News Desk

Iranian strikes have targeted Kuwait’s power and water desalination plant. Al Jazeera’s Victoria Gatenby explains what that means for Kuwait and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

BLUSHING bride Mel C has broken her silence on her beautiful countryside wedding – and how bandmate Victoria Beckham played a key part despite missing her big day.

The singer, 52, said I Do to Australian model Chris Dingwall in front of a celeb-packed congregation – including her Spice Girls sisters – in a Georgian country house in Cumbria.

The lavish venue is owned by West End performer Ben Forster, who has been close friends with Mel since they co-starred in the 2013 production of Jesus Christ Superstar. 

Though one face that was noticeably absent from the rural 19th-century estate this weekend was that of Posh Spice, who was at the World Cup Final with husband David in New York.

Though the Wannabe singer turned fashion designer still played a key part in Mel’s wedding traditions – providing her wedding dress as Mel’s “something borrowed”.

The chic gown, which oozed elegance and featured a swooping backline, was plucked straight from Victoria’s collection of her own Victoria Beckham gowns in her wardrobe.

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Mel told Vogue: “Victoria’s dress was my something borrowed.

“It was very special, having her there”.

She added: “I’m not really a girly girl.

“Victoria’s clothes are really feminine in a way that feels comfortable and very me”.

Victoria then told the publication of the chain of events and added: “When I asked what she was wearing, she mentioned she had actually ordered one of my dresses but that it didn’t quite fit, and she didn’t have time to get it altered before leaving”.

She found the same dress in her wardrobe and lent it to Mel.

A source also told the Mail of the frock: “It was a gift from Victoria, they are really close. Victoria would have loved to have been there if she could.”

Meanwhile, Victoria was in New York for the World Cup final clash between Spain and Argentina, in which Spain triumphed 1-0 after extra time.

Mel’s daughter Scarlett, 17, from her relationship with Thomas Starr, was bridesmaid at her special day.

Mel is the last of the girls from the pop group to tie the knot, having met Chris back in 2023 on celeb dating app Raya. 

Mel and Chris have kept a lot of their romance under wraps with fans desperate to know about her relationship with the Aussie star.

She told The Times back in January: “It’s something I didn’t think would be part of my story [marriage], but I’m so happy with Chris”.

July 20 (UPI) — Taylor Farms said late Sunday the Trump administration mistakenly informed it that a sample of its shredded iceberg lettuce tested positive for a parasite amid a multi-state outbreak that prompted the U.S.-based fresh-produce giant to initiate a recall of the salad staple distributed to 27 states.

The Food and Drug Administration reversed the finding Sunday, determining that the purported positive test for the microscopic Cyclospora parasite, which causes the intestinal illness cyclosporiasis, was a false positive.

“Today, FDA apologized to us,” the company said in a statement.

“Today, we were informed that FDA made a mistake.”

Taylor Farms had initiated the voluntary recall Friday after federal health investigators linked shredded iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico to a multi-state cyclosporiasis outbreak through a traceback investigation.

At least 1,644 people in five states have been infected, including 94 hospitalizations, since May 13, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which said there have been no fatalities.

Federal health investigators have linked the illnesses to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.

The FDA said Friday that its traceback investigation identified the supplier as Taylor Farms de Mexico. The company then initiated the voluntary recall.

On Saturday, federal investigators said a sample collected during targeted import surveillance tested positive for Cyclospora. The FDA said the produce was not part of the initial recall and investigators were working to identify whether any of the lot was available in commerce.

A day later, Taylor Farms said it was informed of the FDA’s “mistake.”

“To be clear, at this moment, the FDA has not identified a single positive product test result for Cyclospora,” it said.

The FDA told media it had discovered the false positive after rechecking the results of the purported positive sample.

“As of July 19, 2026, there are no confirmed positive sample results for product testing for Cyclospora,” the FDA said in a statement, NBC News reported.

Taylor Farms said it had completed the voluntary recall, which was limited to iceberg lettuce grown and processed in central Mexico, and that all of its other produce is available for purchase.

“Our thoughts remain with everyone who has fallen ill in this outbreak,” it said.

“We are committed to working with public health authorities as the ongoing outbreak investigation continues.”

The prisons minister has resigned from the government, the BBC has been told.

Lord James Timpson was appointed to the role in July 2024 after leaving his job as CEO of the Timpson group, a business which provides key cutting and shoe repair services and employs hundreds of former prisoners.

His arrival in government was greeted with much fanfare by some in the Labour Party and described as “radical” and “innovative”.

But in a departing statement on Monday, seen exclusively by the BBC, Lord Timpson said he was stepping down and it was an “honour” to serve in the post.

His statement did not give a specific reason for resigning, but it is understood he feels he has done as much as he can in the role.

Prisons in England and Wales were at crisis point, reaching almost full capacity, when he first entered Sir Keir Starmer’s government.

He oversaw the controversial early release scheme which saw tens of thousands of inmates let out to create more space in jails.

His critics will argue prisons continue to be violent, drug infused and overcrowded, while probation officers still report being overworked and unable to cope.

But figures do show assaults against staff and self-harm in prisons are falling.

Lord Timpson said in his resignation statement that he had left “our prisons and probation service in a much healthier and happier state than two years ago”.

He added: “I’m proud to have become the longest-serving minister in this role for 15 years. I’m also proud that 75% of prisons and 90% of probation teams are now performing better than when I started.

“Self-harm, violence and assaults on staff are all down, and fewer people are leaving prison without a home to go to, a measure of dignity I care about deeply.”

He also pointed to the Women’s Justice Board he established, saying he “believe[s] most women should not be in prison at all” and “diverting them away from custody, helping them with often chaotic, damaged, and addicted lives, is one of the changes I’m proud to have achieved”.

His critics may question why he is leaving before the Sentencing Act 2026 is enacted in September, when more people are expected to be released early and further criminals will serve their sentences in the community.

A source in the Ministry of Justice told the BBC: “We’re gutted he’s going but the new person is going to have their work cut out to get their head round what’s round the corner.”

