous pool has a wave machine which churns out more than 20 million litres of water per day – the rolling waves get bigger the further out you go.
The Wave has a wave machine, lazy river and waterslidesCredit: TripAdvisor
When you want to relax, ditch the waves and bob along the lazy river.
There are six waterslides including The Riptide which is a half-pipe slide that blasts riders in a rubber ring down a near-90-degree drop.
The Cyclone spins swimmers around a giant open bowl, and The Rapids which is a ‘water-coaster’ hurl riders uphill before dropping them down through tight corners and tunnels.
For younger children, The Reef is its splash pad which has its own miniature slides, tipping buckets, jets and water fountains.
The Mana Spa has you a quieter spa pool, an aromatherapy room, sauna and steam room.
Tickets cost £15 per adult, £13 for children 11 and under and under ones go free.
Inside the tropical waterpark are 18 slides and plenty of them are white-knuckle rides.
Sandcastle Waterpark in Blackpool is home to the UK’s longest water rollercoasterCredit: Sandcastle Waterpark Blackpool
One of the most popular rides is The Master Blaster which is the UK’s longest water rollercoaster.
Another is Sidewinder which is the world’s first indoor half-pipe waterslide, then there’s Aztec Falls which plunges riders into darkness before spinning them around a giant bowl.
The Caribbean Storm Treehouse is a spot for the kids – it’s a giant climbing frame topped with a huge coconut that drops 600 gallons of water on swimmers below every few minutes.
Little ones can also use the multi-lane Treetops Water Chutes and the interactive HMS Thunder Splash pirate ship.
While there’s lots of action, the Sandcastle Waterpark also has a place for relaxation – the adult-only Sea Breeze Spa which has saunas, steam rooms, foot baths and aromatherapy lounge.
For anyone wanting to push the boat out, the park offers premium Tiki Cabanas for adults with its own TV and private hot tub with a fridge stocked with soft drinks – VIP packages start from £60pp.
Tickets to the waterpark start from £23.31 for ages 8+ and £13.96 for kids aged 3-7, with under 3s going free.
Calypso Cove, Barnsley
Found inside the Barnsley Metrodome, Calypso Cove is the ultimate pirate-themed indoor waterpark.
The tropical island paradise feels like one too as it’s heated to 30C and there are some high-energy water rides here like Terror Torrent, one of the UK’s fastest indoor water flumes.
Calypso Cove has a huge pirate ship and plenty of water flumesCredit: Tripadvisor
There’s also The Eruption, a volcano-themed ride that spins you around a large bowl before dropping you out at the bottom.
The Kraken is a family-friendly flume where riders can choose their own music before sliding down the slide.
Families with younger kids can climb onto the decks of the Sunken Galleon ship play area.
Parents with babies and toddlers can enjoy the shallow waters and water fountains at Barnacle Bay.
For a bite to eat, head to The Hideout poolside cafe which serves up quick dishes like burgers and chips.
Adult tickets cost £13, under 10s tickets cost £11 and under 3s tickets cost £4. All tickets must be booked in advance online.
The season of Honey Deuce cocktails at Flushing Meadows is upon us as the 2026 US Open main draw gets under way in New York this Sunday.
This year’s fourth and final Grand Slam will feature some of the biggest names in tennis and breakout players on the up and up, although there will also be some notable injured absentees.
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The mixed doubles title has already been claimed by Czech pair Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik on Wednesday night after defeating Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic and Italy’s Flavio Cobolli.
Here’s everything you need to know about the US Open main draw:
Where and when is the US Open?
All the main draw action from August 30 until September 13 is at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, just outside New York City.
The men’s and women’s quarterfinals begin on September 8 , followed by:
Women’s singles semifinals: September 10
Men’s singles semifinals: September 11
Women’s final: September 12
Men’s final: September 13
Who are the top seeds?
Women’s singles:
Aryna Sabalenka
Elina Rybakina
Jessica Pegula
Coco Gauff
Mirra Andreeva
Karolina Muchova
Linda Noskova
Iga Swiatek
Amanda Anisimova
Elina Svitolina
Men’s singles:
Alexander Zverev
Carlos Alcaraz
Felix Auger-Aliassime
Alex de Minaur
Ben Shelton
Novak Djokovic
Daniil Medvedev
Flavio Cobolli
Taylor Fritz
Alexander Bublik
Jakub Mensik and Karolina Muchova celebrate their mixed doubles win [Frank Franklin II/AP Photo]
What are some major storylines?
