Many people think about compact laminates negatively, but this kind of worktop material has been improved greatly, and now it looks better than ever. Compact laminate looks very much like wood, stone or concrete and comes in a wide variety of patterns. Also, this material is lightweight, easy to install, and resistant to daily activities.
We all love butterflies – but what about moths?
Anyone who thinks they’ll only see a moth if they switch on an outdoor light in the evening is much mistaken, because hundreds of moths fly during the day, says Rebecca Levey, senior ecologist at Butterfly Conservation.
There are around 2,500 species of moths in the UK, with more establishing every decade after migration from continental Europe, the charity says. This is compared with 60 butterfly species.
“They support a lot of the other wildlife that we see in our gardens as part of the food chain. Caterpillars are the natural foods that a lot of birds like blue tits choose when they’re raising their young and they need hundreds of caterpillars to raise their chicks successfully,” says Levey.
“Some 10% of moths in the UK are day-flying – that’s 250 species of moths, and you can walk through a grassland and they’ll be disturbed and just flutter up. A lot of moths are pollinating just the same as butterflies.”
Their natural predators include bats, birds and even frogs.
You can often tell a moth from a butterfly by its antennae, she continues. Butterflies have a thick club-shaped antennae, whereas moth antennae will be quite feathery with little projections coming off them. They won’t be thick at the tip.
So which moths might we see through Big Butterfly Count, which runs to August 9, and throughout the summer, in our garden?
1. Hummingbird hawk-moth
This large moth, which looks a bit like a hummingbird in flight, used to be a migratory species in the UK, flying across the Channel when Europe was having a heatwave and they’d run out of nectar there. They’d fly north and come to feed in British gardens, she explains.
“It’s just about warm enough here now that they are surviving our winters and breeding here, too. ” You can even find them in Scotland.
2. Jersey tiger moth
“As its name suggests, the first time we had it in the UK, it came to the island of Jersey, but it’s now spread and potentially, because the climate is warming, a population was found on the south-west coast, then in London and now its spreading out from there.”
The Jersey tiger moth has bright red underwings that flash when they fly. It feeds on nectar from many plants, includes scabious, buddleia and hemp-agrimony, which bears pink flowers and is found in damp grassland, marshes and bordering ponds.
3. Six-spot burnet
This common moth, which frequents flowery grasslands, has six red spots on each forewing, although in some cases the outermost spots can be fused. It tends to go for purple and pink flowers and loves knapweeds, thistles, scabious, valerian, clover and wild thyme. Its caterpillars feed primarily on bird’s-foot-trefoil.
4. Mint moth
This smaller species loves mint and if you have catmint or other types of mint you may well see one in your garden, she says.
Are moths more timid than butterflies?
“It completely depends on the species,” say Levey. “The ones coming into gardens are probably some of the more confident ones that are looking for a really good nectar source, which they often find in gardens, especially in a year like this one, where a lot of their other habitats are looking quite dry.
“In a garden that’s receiving quite a bit more water, your plants are going to be providing more nectar potentially than some of the native plants in the surrounding areas.”
You’re more likely to see day-flying moths in the sunshine. It it’s cloudy or rainy, they may be hidden in a hedge or bush.
Where will you find moth caterpillars?
“Pretty much every native tree species in the UK will have moth caterpillars that will only feed on that specific native tree,” Levey explains. “The best thing someone can do, when they’re considering planting a small tree in their garden, is to make it a native tree, then you’ll be supporting native caterpillars of moths.”
If you have mullein in your garden, you’re more likely to see the bright yellow and black spotted mullein caterpillar on it than the mullein moth.
To encourage hummingbird hawk-moth caterpillars into your garden, consider planting something in the bedstraw family, such as lady’s bedstraw, a scrambling, carpeting perennial with small yellow flowers and a scent which smells of hay when dried. Its vigorous growth, though, can make it a bit of a garden thug if it isn’t kept in check.
Red campion, which has pretty pink flowers suited to a more shady area, is also a magnet for moth caterpillars, which feed on its seeds.