BROOKS Nader stole the spotlight at a World Cup final party in New York sporting a thigh-skimming mini skirt and matching crop top.

The American model, 29, chose the striking white co-ord, which showed her toned abs and tanned thighs, for her night out at Zero Bond bar in Lower Manhattan ahead of the clash between Spain and Argentina.

Brooks, who recently showcased her figure in a trendy bikini, oozed glam in her two-piece and ramped up her look with thigh high-heeled boots.

The Baywatch actress styled her blonde hair into loose waves flowing over her shoulders and kept her make-up fresh.

She flashed a smile as she entered the party, hosted by Todd Graves, for the Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers event.

She was joined by actress Jessica Alba, who donned a black bandeau dress, and Jake Paul in all-white attire.

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Taron Egerton back on Raya just weeks after splitting from model ex Brooks Nader

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Earlier in the night, Brooks took to Instagram to share behind the scenes glimpses of her getting ready for the night.

She stripped topless for a snap to praise her “dream team” as she posed in front of a cabinet filled with cosmetics.

The IMG Model then covered her modesty with her hands for another sizzling selfie.

Brooks then pulled on her co-ord and captured herself in the midst of a blow dry.

After her lively night, Brooks revealed she was working the following day on the Baywatch set.

Brooks was announced as one of the Baywatch reboot castmembers back in March.

She will be playing Selene, a captain of the Zuma beach lifeguards, according to Fox.

In her latest caption she wrote: “And we’re back, time to save some lives”.

The People’s Action Party, which prides itself on ​a clean reputation, has been rocked by a series of scandals recently.

Singapore’s acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim has resigned ⁠over his interactions with a woman, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has said.

“Most of their interactions took place through online messages,” Wong said in a statement on Monday. “⁠They also met on the sidelines of public events.”

Both parties made allegations of harassment against each other, and the matter is being investigated by ⁠the police, he added.

The People’s Action Party, which prides itself on a “whiter than white” reputation, has been rocked by a series of political scandals in recent years.

In 2023, then Transport Minister Subramaniam Iswaran was put under investigation for corruption alongside Malaysian billionaire hotel tycoon Ong Beng Seng. A year later, Iswaran pleaded guilty to receiving more than 380,000 Singapore dollars ($294,000) worth of gifts from Ong, including tickets for West End shows and football matches, some of them in exchange for advancing Ong’s business interests.

Two senior members of Singapore’s largest opposition party also resigned in 2023 after they admitted to having an affair, while two ministers were investigated and cleared of wrongdoing over their rental of state-owned properties. This prompted former Prime Minister Lee ‌Hsien Loong to say that his party’s image was damaged by a series of scandals.

Wong said no criminal offence had been committed by either party in Faishal’s case, and no criminal action would be taken, but “there was a separate question of whether Associate Professor Faishal’s conduct met the standards expected of a political office holder and member of parliament”.

Faishal has been a member of ⁠parliament since 2006 and became the acting minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs in 2025. He has now resigned from the ⁠ruling People’s Action Party as well as his cabinet position.

In his resignation letter posted on the website of the prime minister’s office, Faishal said: “While there was no physical relationship between us, ⁠and I did not intend for the interactions to develop into one, there was a lapse of judgment on my part ⁠in the way I handled the interactions, and ⁠in failing to establish clearer boundaries at an earlier stage.”

Wong said he was saddened Faishal was leaving politics under such circumstances.

The United States has attacked Iran for a ninth consecutive night after the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) announced a US soldier had died in northern Iraq in a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone.

Here is what happened over Sunday night and Monday morning and what officials on both sides have said:

Where was Iran attacked?

CENTCOM announced in a statement on X that it completed the ninth wave of attacks against Iran at 02:00 GMT on Monday.

It said it “targeted Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks to further diminish Iran’s ability to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz”.

The US military did not provide details about the actual sites hit in Iran.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said two oil tankers “exploded” and were halted in the southern Strait of Hormuz late on Sunday, according to a report by the semiofficial Tasnim News Agency on Monday.

The IRGC stated the vessels were trying to transit through the strategic waterway under what it described as US coercion.

“This passage is unsafe for the transport of chemical fertiliser or even a single drop of oil and gas,” the group warned, adding that the corridor would remain unsafe as long as US military operations in the region continue.

An MQ-9 drone was intercepted and shot down over Eslamabad-e Gharb in western Iran’s Kermanshah province, according to the Mehr News Agency on Monday.

Mehr said the drone was targeted by an advanced air defence system operated by the IRGC aerospace force.

Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim News Agency reported on Monday that US strikes targeted an area in the town of Khormoj in southwestern Iran. It quoted a local official.

Where did Iran strike, and where were warnings issued?

Jordan: The IRGC said on Monday that it launched ballistic missiles at US C-17 transport planes and P-8 aircraft at Aqaba airport, claiming several were heavily damaged. In a statement carried by the state-controlled IRIB broadcaster, the IRGC also said 20 hangars housing US forces in the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Azraq were destroyed.

Bahrain: The US embassy in Bahrain said it has information suggesting Iran may seek to target unspecified locations in central Manama. It urged Americans to remain vigilant, follow instructions from local authorities and immediately seek shelter if warning sirens sound or explosions are heard.

US soldier in Iraq: A US service member was killed in northern Iraq on Saturday during the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from an Iranian drone, CENTCOM said.

What happened in the Strait of Hormuz?

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported late on Sunday that a vessel about 8 nautical miles (15km) northwest of Kumzar, Oman, had caught fire.

It is unclear whether this happened due to an attack by Iran. The UKMTO said the cause of the fire had not been verified and advised vessels in the area to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity while authorities investigate.

What have Iranian and American leaders said?

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the US is hitting Iran to honour American service members who have been killed.

“We hit them very hard again tonight, and we did that in honour of the, probably three, it’s probably three great patriots,” Trump told reporters as he returned to Washington, DC, after the World Cup final in New Jersey. At least two US soldiers were killed in Jordan last week after Iranian missiles struck a US base there, and the third soldier Trump referred to was killed in Iraq during the detonation of the Iranian drone.