Top-ranked Jannik Sinner withdraws: The World number one said he was “very sad and disappointed” to withdraw from after being unable to recover from a right knee injury that has sidelined him since winning the Wimbledon title. The Italian pulled out of hard-court tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati that serve as a warm-up for the US Open.
Carlos Alcaraz back in action: The Spaniard will look to defend his title after a four-month hiatus from tennis due to a wrist injury, but Sinner’s absence means the crowd will not see the beloved “Sincaraz” rivalry this time.
Serena Williams, Alcaraz pair up for iconic mixed doubles duo: Two generational greats teamed up for this year’s mixed doubles, although their star power faded as they fell to Cobolli and Bencic in the quarterfinal.
Serena and Venus Williams receive doubles wildcard: The 23-time Grand Slam champion received a women’s doubles wildcard alongside older sister Venus. They have played together at the US Open nine times, winning in 1999 and 2009. Venus also received a wildcard for the women’s singles.
2016 champion Stan Wawrinka handed last-minute wildcard: The former world number three was left off the initial list of wildcard entries in his farewell season, but was handed the entry on Wednesday after several days of outcry from fans over his exclusion.
Teen sensation Moise Kouame makes US Open debut: The 17-year-old made history at this year’s French Open when he became the youngest male Grand Slam winner in 17 years. However, the Frenchman’s US Open debut ended in the qualifying round after defeat to Nishesh Basavareddy of the US.
Novak Djokovic continues pursuit of elusive 25th slam: The world number five Djokovic has been in relentless pursuit of a record 25th Slam title since winning his 24th at the US Open in 2023. The Serbian’s ambition has repeatedly been tested by age as the 39-year-old struggled with stifling humidity at this month’s Cincinnati Open. Still, he reached the Australian Open final this year as well as the Wimbledon semifinal.
His brief on-court appearance in New York this week was for primetime exhibition matches ahead of a trip to Newport, Rhode Island to be enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday.
He’s back – The Roger Federer: An Icon Returns to New York’ exhibition match during US Open Fan Week at Arthur Ashe Stadium [Sarah Yenesel/EPA]
Who’s likely to lift the trophy?
With Sinner out of contention, Alcaraz has a clear shot at his title defence for a third US Open win.
Wimbledon champion and top seed Alexander Zverev will also be looking to carry momentum from his maiden Slam win in June, although the German was knocked out in the fourth round at last week’s Cincinnati Open.
Arthur Fils, seeded 23rd, could be a surprise contender in the final four after the Frenchman defeated American Frances Tiafoe to clinch his maiden Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati last week.
Alcaraz will be chasing a third US Open title after defeating Sinner in the final last year [Sarah Stier/AFP]
Over on the women’s side, Gauff will look to defeat top-ranked Sabalenka for a repeat of her maiden US Open title in 2023, although the Belarusian will be eyeing a third consecutive win in New York.
World number two Rybakina is hot on Sabalenka’s heels for the top spot with 8,141 points to Sabalenka’s 8,575.
At 32, Jessica Pegula is the oldest top 10 player, but has been a finalist and semifinalist in the past two years and will look to continue that on home soil this year too.
Russian teenager Andreeva bagged her maiden Slam title at the French Open this summer and sits at a career-high world number five, although a fourth round appearance in New York will be her deepest at the US Open.
Alex Eala of the Philippines will be a force to watch after the 21-year-old found her breakthrough with a maiden WTA title this month at the Washington Open.
She received a wildcard for the US Open mixed doubles with Auger-Aliassime, although the duo fell in the first round to husband-and-wife duo of Gael Monfils and Svitolina.
Eala will headline the Stars of the Open exhibition event at Arthur Ashe on Thursday alongside young players Joao Fonseca, Iva Jovic and Learner Tien.
Eala received a wildcard for the US Open mixed doubles with Felix Auger-Aliassime, although the duo fell in the first round to husband-and-wife duo of Gael Monfils and Svitolina [Geoff Burke/Imagn Images]
What’s the prize money this year?