Night-flying moths are likely to be attracted to plants which have a night scent and to plants which are a pale white or yellow, which are more noticeable at night, including flowering jasmine, night-scented stock and evening primrose.
Avoid sharp UV light
“Most moths will be attracted to lights that are slightly blue or purplish on the UV spectrum, which can be more distracting to them and put them off laying their eggs nearby. If the light is a warm orangey colour, that’s not as attractive to them,” she says.
Jessica Lewis, 25, was diagnosed with endometriosis two years ago. She first started experiencing symptoms when she was 14 years old.
“It is just excruciating. There have been times that I have literally collapsed on my way home from work because I am in agony,” Lewis, from Broadstairs, said.
“It affects every single thing I do day to day, the plans I make.
“It is just really sad because I feel like a lot of the things I used to really look forward to I would now dread.”
She says according to her NHS notes she went to the doctor 22 times before eventually getting her diagnosis following surgery in 2024.
“I would love for there to be actual change within the NHS in terms of how medical professionals are trained. I would love to see more funding for it,” she added.
Hansen wants a local wellbeing hub to include a safe space for sharing experiences as well as a fitness centre.
Like Lewis, she also wants to see more funding going to the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.
She is supported by her local MP for Chatham and Aylesford, Tristan Osborne.
“We have wellbeing hubs already – I think having one dedicated to women’s and girls’ issues is not only sensible, it is also appropriate,” Osbourne said.
He added that he would be working with Medway and with Tonbridge and Malling councils to try and get similar provision there.
President Trump said on Sunday that the Boeing luxury jet donated by Qatar that he recently took overseas would soon be “maxed out,” suggesting it could get additional defensive capabilities to match the standards of the older jets used for presidential travel.
The president commented after returning to Washington from New Jersey aboard the jet, a Boeing 747-800 that was given as a gift — and which Mr. Trump has said he plans to take with him for his presidential library when he leaves office.
A reporter traveling with the small group of reporters in the presidential motorcade pointed to the Qatari jet’s fuselage and said: “Mr. President, this plane does not have antimissile defense systems on it. Why are you flying it?”
Mr. Trump replied, “Well, it has — it has a lot, and you know it has a lot of capability, but as I understand it, in about a month or so, they’re going to send it to have it be maxed out. So they’re going to be sending it, and they’ll have it be maxed out.
“It’ll take about a month,” he said.
It was not clear what specific upgrades Mr. Trump was referring to, or whether the time frame he gave of a month until it is ready was realistic. A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to an email seeking additional clarification of what Mr. Trump was referring to by “maxed out” and about the time frame he mentioned.
Nonetheless, it appeared to be an admission from the president that the plane’s security measures are not as extensive as the models that have been designed to be built from the ground up to serve as Air Force One.
The New York Times reported earlier this month that the new jet, which he flew to Turkey, lacks the same defensive countermeasures as the older model, including antimissile capabilities. The coverage prompted a leak investigation that included the highly unusual step of the F.B.I., just 24 hours after the story appeared, hand-delivering subpoenas to Times reporters to testify before a federal grand jury.
The Qatari-donated jet, a roughly 14-year-old plane, went through a costly yet relatively rushed process to make it safe to serve as Air Force One, the military call sign for whatever plane the president is flying.
The models that are built by Boeing for use by a U.S. president are intended to be a flying Oval Office, with antimissile defenses and a hardening of the plane’s wiring to protect it from an electromagnetic pulse in case there is a nuclear strike. The planes can also refuel in midair and contain a medical suite that can treat the president.
Mr. Trump flew the plane to Turkey for the NATO summit almost two weeks ago.
But he announced he was taking one of the older jets — which he has repeatedly criticized as too dated and stiff in its appointments — when he flew out of Turkey. The Times reported that the Secret Service had advised him to take the older plane.
The Times then reported that the donated aircraft, which administration officials describe as a “bridge” plane until the long-delayed two brand-new jets that the government has commissioned from Boeing arrive, is lacking some of the most sophisticated systems that the older Air Force One planes have.