“We feel very badly,” he said when asked about the military fatalities, adding that those who died were fighting so “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with state media that Tehran would end the war with the US when it had “the upper hand in the field”, local news reported on Monday.

Talking with the IRNA news agency, Araghchi said the most critical decision in crisis management was identifying the precise moment to halt hostilities and begin negotiations.

“The end of the war is possible either through absolute military victory or through negotiations. The right time to negotiate is precisely when you have achieved a reliable field and strategic achievement on the military front,” Araghchi said.

“You cannot take risks with the lives of the people and the fate of the entire country. Decisions must be made based on accurate and complete calculations,” Araghchi said.

LONDON — Ewan Mitchell shares few similarities with Aemond Targaryen, his unhinged character on HBO’s “House of the Dragon.” The British actor, 29, is soft-spoken, thoughtful and quick with a “thank you.” His hair is currently brown rather than Targaryen blond, although he says the color is actually left over from filming Justine Triet’s upcoming psychological thriller “Fonda.” Although he is very different from the power-hungry second son he plays on TV, Mitchell understands him.

“I always empathize with that little kid in Season 1,” he says, speaking from London’s 180 House on a sunny day in July. “He was this neglected, bullied boy. He was never given a dragon egg. So from the beginning he recognized that he was on the back foot, and he was bullied for being different. What’s nice about Season 3 is it’s showing Aemond’s true colors.”

Early in Season 3, Aemond asserted his dominance over his mother Alicent (Olivia Cooke) with a gasp-inducing kiss on the mouth, a moment Mitchell compares to Michael Corleone’s iconic kiss on Fredo in “The Godfather Part II.” The disgraced prince regent left King’s Landing for Harrenhal in search of Daemon (Matt Smith), only to murder Ser Simon Strong and his sons instead. His fray with the Strong family was triumphant, but left Aemond with a wound in his side. He begged the castle’s mysterious inhabitant Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) to help him before vanishing for the next two episodes.

In Episode 5, Aemond is back. At first, he appears wounded and broken. But he ably defends Alys from a group of invaders, relying on muscle memory and — perhaps — a sense of honor to pay her back for saving his life.

“I liken Harrenhal to the White Lotus of Westeros,” Mitchell says. “It’s a place you go for a retreat. You have all of your toxins drawn out of you. You have to confront them head on. You discover like the darkest, deepest places of yourself. And the general manager of that place is Alys Rivers.”

In Episode 5, Aemond (Mitchell) fights off invaders, saving Alys’ life.

(Theo Whiteman / HBO)

The upcoming episodes will keep Aemond at Harrenhal with Alys and expand on the events of George R.R. Martin’s 2018 book “Fire & Blood,” on which the series is based. Showrunner Ryan Condal wanted to explore what wasn’t in Martin’s fictional history of Westeros.

“We knew from the book that he goes to Harrenhal and effectively disappears, at least from the interactive narrative,” Condal says, speaking later over video call. “It’s thought that he establishes some relationship with Alys Rivers. We had that as a baseline, but the idea was: ‘Where can we take Aemond from here?’”

He adds that there was “a danger of the character becoming an anime villain,” which the writers wanted to undercut. “He looks a certain way,” Condal says. “He has this eye patch. He rides this Godzilla-sized dragon. And he’s done some pretty reprehensible things.”

But the writers wanted to go beyond Aemond’s surface, to “a different place and excavate that trauma and vulnerability.”

Mitchell says Alys is the key to Aemond finding himself. “We know his dragon Vhagar is missing,” he says. “And if Aemond is nothing without his dragon, then does he really deserve her? We’ve got to challenge what we know of the character already … Vhagar was the wind in his sails.”

He compares Aemond with Spider-Man, an oddly aligned character. “With great power comes great responsibility to wield that power,” Mitchell says. “He’s got to be able to show he can control it effectively. That’s what he wanted to prove throughout Season 1 and 2.”

He laughs: “It’s just like ‘Spider-Man 2.’ I find it really interesting building up this character over two seasons to bring him back down.”

“I find it really interesting building up this character over two seasons to bring him back down,” Mitchell says of Aemond, who is facing turbulent times in Season 3.

(Jennifer McCord / For The Times)

Condal adds, “He’s feeling isolated and alone and he possibly has made an enemy of his family. And then this woman saves him. He feels this sudden magnetic draw to her. In the episodes that follow, we will further excavate that relationship. It’s one of the most surprising and engaging and emotional stories we have this season.”

Mitchell first appeared as Aemond, the son of Viserys and Alicent and the brother of Aegon II, in the eighth episode of Season 1. He was originally played by Leo Ashton, who Mitchell says “really set up the character for me.” Production had already begun when Mitchell auditioned, first with a self-tape and then for the producers. Initially, he didn’t know which character he was up for.

“I knew this character was the younger brother and that was like a theme of the first season and going through further seasons,” Mitchell recalls. “The second son out to prove his worth.”

Mitchell’s audition was memorable. “He came into the room in character and he scared all of us,” Condal says. “I remember the first question that I asked [our casting director] after he left was, ‘Is he always like that?’ Because it felt like he had gone to such a dark place just to do the audition. When I spoke to him later, I loved how different the person was on the phone versus the person I met in the room.”

To play Aemond, Mitchell looked at MMA and cage fighters to hone in on the character’s agile, brutal fighting style. He trained physically to make Aemond lean but also strong and imposing. He took inspiration from paintings, including Alexandre Cabanel’s 1847 work “The Fallen Angel,” which depicts the devil after his fall from heaven.

“There’s this tear in his eye and you don’t know if he’s feeling sorry for himself or he’s looking at things to come,” Mitchell says. “Is he thinking about the harm he’s going to inflict in retaliation? That was something I wanted to do in Season 2. It contrasts his muscular physique. It’s a mixture between vulnerability and sheer muscle.”

Season 2 saw Aemond purposefully incinerating his brother, leaving him badly burned, and decimating the Riverlands while on Vhagar. The character was grappling for power, even if it meant brutalizing his own family. Condal hints that a reckoning with Aegon will come.