A record $108m prize pot is up for grabs this time:
Singles
Winner: $5.5m Finalist: $2.8m Semi-finalist: $1.45m Quarter-finalist: $780,000 Round of 16: $480,000 Round of 32: $290,000 Round of 64: $190,000 Round of 128: $140,000 Qualifying Round of 32: $66,000 Qualifying Round of 64: $48,000 Qualifying Round of 128: $32,000
Doubles ($ per pair)
Winner: $1m Finalist: $500,000 Semi-finalist: $250,000 Quarter-finalist: $125,000 Round of 16: $75,000 Round of 32: $45,000 Round of 64: $30,000
Who are some notable absences this year?
Alongside Sinner, Brazil’s Fonseca (ATP 26th ranking) and Briton Jack Draper (ATP 141st ranking) will be absent from the men’s side.
Emma Raducanu of Britain, world number 15 Victoria Mboko of Canada and Hailey Baptiste of the US, ranked 34rd, are other big names who won’t be in action.
Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet told BBC Radio Manchester:
“It was a fitting occasion for Billy with everything the club did and the atmosphere in the ground.
“I thought the performance was befitting.
“The fans and the people in the crowd who’ve had a sad week, we have a responsibility.”
Hull KR head coach Willie Peters told BBC Radio Humberside:
“I’m really proud of the performance. We had a young side tonight and we didn’t stop fighting until the end. We played against a good team, who were extremely disciplined and give you nothing.
“The inexperience we had in this team tonight, the main thing is that we said we need to fight for everything. We gave them a few things but they did the badge proud.
“I’ve always said players have to earn the jersey, it’s not given to them. It was different circumstances tonight and there were probably three players who could have played but they’ve played a lot of rugby league.”
Kate Winslet and Maxine Peake staring in Netflix drama in one of many new shows.
Kate Winslet will be alongside Maxine Peake in a five part drama.(Image: Getty Images)
Kate Winslet will team up with Maxine Peake to play two sisters on the run in new Netflix drama The Unheard.
The five part series was announced at the Edinburgh TV Festival and has been written by Jack Thorne who co-wrote the critically acclaimed Adolescence for Netflix.
Teasing the series Anne Mensah VP of content UK on Netflix said: “Maxim Peake and Kate Winslet are coming to join us in The Unheard. It is the best script with the best talent, we couldn’t be more happy about it.”
The two sisters, played by Winslet and Peake, go on the run “after an act of vengeance goes wrong”.
Netflix bosses have also signed up Gary Lineker and Richard Osman to be involved in live darts show Beat Luke Littler.
Lineker will host with Osman helping with stats as World Champion Littler takes on 20 top amateurs. If anyone can beat him over a leg they will take home £501,000.
In 2027, there will also be two stand alone series from the world of hit drama Top Boy which ended in 2023. Barry Keoghan is reprising his role as Jonny in five part series ‘Jonny Boy’. And ‘Jaq’ will be a new series centered on the character of Jaq with Jasmine Jobson set to return.
Jig, is a new six part mockumentary comedy series from Derry Girls Creator Lisa McGee. It is set in the high-stakes world of competitive Irish dancing, will shoot in Northern Ireland next year.
Netflix will also go into the world of Roald Dahl with a new series based on the author’s short stories for adults. The cast for the untitled drama includes ‘Bridgerton’ star Nicola Coughlan, ‘The Crown’s Imelda Staunton, and ‘The Wire’ actor Dominic West with filming beginning in Manchester this month.
Writer Danny Brocklehurst said: “The short stories of Roald Dahl were what first made me want to become a writer. His enthralling, macabre and always unexpected tales gave life to vibrant, larger than life characters like The Landlady, Mister Boggis and the mysterious Fingersmith. To be given the chance to bring these characters to life in a contemporary setting is a dream come true. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be partnering with Orchid Pictures, Netflix and this outstanding cast.”
And Bella Mackie’s bestselling novel How To Kill Your Family is being made into a Netflix series with a cast which includes Clive Owen, Orlando Norman and Anya Taylor Joy.
Mensah added: “In the amazingly competitive UK landscape, it’s not good enough to be just ok. You need to swing for exceptional.
“Across drama, comedy, entertainment, live and factual programming, our slate underscores the risks we are happy to take and the extraordinary UK creativity we are proud to champion. Bring on 2027, we can’t wait.”
She would not be drawn on the Duchess of Sussex appearing in The Gentlemen series three, saying: “Everybody has talked about it, I am boring by comparison.”
Pushed on Megan’s possible appearance, Manda Levin, director of scripted series added: “All bets are off.”