The White House directed the F.B.I. director to oversee an investigation into how The Times obtained the information. That resulted in the subpoenas being served to several reporters involved in the coverage, with federal agents showing up at their homes to hand-deliver them, as opposed to sending the subpoenas to the newspaper’s lawyers.
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Jennifer Lopez revealed what she finds sexiest in a man.
The singer and actress shared her thoughts on it during her performance at the Dolce & Gabbana show in Taormina, Sicily on Thursday.
“But you know what really makes a man attractive? It’s not the watch. It’s not the car. It’s not the private jet. It really isn’t, although that’s nice,” the 56-year-old star began.
“It’s nice. It’s seeing them make the bed in the morning or wash the dishes for you when you’re tired at night. That’s what’s sexy. Now that’s what I call sexy,” she continued.
TIM ALLEN REVEALS THE ONE THING THAT HAS SAVED HIS NEARLY 20-YEAR MARRIAGE TO JANE HAJDUK
Jennifer Lopez revealed what she finds sexiest in a man. (John Nacion/WireImage)
“Cause ladies, you know, we do all the things. We do all the things,” Lopez concluded.
According to People magazine, the audience laughed and applauded her.
Lopez performed a number of her songs, including “Love Don’t Cost a Thing,” “Waiting For Tonight,” “Let’s Get Loud,” “Ain’t Your Mama,” and “Save Me Tonight.”
The mother of two wore a sparkling bodysuit for her performance.
Prior to speaking about what she finds sexiest in men, Lopez had a playful exchange with one of her backup dancers, per People.
J-Lo also had a playful exchange with her backup dancer. (Ricardo Rubio/Europa Press via Getty Images)
JENNIFER ANISTON SUPPORTS JUSTIN THEROUX BABY NEWS AS A-LISTERS TURN BREAK-UPS INTO FRIENDSHIPS
“Fix my hair okay. Fix my hair. But the rest of you, get out of here. You’re broke. I don’t need you. I don’t need your money. I don’t need your gifts. That’s right,” she told him.
She then added: “You know, people look at me, they look at me for years, and they think I’m expensive. You see my sparkly cup. And I am, I am expensive. You see my sparkly cup. And I am, I am expensive,” she said with a laugh.
“I am, but I have my own money. Ladies, am I right? We don’t need anybody to buy us anything. We don’t. We want them to, sometimes that’s nice.”
Recently, Lopez opened up about why her most recent divorce ended up being “the best thing” for her.
During an interview on SiriusXM’s “Howard Stern Show,” the star discussed her 2024 divorce from Ben Affleck, detailing what she learned from the split.
“When I got divorced this last time, it was the best thing that ever happened to me,” she explained. “Because it really made me journey into — I mean, I had a religious coach. I had a therapist, a couple’s therapist, an individual therapist. I had a coach to understand addiction. I had everything. I was like, ‘I’m gonna f—in’ figure this s— out if it kills me.'”
The “Hustlers” star has been married four times, including to Marc Anthony from 2004 to 2014, and to Affleck from 2022 to 2024.
“What I learned, it’s not that I’m not lovable — it’s that they’re not capable… They don’t have it in them,” she explained, adding, “And they gave me what they had. They gave me all of it, every time. All the rings, all the things I could ever want. The houses, the rings, the marriage. All of it. But.…”
J-Lo performed in Italy at the Dolce & Gabbana show. (Mariano Regidor)
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After working through her divorce, Lopez noted she is “able to sit here in a much more self-assured, self-aware way” and reflect on everything that has happened in her life.
“Whether my mother, my father, in my own life, how I learned to love, how I felt neglected — all the things that are in your head as a person — and know who I am and just really appreciate that person,” she said. “[I] feel really comfortable and good in being myself, all the good parts and all the kind of complicated things.”
As Africa’s economies expand and become more technologically advanced, governments face a growing challenge: protecting the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) materials used in healthcare, industry, research and mining from theft, diversion or misuse.