“In the great tradition of ‘Game of Thrones,’ I feel like that is a fairly safe bet,” he says. “Characters are scattered all over the map and then slowly find themselves being brought back together, but in different forms. That was always something we were talking about doing with Aemond and Aegon.”

To play Aemond, Mitchell looked at MMA and cage fighters to hone in on the character’s agile, brutal fighting style. He also took inspiration from paintings, including Alexandre Cabanel’s 1847 work “The Fallen Angel.” (Jennifer McCord/For The Times)

Mitchell sees Aemond as a product of his circumstances, rather than just a murdering psychopath. He was bullied as a child and coddled by his mother, but never received the unconditional love he craved. He was taken to brothels from an early age. He lost an eye. And he grew up in the midst of a brutal war between the Greens and the Blacks. Now he has to reckon with what he’s done.

“You might not understand all of the things he does,” Mitchell says. “And you might not feel like you’re supposed to understand all the things he does. But you do feel something for him. In the moment he saves Alys, maybe there is a redeemable Aemond in there somewhere.”

Cooke says she loves working opposite Mitchell thanks to his complex approach to the character.

“He has such intensity and helps me as an actor in playing Alicent to feel like I’m completely on the back foot,” she says in a voice memo. “It’s filled with tension trying to guess what he’s going to do. Yet in reality, he is the most gentle, lovely, quiet, beautiful person. He’s a joy to work with and I think he makes such interesting choices outside of ‘House of the Dragon.’”

Between Seasons 2 and 3, Mitchell filmed Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights.” He had previously worked with the filmmaker on 2023’s “Saltburn,” for which he auditioned using a Harold Pinter monologue. For “Wuthering Heights,” Fennell simply texted Mitchell asking him to play Joseph, a servant in the Earnshaw house, whose sexual depravity electrifies Cathy.

Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Alys (Gayle Rankin) share a tender moment in Episode 5.

(Theo Whiteman / HBO)

“I was like, ‘If you asked me to shine your shoes, Emerald, I would do that,’” Mitchell says. “All of her characters are so vibrant and so nuanced, and there is such a vision you see in her films. She’s a one-of-a-kind, singular visionary. I’ve learned so much working with Emerald that I’ve taken forward in my career.”

One of those things was a more playful, loose approach to acting. During his first two seasons of “House of the Dragon,” Mitchell felt locked into a particular performance. “I learned the scripts verbatim,” he says. “Aemond is such a calculating character and everything he does is premeditated. He’s so in control of himself. I found myself offering up the same take every single take.”

After working with Fennell on “Saltburn” and “Wuthering Heights,” Mitchell felt more freedom. She encouraged him to give a range of performances on set, allowing her to find the character during the editing process. He brought that with him to the third season of “House of the Dragon.”

“With Aemond being so unsure of himself, it happened more naturally,” he says. “He’s learning new things about himself. I was really open to finding the scene organically on the day and not coming in with any preconceived choices. And I found so much more enjoyment in it.”

Condal observed Mitchell’s looser approach. “I don’t think Ewan was ever rigid,” Condal says. “But what I saw happen over the seasons was someone learning from their professional experience. As a massive fan of Emerald Fennell’s work, I can see how being in that very different crucible could help him become his best version. We probably demanded the most out of Ewan in Season 3 than any of the other actors.”

Mitchell says working with Emerald Fennell helped him take a looser approach to acting.

(Jennifer McCord / For The Times)

Since wrapping Season 3 last fall, Mitchell has stayed busy. He filmed “The Way of the Runner” in China with first-time filmmaker Yutong Bai, Gareth Evans’ remake of the 1960s Japanese crime film “A Colt Is My Passport” in Wales, Luna Carmoon’s sophomore feature “To Make Ends Meat” in London and Can Aydin’s directorial debut “The Healer” in Budapest. He then flew to France to work with Triet, an experience he loved because she shot on film. “Knowing you’ve only got a limited amount of time, there’s something beautiful about the imperfections of performances,” he says. “There was such a great energy with everyone in the room.”

Mitchell has been attracted to performing for as long as he can remember. Growing up in Derby, England, he admired films like “Citizen Kane” and “Taxi Driver” because they centered on “characters you don’t completely understand.” He appreciates the scope of projects he’s done so far, from the massive scale of production on “House of the Dragon” to smaller art house films.

“I love working as much as I can and learning,” he says. “I’d love to keep working with debut directors. After the recent films I’ve done and seeing ‘Obsession’ and ‘Backrooms,’ it’s really motivating seeing what they can do.”

Although Mitchell looks nothing like Aemond, he is frequently recognized. Someone stopped him on his way here today to ask for a photo. “I think it’s the chin,” he grins. He knows he’s inextricably linked to the character, for better or worse. He can’t give much away about what’s to come in Season 3, but Aemond is certainly not down for the count.

“What makes him so dangerous is that just when you think he has nothing left in the tank, it’s like, ‘Guess again,’” Mitchell says. “It’s not a question of whether he’s going to do evil. It’s inevitable that he will do it. And it will be brutal and it will be fast.”

He pauses, unsure of what he can reveal. “I don’t want to spoil anything,” he says carefully, “but I can’t wait for people to see what Harrenhal has in store for him.”

Last night, Spain defeated Argentina to win the World Cup. Ordinarily, for those of us with no national connection to either country, the choice of whom to support would have been gloriously trivial. We might have chosen the team that played more beautiful football, the player we most admired or simply the side whose colours we preferred.

But these are no ordinary times.

Gaza and Palestine have changed the way many of us see the world. It has become a moral prism, refracting our judgments not only about governments and political leaders, but about institutions, universities, media, corporations and public figures. We have watched people and institutions we once respected avert their eyes from the destruction of a people. We have watched others discover elaborate vocabularies of qualification and equivocation when confronted with horrors that, in another place and against another people, they would have condemned without hesitation.

And we have remembered those who refused to look away.

That is why, last night, I was Spanish.

Of course, a football team is not a government. Spanish footballers are not responsible for the policies of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, any more than Lionel Messi and his teammates are responsible for the politics of Argentinian President Javier Milei.