A top Iranian official says Iran and Oman have agreed on a new temporary route for shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, but insisted that the waterway will not reopen until the United States fulfils its commitments under an interim peace deal signed in June.
The remarks by Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, came on Tuesday, after Iran and Oman’s top diplomats held talks in Tehran to finalise the details of a phased framework for managing the strait.
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Iran and Oman, both coastal nations on the strait, have been in on-and-off talks for weeks about controlling traffic through the strategic waterway, which handled one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the US-Israel war on Tehran began in February.
Most shipping in the strait has been shut down since then.
Gharibabadi, speaking on state television, said Iran and Oman had agreed the new route’s entry “would be through our territorial waters, and part of the exit route would also be through our territorial waters”.
The transit corridor would be seven miles (11.3km) wide, he said.
“The agreed-upon transit route with Oman is a temporary route,” he added.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi, in Tehran to discuss the temporary navigation corridor as well as a project to clear mines from the strait, according to a joint statement.
Albusaidi said on X he hoped the countries would “soon announce” the corridor, adding that “future management of the strait and a permanent solution will follow in due course.”
Technical talks are planned to develop a long-term arrangement, including mechanisms for information sharing and navigational and security services, according to the statement.
Mines in Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz became a flashpoint after Tehran responded to the US-Israel war by closing the waterway. It then announced a new shipping route through its territorial waters, bypassing the internationally recognised Traffic Separation Scheme adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 1968. Tehran said that route had been mined.
Then in June, when Iran and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to end the war, Oman and the IMO announced a new transit corridor in the Strait of Hormuz – backed by the US – that hugged the Omani coast.
Iran said the so-called southern route violated the MoU and launched attacks on ships using the corridor, resulting in the collapse of the interim deal.
Diplomatic efforts towards a broader peace deal have since stalled, and passage through the strait remains dangerous. An oil tanker was disabled by an unidentified projectile on Tuesday near Oman’s Ash Shishah, close to the strait’s entrance, the United Kingdom’s maritime trade watchdog said.
Gharibabadi, in his comments on Tuesday, said Iran would not consider the strait open despite the agreement with Oman.
He also dismissed a claim by US President Donald Trump that all mines had been cleared from the strait’s international waters, saying it was “only aimed at calming the markets”. He warned that US mine-detection vessels would become “very good targets” if they entered the area.
Gharibabadi insisted the US must fulfil its commitments under the MoU – including sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian assets – if it wants a return to the diplomatic track.
He also urged countries to resist US pressure over sanctions on Iran.
Trump had announced last week the “most crushing economic operation ever” against Iran, and threatened sanctions against any country that does business with it.
“We are urging countries not to succumb to American pressure regarding the sanctions that Washington wants to impose on us,” Gharibabadi said, adding that Washington was “mistaken about its ability to enforce its sanctions against our neighbours”.
He said an earlier US sanctions campaign under Trump had failed to achieve its goals and predicted new measures would meet the same fate.
“The new American sanctions are doomed to failure, and we have our own methods to counter them,” he added.
It’s likely there will be cancellations and timetable changes across the entire country’s network during this time.
But due to Italian law, there has to be some guaranteed service during the strike, so some trains will be running during this period.
Later on in September, there will be strikes at airports in both Pisa and Florence.
On September 13, ground staff at Pisa and Florence airports will strike between 11am and 3pm.
Private security staff at Fiumicino, Turin and Malpensa airports will also walkout during these times.
The most disruption is likely on September 30 when there will be a four hour national strike by Italy’s national air traffic provider ENAV and a company called Techno Sky which looks after airport maintenance.
Travellers should look in advance during the strikes for scheduled servicesCredit: Alamy
Staff look to strike during the afternoon which could see delays and cancellations at airports across Italy, although airlines are yet to confirm which flights will be affected.
Throughout September, there will also be frequent strikes on local public transport in the cities of Genoa, Venice, Vicenza, Trento, Bergamo and Perugia.
September 15 is set to be particularly disrupted with public transport staff striking in popular cities like Florence, Naples, Venice and Pisa.
On September 26, there will be a 24-hour general strike which will affect rail, ferry and bus services across the country.
It’s advised to check which services are still running before heading off as it may impact travel plans.
Under EU rules, passengers whose train or flight is cancelled because of strike action are entitled to a full refund or rerouting on an alternative service at no extra cost.