For decades, security discussions on the continent focused largely on armed groups, “terrorism” and conflict. But as healthcare systems expand, mining grows and trade accelerates, governments are managing increasing quantities of sensitive CBRN materials essential to development.
Their growing use is driving demand for stronger regulation, oversight and enforcement.
CBRN security covers radioactive sources used in cancer treatment, chemicals used in manufacturing and mining, biological materials handled in laboratories, and technologies with both civilian and security applications.
Most materials are used safely every day, but weak regulation, inadequate oversight or theft can allow them to be diverted for criminal or malicious purposes.
“The same materials that strengthen healthcare, scientific research, mining and industry can also become security risks if poorly managed,” Mubarak Aliyu, a Nigeria-based political and security risk analyst, told Al Jazeera. “The challenge is not to restrict development, but to ensure that innovation is matched by effective oversight, secure handling practices and robust regulatory systems that prevent diversion or misuse without slowing economic progress.”
Held July 14-16 in Tunis, Tunisia, the Africa Shield 2026 Regional Counterproliferation Workshop brought together more than 100 participants from across Africa, including law enforcement officials, military representatives, policymakers and national coordinators responsible for implementing United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1540, which requires states to prevent non-state actors from acquiring weapons of mass destruction and related materials.
The workshop was led by the International Counterproliferation Program of the US Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), in partnership with the European Union Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Centres of Excellence Risk Mitigation Initiative and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute.
Now in its sixth edition, Africa Shield helps African governments strengthen their ability to prevent, detect and respond to CBRN risks through training, coordination and capacity building.
The workshop examined how governments can ensure that materials used for peaceful purposes remain secure as industries expand and cross-border links deepen.
The discussions highlighted a practical challenge: ensuring that the systems protecting these materials develop alongside the industries and services that depend on them.
Africa Shield reflects a move from responding to CBRN incidents after they occur towards preventing vulnerabilities before they are exploited.
Rather than reacting only after a crisis, the programme focuses on reducing risks through stronger border controls, export monitoring, emergency preparedness and closer coordination between agencies.
Through partnerships with African governments and international organisations, Africa Shield contributes to the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1540.
Major Brittany Brown, the coordinator of DTRA’s Global Threat Reduction Africa Region Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction Program, said Africa Shield provides an opportunity for participating countries to “exchange expertise and lessons learned” while deepening partnerships to address increasingly complex transnational security challenges.
Brown said the programme had enabled African countries to “clearly demonstrate their ownership of the counterproliferation problem set”, describing it as “a critical multilateral investment” that strengthens cooperation across the continent.
Her comments reflect a wider shift in international security cooperation, with external partners increasingly focusing on strengthening national institutions and capabilities rather than creating long-term dependency.
Tunisia’s hosting of the workshop underscored the regional nature of the challenge. Positioned between North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Sahel, the country sits at the intersection of major trade and transport routes.
As those networks become more interconnected, the same corridors that facilitate commerce can also be exploited to move chemicals, radioactive sources and other controlled materials across borders.
The success of Africa Shield will depend not only on training and cooperation, but on whether governments can translate those efforts into stronger institutions and more effective enforcement.
Many African countries already have legal frameworks regulating chemicals, radioactive materials and strategic trade, but implementation remains uneven.
Authorities often face shortages of funding, specialised personnel and modern equipment needed to inspect shipments, monitor facilities and investigate possible violations.
Existing trafficking networks involving weapons, narcotics and other illicit goods demonstrate the difficulty of monitoring Africa’s vast borders and expanding trade routes. The same weaknesses could create vulnerabilities around the diversion and unauthorised movement of controlled materials.
The expansion of trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area adds another layer of complexity. Governments must strengthen security measures without undermining the trade and investment the agreement is designed to promote.
Managing that balance will require governments to strengthen security systems without creating barriers that slow legitimate trade.
“Monitoring shipments, securing materials and sharing intelligence across borders are daily struggles compounded by limited resources and exploited smuggling routes,” Phil Efe Benard, country director of the African Chamber of Content Producers (ACCP) Nigeria, told Al Jazeera. “We cannot rely solely on foreign partners. Building our own intelligence, forensic capacity and regional networks is essential, ensuring partnerships are built on African capacity, not dependency.”