But sport has never existed in the hermetically sealed apolitical world we sometimes pretend it inhabits. We bring ourselves to sport. We bring our histories, our identities, our sympathies and, inevitably, our moral judgements. We decide whom we want to win for reasons that often have very little to do with formations and statistics.

And so, for many people of conscience, Spain has come to represent something larger.

At a moment when much of the Western political establishment has twisted itself into moral and linguistic contortions over Gaza, Spain has stood apart. Sánchez and his government have been willing to speak with a clarity conspicuously absent from many of Spain’s Western allies. Spain recognised the State of Palestine. Sánchez has openly used the word genocide to describe what is being done in Gaza. His government has moved to entrench an arms embargo against Israel.

One need not agree with every policy of the Spanish government to recognise the significance of that position. Moral courage is measured precisely when taking a position carries a cost.

There was also something deeply moving about seeing Lamine Yamal, one of the brightest young stars in world football, waving the Palestinian flag during Barcelona’s celebrations after winning La Liga.

It was a small gesture in the vast landscape of Palestinian suffering. But symbols matter, particularly when so many powerful institutions have worked so hard to make Palestine invisible.

There was Yamal, at the summit of sporting success, surrounded by celebration, holding up the flag of a people whose suffering the world has been asked repeatedly to forget. And last night he wore the colours of Spain in a World Cup final and emerged a world champion.

On the other side stood Argentina, a magnificent footballing nation led by perhaps the greatest footballer of his generation. And here, too, Gaza intruded upon the emotions with which some of us watched. An image of Lionel Messi at the Western Wall in occupied East Jerusalem has circulated widely. It dates back to Barcelona’s 2013 visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, years before the present catastrophe. But images have lives beyond the circumstances in which they were created, and Gaza has transformed the way many of us see them.

The contrast with Lamine Yamal is striking. There is the image of Messi at the Western Wall. And there is the image of Yamal, at one of the happiest moments of his young career, waving the Palestinian flag. Different moments, different circumstances, different intentions.

But symbols matter. For those whose view of the world has been transformed by Gaza, it is impossible not to feel the emotional force of the contrast.

And beyond Messi stands the politics of Javier Milei. Argentina’s president has made his allegiances clear. He has embraced US President Donald Trump and declared himself “the most Zionist president in the world” at precisely the historical moment when Palestinians in Gaza have endured unimaginable destruction.

Argentina’s footballers are not responsible for Milei, and its people cannot be reduced to their president. But neither can those politics be entirely erased from the emotions with which the rest of us watch.

Then there was another recent vote, far removed from Gaza but revealing in its own way. In March, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution confronting the historical wrongs of the transatlantic trafficking and enslavement of Africans and calling for reparatory justice. One hundred and twenty-three countries voted in favour. Fifty-two abstained. Only three countries in the entire world voted against it: the United States, Israel and Argentina.

There is something extraordinary about that alignment. On an issue concerning one of humanity’s greatest historical crimes and the continuing demand for reparatory justice, Trump’s America, Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israel and Milei’s Argentina found themselves standing together, virtually alone.

It is difficult for those of us who increasingly view the world through the prism of Gaza not to notice the pattern. The issues are different, the histories are different and the legal questions are different. But the moral instinct seems eerily familiar: when the victims of historical injustice demand recognition, accountability and redress, the same governments so often seem to find reasons to stand on the other side.

So, yes, last night I watched a football match.

I admired Messi because greatness remains greatness. I marvelled at the extraordinary history of Argentine football.

But I wanted Spain to win.

And Spain won.

Perhaps that says something about what Gaza has done to us. It has rearranged our moral geography. Countries that once felt distant can suddenly feel close because they spoke when others were silent. Governments we barely thought about can earn our respect because, at a moment of profound moral testing, they refused to avert their gaze.

And sometimes that moral geography spills into the most unexpected places.

Last night it spilled onto a football pitch.

Millions celebrated Spain’s victory because they love Spanish football, because they admire Lamine Yamal or simply because their team had won the greatest prize in the sport.

But many also celebrated out of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

A World Cup cannot deliver justice to Palestine. Spain’s victory will not feed a hungry child in Gaza, rebuild a destroyed home or bring back the dead. We should never confuse symbolism with justice.

But human beings live partly through symbols. And last night, for some of us, the red shirt of Spain carried a meaning it was never designed to bear.

When Lamine Yamal and his teammates lifted the World Cup, I celebrated with them.

Not because football can change what has happened in Gaza.

But because Gaza has changed the way I watch even a game of football.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

It is the latest wildfire call out for the Scottish fire service during the recent stretch of warm, dry weather.

Hundreds of firefighters, two helicopters and specialist resources were sent to the Cairngorms National Park where a blaze has been ongoing for four days.

Six square kilometres of land had been affected resulting in homes and businesses, including campsites and a ski resort in the Glenmore Forest Park area, being evacuated as a safety precaution.

A high volume pump has been used to draw water from Loch Morlich to support firefighting efforts.

On Sunday, fire crews said the fire was now “surrounded” and police began escorting residents and campers back to properties and campsites to collect personal belongings.

JENNIFER Lopez sizzled for a naked bathtub snap and suspenders as she celebrated her 56th birthday.

The On The Floor hitmaker was joined by her rarely-seen journalist and TV personality Lynda, who turned 55 last month.

The pop superstar shared a series of snaps on Instagram as she marked her sister’s birthday, while also celebrating her own, as she turns 56 on July 24.

The siblings enjoyed a meal out with friends and a birthday dessert each with a sparkler in it.

Another showed the sisters blowing out multiple candles on a meringue and raspberry pie.

The star then stripped naked as she enjoyed a soak in a bathtub while her sister ate food with her.

READ MORE ON JENNIFER LOPEZ

LO CUT

Jennifer Lopez poses braless in minidress with Erling Haaland

J-LO CUT

Jennifer Lopez rocks sheer dress as she attends PFW with rarely-seen sister

Showing that she’s still got it, Jennifer dazzled in a Dolce and Gabbana black sheer lace bodysuit, fishnet tights and suspenders.