Africa Shield reflects a broader evolution in Africa’s security priorities, expanding the focus beyond traditional threats to the institutions, regulations and technical expertise needed to safeguard increasingly modern economies.
For African governments, that means stronger customs systems, closer coordination between regulators, border agencies and security services, and greater investment in specialised capabilities.
For the challenge is ensuring that security and development advance together.
“Economic development and security should mutually reinforce each other. By enhancing oversight and promoting the responsible management of sensitive and hazardous materials, we can create an environment where innovation can thrive safely,” Kupagme told Al Jazeera.
Ultimately, Africa Shield is about more than preventing the misuse of controlled materials. It reflects a growing recognition that economic transformation brings new security responsibilities.
“One of the biggest obstacles is that CBRN security depends on consistent implementation rather than policy commitments alone,” Aliyu said. “Many countries still struggle with monitoring cross-border shipments, securing sensitive materials, enforcing regulations and sharing timely information with neighbours. Closing these gaps requires sustained investment, stronger institutions and greater trust between national authorities.”
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Conor McGregor has finally revealed what exactly happened to his right knee during a very short return to the UFC octagon on July 11 in Las Vegas.
McGregor, who lost by technical knockout to Max Holloway in UFC 329, called it “quite shocking” to learn what he injured during UFC 329.
“Update: it was acl and meniscus,” McGregor posted on X.
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Conor McGregor of Ireland prepares to face Max Holloway in a welterweight fight during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on July 11, 2026. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“It is the same injury as the first Holloway fight, only this time the opposite leg. Quite shocking.”
McGregor previously fought Holloway 13 years ago before he gained worldwide stardom for his mixed martial arts. It’s a total coincidence this happened now over a decade later, but McGregor is trying to keep a positive mindset once again.
“With today’s regenerative medicine advancements and improved training methods it is well within my realm to return by next summer,” McGregor continued, confidently. “I am walking without a crutch. I done leg extension machine work the other day to no issue. So I can walk without aid, and activate my quad under resistance. All very positive. I am maximum discipline and have maintained it fully since the bout.
JOE ROGAN CALLS OUT ‘CRAZY’ KICK ATTEMPT BY CONOR MCGREGOR THAT LED TO INJURY: ‘YOU DON’T DO THAT’
“I wonder was I saved from something worse here. I believe so. I would have attended the after party as ‘the man’ and who knows then. I believe I was saved. Thank you God! On we go, no sad stories. Thank you for the support and well wishes everyone, your health is your wealth.”
It wasn’t much of a bout, as McGregor attempted a jumping roundhouse kick on Holloway. As McGregor landed on the canvas, he immediately grabbed at his right knee and hit the deck.
Conor McGregor kicks Max Holloway in a welterweight fight at UFC 329 on Saturday in Las Vegas. (John Locher/AP)
Holloway took advantage of the situation, trying to get McGregor while he was down. But despite evading some serious punches from Holloway, McGregor clearly wasn’t right.
Referee Mike Beltran eventually called the fight just seconds into the first round, giving Holloway the victory and ending the UFC 329 co-main event in lackluster fashion.
After the match, McGregor was understandably upset.
“My head gasket is gone. Destroyed,” he wrote on X at the time. “I had no injury/injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell.”
Conor McGregor of Ireland reacts after an injury stoppage in a welterweight fight during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on July 11, 2026. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
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McGregor’s camp even showed pre-fight footage from the locker room, where the two-division champion was seen rehearsing his jumping roundhouse kicks. He was landing perfectly fine.
McGregor’s UFC career record is now 22-7 after this TKO finish, but it seems like the 38-year-old is still ready to recover and get back in the octagon. He doesn’t want to end his fighting career in that fashion.
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British runner Josh Kerr ran the fastest mile in history Saturday, clocking 3 minutes, 42.66 seconds to shatter the men’s mile world record at the London Diamond League.