The musician wore a black and gold veil over her head with a huge crown and a gold statement necklace.

She captioned the post: “A double birthday sister trip is always a good idea!! I love you Lynnie!! Happy birthday!!”

Just last week, Jennifer called was called “the most beautiful woman in the world” by fans as she posed braless in a minidress with Erling Haaland.

The singer looked amazing as she posed up a storm while on her travels in Sicily, Italy.

J-Lo showed off her amazing figure and wowed in the plunging number, which she accessorised with a matching bandana and cat eye sunglasses.

She completed the look with a pair of white and black polka dot court show heels.

It comes after the actress attended the Wimbledon Men’s Final in London in a stunning outfit.

She showed off her amazing figure in a cream bodycon maxi dress, oversized Fedora hat and a pair of heels.

And days before J-Lo ditched the bra again in a plunging corset dress at Paris Fashion Week.

The stunning singer was seen strutting her stuff as she headed to dinner with pals.

Jennifer was glowing as she showed off her figure in the plunging halter neck gown, which has a corset-style belt that accentuated her waist.

The US military carried out its ninth consecutive night of strikes on Iran, targeting military command centres, air defence systems and coastal surveillance facilities, according to CENTCOM. The US military said it hit maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks.

Hundreds of protesters have rallied in Houston in the US state of Texas to demand justice for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican man shot dead by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent this month.

Protesters marched from Ervan Chew Park on Sunday and briefly shut down a bridge on Dunlavy Street, according to local media and videos posted online. They held banners that read, “Abolish ICE” and “Justice for Lorenzo”.

Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national, was fatally shot by an ICE agent on July 7 while he was driving his construction crew to a job site in Houston. The protests came amid mounting scrutiny of United States President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown.

According to The Associated Press news agency, encounters with ICE and other immigration agents have resulted in at least 10 deaths since the start of Trump’s second term in January last year. Two of those happened in the days after Salgado Araujo’s killing in the states of Maine and Florida.

After the shooting in Houston, ICE claimed Salgado Araujo had used his vehicle to try to ram an agent who fired his weapon in self-defence. But witnesses contradicted ICE’s version of events, and a statement issued on Thursday by the US attorney for the Southern District of Texas made no mention of any collision between Salgado Araujo’s van and a law enforcement vehicle nor did it explicitly state that the officer feared for his life.

In a video posted online by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, a campaign group, an activist at Sunday’s march called for further protests to shut down the city.

“We need to show ICE, the Trump administration and the entire country that the city of Houston is not to be messed with,” the protester said.

“We cannot just sit here and let ICE hunt and murder more of our daughters, our brothers, our uncles. If we want justice, we have to demand it,” she said.

The activist said the “shutdown” of Houston, the fourth largest city in the US, will take place on Friday.

Sunday’s protest followed similar rallies held across the country on Saturday, including in Portland, Maine, where, on July 13, Joan Sebastian Duran Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian man, was fatally shot during a traffic stop in nearby Biddeford.

On Saturday, Duran Guerrero’s family paid tribute to the father of a three-year-old girl, telling the Telemundo news network that he still had “many dreams to fulfil”.

Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, have demanded an investigation into ICE’s hiring practices after it was alleged that the officer responsible for Duran Guerrero’s killing had a history of mental health issues and had subjected his ex-wife to violent and threatening behaviour.

Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi congressman and the top Democrat on the Committee on Homeland Security in the US House of Representatives, told AP that the officer’s alleged violent history “directly call[s] into question the supposed vetting and training ICE does of its recruits”.

After the killings, the Trump administration’s top immigration enforcement official, Tom Homan, said the agency would start a “short pause” on traffic stops. And on Sunday, he announced ICE will now require at least one agent to wear a body camera during vehicle stops.

“I want the American people to see what the officers saw when they took that action,” he told the Fox & Friends Weekend programme on the Fox News network.

Trump, meanwhile, has urged the agency to continue traffic stops despite the killings.

“We must be strong, tough, and smart, and we CANNOT give up one of I.C.E.‘s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday. “Once we do, we are playing right into the criminal’s hands.”

In addition to the deaths, at least 13 people have been wounded since Trump’s immigration crackdown began, according to The Trace’s Gun Violence Data Hub. At least 52 people have also died while in ICE detention, according to Human Rights Watch.

As of January 2026, ICE had deported more than 540,000 people from the US.

SOAP actor Jack P Shepherd and his wife Hanni Treweek have given fans a glimpse of their new baby girl.

The Coronation Street star appears in family snaps alongside his press office partner and three-week old daughter.

Alongside the pictures, Jack’s spouse wrote: “The best three weeks of my entire life with my baby girl.”

Looking glowing, the new mum can be seen in various pictures cradling the little one and pushing her pram.

Another photo showed the loved-up new parents sharing a kiss.

While they have kept the baby’s face out of shots, you can see her delicate hands and body in a range of tiny floral dresses.

SOAP BABY

Corrie’s Jack P Shepherd welcomes 1st child with wife Hanni & reveals sweet name

DAD REST

Jack P Shepherd ‘taking break’ from Corrie as he counts down to birth of child

Followers commented: “So gorgeous!!!”

A second added: “Awww, your lives will never be the same again… enjoy every moment of her.”

A third gushed: “Look at those little toes! Precious!”

The David Platt actor and his wife have named their daughter Constance Ita Shepherd.

In February, Celebrity Big Brother winner Jack and Hanni revealed they were expecting their first child together.

Hanni shared the happy news on Instagram with a photo of the newborn and wrote: “Our beautiful baby girl has arrived, born peacefully at home, surrounded by love.”

Jack, who plays David Platt in the ITV soap, met Hanni when she worked behind the scenes on the show.

They tied the knot July 2025 in a stunning wedding ceremony up in Manchester after popping the question in 2024 on safari in Africa.

After years of rejecting the idea of reality TV, Jack finally decided to take the plunge after being offered an impressive pay cheque on Celeb BB.