Kerr’s historic run broke Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj’s mark of 3:43.13, set in Rome in 1999, ending a record that had stood for 27 years, according to The Associated Press.
The 28-year-old then took a celebratory lap around London Stadium after cementing his place in track and field history.
SABASTIAN SAWE FINISHES LONDON MARATHON IN UNDER TWO HOURS TO BREAK MEN’S WORLD RECORD
Josh Kerr of Team Great Britain celebrates after winning the 1-mile men’s final and setting a new world record during the Novuna London Athletics Meet, part of the Wanda Diamond League, at London Stadium on July 18, 2026. (Harry Murphy/Getty Images)
Video shared by the Diamond League on X captured the historic moment as Kerr threw his arms into the air after crossing the finish line while the packed stadium erupted.
The league’s official account declared, “History made by Josh Kerr!”
The former University of New Mexico standout finished more than three seconds ahead of American Yared Nuguse, who crossed in 3:45.69. Britain’s Jake Heyward finished third in a personal best 3:46.73, according to the official results released by World Athletics.
SABASTIAN SAWE FINISHES LONDON MARATHON IN UNDER TWO HOURS TO BREAK MEN’S WORLD RECORD
Josh Kerr of Team Great Britain poses next to a sign displaying his new world-record finish. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Reaction poured in across social media shortly after Kerr’s record-breaking run.
Team Scotland wrote on X: “A new world record. Congratulations to Josh Kerr, breaking the long-standing mile world record with an incredible run of 3:42.66. What an achievement.”
The Olympic Games’ official X account also celebrated the feat, posting: “History made. Great Britain’s Josh Kerr roars to a world record in the men’s mile, snapping a 27-year record in 3:42.66 at the London Diamond League.”
SABASTIAN SAWE FINISHES LONDON MARATHON IN UNDER TWO HOURS TO BREAK MEN’S WORLD RECORD
Josh Kerr celebrates moments after breaking the men’s mile world record at the London Diamond League as fellow competitors finish behind him. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Kerr had targeted the London Diamond League mile as one of his primary goals this season, which does not include the Olympics or World Championships, according to the AP.
Speaking with BBC Sport after the race, Kerr said the atmosphere inside London Stadium helped carry him through the final stretch.
“It was just me, my shoes and the track,” he told the outlet. “I was absolutely deaf in that last 110 meters.”
“I didn’t take my foot off the gas,” Kerr continued. “But … I started to glide and I was like, ‘Oh wow, this feels incredible.’ It’s incredible because I’m slowing down. So, I was like, ‘I better get to the line.’ So, crossing the finish line, seeing 42-something, anything, was my goal, so it was great.”
Kerr also reflected on the pressure he put on himself after publicly declaring months ago that he would chase the record.
Josh Kerr celebrates after setting a new world record at London Stadium on July 18, 2026. (Harry Murphy/Getty Images)
“It’s very overwhelming with the amount of hype [I created],” he told BBC Sport. “It’s silly to call [the attempt] that early because there’s a lot of things which can go wrong, but I am surrounded by amazing people and was able to stay consistent and put the work in.”
Kerr said he hoped the performance would help define his legacy in British athletics.
“If I am to leave my mark on this sport as a British legend, following in the footsteps of the legends behind me, I have to put in those performances,” he told BBC Sport.
“Those performances take every single part of you, every single part of your team. The amount of work behind the scenes is incredible. Today it was a performance I was able to bring out — I just hoped it would be a little bit faster!”
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Before turning professional, Kerr starred at the University of New Mexico, where he won three NCAA titles, captured eight Mountain West championships and set the collegiate record in the 1,500 meters, according to the school’s athletics website.
Saturday’s performance lowered Kerr’s previous personal-best mile time of 3:45.34 by nearly three seconds and erased one of track and field’s longest-standing world records, according to World Athletics.
I was genuinely surprised Aegon didn’t stab Larys to death with that dragon’s scale he’s been hanging on to. Perhaps he realized his unlikely, unhappy rescuer was right.