It’s thought he agreed to take part in Celebrity Big Brother to help pay for his wedding.

Jack entered the house alongside Mickey Rourke, Ella Rae Wise and JoJo Siwa.

The star – who is thought to make £250k a year playing David Platt – previously explained how they fell for each other at a mutual friend’s wedding.

The Coronation Street alumni will make his pantomime debut playing the lead role of the Prince in Sleeping Beauty in North Wales later this year.

The dad-of-three will star as the fairy tale prince starting from December 12 through to January 2.

The reality TV winner has played David Platt on Corrie for 26 years but it will be his first time ever starring in a Christmas panto.

Jack already has three children, two with his ex-fiancee and performing arts teacher Lauren Shippey.

The childhood sweethearts called it quits after 15 years and two children together.

Jack was just 14 years old when he began seeing Lauren.

In February 2009, the couple welcomed their first child together, a daughter called Nyla.

The couple then went on to have another baby, a son called Reuben, in December 2013.

July 19 (Asia Today) — “Dip the brush at least 1.2 inches into the sauce, shake it three times and brush each side of the chicken three times.”

The eyes of the participants followed Do Min-su’s hand as he moved a brush across freshly fried chicken Wednesday at Kyochon F&B’s training academy in Osan, about 30 miles south of Seoul.

Layers of glossy soy sauce spread across the crisp coating, demonstrating a preparation method the South Korean fried chicken company has maintained for decades.

Kyochon converted its former headquarters in Osan into an education and visitor center after moving its main office to Pangyo last year.

The academy opened in January as a place where domestic and international visitors can experience the company’s cooking methods and brand philosophy. About 9,600 people from 77 countries visited during its first six months, according to Kyochon.

The building has one underground level and three floors above ground. Its main experience area on the second floor covers about 4,973 square feet.

Training can be conducted simultaneously in three spaces called the Honey Room, Soy Room and Red Room. The floor also contains a brand exhibition area, cooking stations and a smart kitchen.

The exhibition traces Kyochon’s expansion beyond fried chicken into other food and beverage businesses.

Displays introduce the group’s Fermentation Workshop 1991 traditional liquor brand, Moon Bear craft beer and K&P Food, which produces the pickled radish commonly served with Korean fried chicken.

The cooking demonstration attracted the most attention.

Do, who leads Kyochon’s 1991 School team, lowered a 2.28-pound chicken into oil heated to 356 degrees Fahrenheit. The sound of frying filled the room as the aroma spread through the demonstration area.

The first frying took about 10 minutes.

Do said Kyochon fries chicken at a higher temperature than many other brands to create its characteristic crisp texture.

The chicken weighed about 1.62 pounds after the first frying because moisture had escaped during cooking.

The staff then shook off loose pieces of batter over a wire screen in a shaping process before frying the chicken again for one to two minutes.

Its final weight was about 1.41 pounds.

The two-stage process creates the thin, crisp coating associated with Kyochon chicken.

After the frying was completed, attention shifted to the application of sauce.

Kyochon calls its method the “333 sauce rule.” The cook dips the brush at least 1.2 inches into the sauce to collect garlic particles, shakes it three times and brushes each side of the chicken three times.

Preparing one chicken requires an average of 72 brushstrokes.

“The repeated brushwork ensures that the sauce is applied evenly so customers get the same flavor from every piece,” Do said.

Restaurants may slightly adjust the amount of sauce in response to customer requests, he said, but they must remain within standards established by the company.

Across from the cooking area, a collaborative kitchen robot repeatedly moved its mechanical arms as visitors watched through a glass partition.

The robot automatically handled battering and both stages of frying.

Kyochon said 33 of the robots are operating at 25 restaurants in South Korea, while four are in use at three overseas locations, including restaurants in the United States.

The company plans to expand kitchen automation by developing additional battering equipment and robots capable of applying sauce.

After the demonstration, participants took up their own brushes.

They applied sauce with varying levels of skill, finished their own chicken and concluded the program by eating the food they had prepared with side dishes.

Kyochon is developing Kyochon 1991 School as a program for introducing Korean fried chicken culture to international visitors.

The company works with 11 organizations, including the Korea Tourism Organization and the Korean Food Promotion Institute, to offer programs for foreign tourists.

It has also held culinary exchange events with visiting international chefs.

Beginning next year, Kyochon plans to add programs in which visitors can make pickled radish, traditional Korean fermented sauces and traditional alcoholic drinks.

“The Osan academy was created to allow visitors to directly experience the cooking philosophy and brand competitiveness Kyochon has developed,” a company representative said.

“We will expand our education and experience programs, create more opportunities to engage with customers in Korea and overseas and develop the academy into a center for promoting the value of Korean fried chicken.”

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260719010006513

US President Donald Trump said the latest strikes on Iran, now in their ninth consecutive night, were carried out ‘in honour’ of American military personnel killed in Jordan and Iraq. The latest casualty figures bring the total number of US service members killed since the war began to 17, with more than 420 others wounded.

A stuggling family was given a much needed lifeline from a millionaire couple

A struggling family couldn’t hide their emotions after a wealthy couple gave them a fresh start.

They felt like they’d “won the lottery” after the wealthy pair cleared their £6,000 worth of debt and handed the father a chance to pursue his dream of breaking into property development.

The emotional moment happened during an episode of Rich House, Poor House, which originally aired in 2024. At the time, viewers were joined by Kev and Emma Wing, along with their twins Mollie and Peyton, who live in a two-bedroom rented house in Derbyshire.

Seeing how the top 1% live, they swapped lives for a week with world champion football freestyler Liv Cooke and her partner Gal Ozery, who split their time between a lavish manor house in Lower Bagthorpe, Nottinghamshire, and Los Angeles.

The two families couldn’t be more different as the Wings live on a mere £78.25 a week after bills and with money short, meanwhile enjoyed Liv and Gal enjoy the high life with a generous £2,000 budget at their fingertips.

During the swap, the Wings, who are a football-mad family, splashed nearly £1,000 on souvenirs at their beloved Derby County shop and Kev got behind the wheel of a £195,000 Lamborghini.

And his aspiring Lioness daughters received coaching from Ryan Hopper, who works with professional players including Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot.

While Liv and Gal enjoy wealth far beyond the Wings’ wildest dreams, they lack the one thing Liv yearns for most – children. Liv said: “Having a child and making our family unit is the only thing we’re missing.”

Things then took a turn when the couple were left stunned to discover that the Wings had no savings whatsoever and were £6,000 in the red.

Liv, who amassed her wealth through property development, and Gal, who heads up a company supplying private jets and luxury watches to ultra-wealthy clients, were keen to help the family so they decided to offer them a much needed lifeline.

Liv told the couple: “We’ve seen the sacrifices that you two have made for the girls and you’ve got a beautiful life. We’ve decided that we’d like to pay off that debt for you and give you that chance.”

Kev and Emma broke down in tears as Gal continued: “We hope that this makes you feel like every day when you get up, you’re excited for the day and you’re ready to build.”

Emma whipped away her tears as she replied: “I’ve got nothing to say other than thank you so much.” The generosity didn’t stop there as the millionaire pair wanted to help Kev pursue his dreams of getting on the property ladder.

Liv turned to Kev and said: “If you do want to pursue your interest in property, I’d be more than happy to train you up… we can do it slow, we can do it alongside your job so there’s no risk there but if we can get you in that market, getting on the ladder, I think that would be the real life-changing thing.”

Visibly moved said: “It does feel now like we’ve won the lottery.” His favourite part of the lifestyle swap was spending time with his family, adding: “It’s like Christmas every day.”

You can catch up on Rich House, Poor House on Channel 5.

July 19 (UPI) — Second lady Usha Vance gave birth Sunday to her fourth child, JD Vance announced, making him the first sitting vice president in more than 150 years to welcome the birth of a child.

“We are excited to announce that our baby boy, Alec Neel Vance, was born this morning,” JD said in a statement.

“Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother.”

The Vances have three other children: two sons, Ewan and Vivek, ages 9 and 6, respectively; and a 4-year-old daughter, Mirabel.

“The incredible military doctors and staff members of Walter Reed [National Military Medical Center] and the White House Medical Center and the White House Medical Unit have been a blessing,” JD continued.

“We are deeply thankful for all they have done for our family.”

Usha — a lawyer who resigned from Munger, Tolles & Olson on the day her husband was tapped to be Donald Trump‘s running mate in 2024 — announced her fourth pregnancy in January with a due date of late July.

With the birth, the Vances became the first vice presidential couple to welcome a child while in office since Vice President Schuyler Colfax’s wife, second lady Ellen Maria Colfax, gave birth to Schuyler Colfax III in 1870.

Spanish fans spent the night partying in Madrid after their team defeated Argentina 1-0 in the final of the World Cup. Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler reports from the heart of the celebrations in Madrid.

Rumours are rife that Big Brother presenter AJ Odudu is considering a move from ITV to the BBC after her reality fashion show M&S: Dress the Nation was axed and CBB got delayed

AJ Odudu has sparked speculation that she may cut ties with ITV to pursue bigger roles at the BBC. The 38-year-old TV presenter has reportedly landed a role on a celebrity version of a hit BBC show – just as ITV has axed and delayed some of her major projects.

A new report has suggested AJ will soon be swapping her stylish gladrags for Lycra as a contestant on the celebrity version of Gladiators. Her casting in the physical trial show comes as ITV has axed reality fashion competition M&S: Dress The Nation, which AJ co-hosted alongside Vernon Kay, 52.

There are also fears that Celebrity Big Brother may never return to screens – having been ditched for 2026 and amid rumours it may not return in 2027. AJ hosts Big Brother and the celeb-packed version of the show alongside Will Best – with the pair helming the franchise since it returned on ITV in 2023.

Celebrity Gladiators would mark a triumphant return to the BBC for AJ, who was a frontrunner to win Strictly Come Dancing in 2021, only for an injury to force her out of the competition. A source has told The Sun: “The timing of this is particularly interesting because, since she did spectacularly well on Strictly in 2021, she hasn’t done any big shows for the Beeb. Instead, she seems to have focused her energies on ITV — but now a couple of her shows are facing the chop, and Gladiators has come along.

“It will leave some people in TV Land wondering whether she might be considering making a long-term move back to where things really took off for her.” The Mirror has contacted AJ’s representatives for comment.

AJ is not the only Big Brother host to be heading to the BBC this autumn, as her co-host Will Best, 41, will also be on the national broadcaster as a contestant on the 2026 season of Strictly.

After his appointment was announced, Will declared: “I can’t quite believe it…I’m doing Strictly! What an absolute dream. Albeit a pretty terrifying one”.

He continued: “I’ve been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait! I have no idea if I can actually dance, but bring on the sequins, bring on the quicksteps, bring on the dance floor! I’m going to try to enjoy every minute of it.”

The 2026 season of Strictly will see Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe take over as hosts following the shock exit of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman at the end of last year.

Will will join Paralympic cyclist & swimmer Dame Sarah Storey, EastEnders star Lacey Turner, Australian pop singer Delta Goodrem, hairdresser Chris Appleton and former Love Island contestants Dani Dyer and Cach Mercer in the 2026 line-up. Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood are set to return as judges.

The BBC is hoping fans of the long-running dance show will enjoy the new line-up of presenters, with Chief Content Officer Kate Phillips decreeing back in May: “Emma, Johannes and Josh’s chemistry is undeniable. There’s been so much speculation and hype, so I’m relieved we can share the news with the public at last.

“I’d like to thank all the brilliant people we saw before making this tough decision. But the most beloved ballroom in the UK always leads the way, and in a Strictly first we have chosen three outstanding hosts to take up the mantle.

“Along with our amazing Strictly team, who are busy planning fabulous and unforgettable treats for this new series, I know this terrific trio can’t wait to join our judges and pros to bring us must-see TV on the BBC this autumn.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

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.”

Securing growth

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.

From response to prevention

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 enforcement gap

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.”

Why it matters

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.”

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.