Things turn around somewhat for Aegon back in camp. There, he and Larys discover that Tyland Lannister survived the Battle of the Gullet after being tossed overboard by Sharako Lohar. Now the lord of Casterly Rock and one of the few people who know where the crown’s money is hidden, he can fund their escape to Essos. True, Janos, the soldier who runs the camp, discovers Aegon’s crown, but his glee over the discovery is short-lived: Aegon murders him as Larys watches, with an unmistakable “There he goes again” look on his face.
Aegon’s younger brother Aemond, meanwhile, is the realm’s most wanted man. (Including by Aegon, who vows to kill him.) The witch Alys Rivers fends off some bounty hunters, but when others attempt to sexually assault her, Aemond springs into action, suddenly well enough to wield a sword and kill all the attackers single-handedly. Though he has no idea who, or what, Alys really is, he knows she has treated him with a kindness and attention Alicent never showed him. When she cradles his head against her chest to comfort him after a nightmare, he even calls her “Mother.” Considering what we’ve watched Aemond do with his real mother this season, that’s an … interesting word choice.
Daeron, the youngest of Alicent’s three sons, is at the mercy of an even more dubious parental figure. Alicent’s cousin Lord Ormund is so mercurial that it constitutes a kind of emotional abuse. He blows up when Daeron beats him at the chess-like board game Cyvasse … then chides the anxious boy for apologizing for victory.
Meanwhile, coins with Daeron’s face are being used by Ormund to pay for a violent insurgency in King’s Landing, as unseen assassins maim and murder members of the city watch in broad daylight. This lends ammo to Daemon in his feud with Mysaria over whether their meager money should be spent on the gold cloaks or the small folk.
Eventually the killings become too numerous to ignore. Rhaenyra taunts Daemon for what she perceives to be his cowardice in prioritizing the city watch over the hunt for Aemond, which he has left to his daughter Baela and her uncle Alyn of Hull. (The two appear to be forming a love connection, in the grand incestuous Valyrian style.) But Rhaenyra finally agrees that she should have paid their security force more attention (and money). This further marginalizes Mysaria on a small council now stacked with nobles who look down on her as a commoner and former prostitute. (Perhaps she keeps Alicent’s secret because she may need a backup plan if she falls out of the Black council’s favor completely.)
Spain and Lamine Yamal have grown through the tournament to leave him with the world at his feet and football’s two greatest prizes in his pocket.
As well as having glorious natural gifts, he is also Spain’s lucky charm. They completed their domination of the international stage with Ferran Torres’ decisive 106th-minute strike in extra time.
Lamine Yamal has yet to lose for his country in the 28 competitive matches he has played. He has started 13 games at major tournaments and won all of them – the longest 100% win rate of any European player across major tournaments when starting.
He also became – along with 19-year-old Spain team-mate Pau Cubarsi – just the fourth and fifth teenagers to start a World Cup final and win, after Pele for Brazil in 1958, Italy defender Giuseppe Bergomi in 1982 and Kylian Mbappe with France in 2018.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente spoke afterwards of his “sincere gratitude” to Lamine Yamal.
“He has played great football that will help him to mature and be even a greater footballer than he already is,” he said.
“He really sacrificed for the collective good. This is very important in my squad. In my opinion he played a great World Cup.”
And this is not simply a special talent, it is a special talent with a special temperament.
He shrugged off Argentina’s obvious attempts to intimidate him as he regularly came into close contact with Nicolas Tagliafico in particular.
Former England goalkeeper and BBC Sport pundit Joe Hart summed it up well.
“Not only did Lamine Yamal not react,” he said. “He stood up to it. He was not rattled and he did not back down. He had the entire team trying to smash him.
“He just stayed real cool. It was real standout performance from him.
“Lamine Yamal is 19 years old. What a beautiful day for him. He’s 19 and has completed football.”
With virtually his whole career in front of him, and taking in the experience and influence of Spain team-mates such as his captain and player of the tournament Rodri, there is every chance Lamine Yamal will add more successes like this before he is done.
