Antony Starr penned an emotional goodbye to his “The Boys” character Homelander on Wednesday as the Amazon series wrapped production on its fifth and final season, calling the experience “the highlight of my career.”
In a lengthy Instagram caption alongside behind-the-scenes photos from the superhero satire, Starr said he’s “been waiting a little to let things settle and process the end of this show” before posting.
“Difficult (for me) to put into words what an incredible ride this has been. How much life and growth has occurred. How amazing the team is. It’s truly been the highlight of my career,” Starr wrote. “When we began, I had no idea what was coming. This juggernaut left the station and never stopped. Except for that Covid moment. Oh and the strikes. That was a thing too. But apart from those two times, it never stopped, boldly making its mark on the television landscape. There’s nothing else like it. It lives in its own lane.”
With production on the final season having wrapped, Starr then handed out thank yous to “the incredible Canadian crew. The amazing production team. The insanely talented cast. The people at Amazon and Sony that took a chance on this insane thing(and made the great choice in casting me😂)and all the other people that contributed in some way, big or small, to this beautiful, complex, warped, delicious show.”
Of playing Homelander, the extremely powerful and egotistical leader of corrupt superhero group The Seven, Starr said: “This complicated character allowed the space and range to discover and push boundaries in a way I never expected and I will always be grateful for this experience.”
He then thanked showrunner Eric Kripke, who he called his “co-parent with this twisted gem of a character.”
“We created a monster, sir. And I will miss him, and you,” he continued. “Til we roll out the last season. When I’ll see you. But this creative chapter is closed , and I’ll miss it, brother.”
Finally, Starr gave a “massive thank you to the fans. You are the life blood. Without you, we don’t get to do this. And our fans are second to none. Mad love to you….and deepest respect for your taste.”
He concluded: “Okidoke people. We cooked for the last time. Can’t wait to show you what we made. TIL that day, Homelander, signing off.”
“The Boys” first debuted in 2019 and has received both commercial and critical acclaim, landing eight Emmy nominations including for outstanding drama series. Though the final season of “The Boys” isn’t expected to air until next year, spinoff series “Gen V” — which follows college-aged supes — is set to premiere its second season on Sept. 17.
Matheus Cunha, Diego Leon and Bryan Mbeumo were all present as well, as they await their competitive debuts for the club.
Cunha and Mbeumo started in the penalty shootout win over Fiorentina in the Snapdragon Cup in our final warm-up fixture, getting a taste of the Old Trafford atmosphere as a Red for the first time, while young wing-back Leon was an unused substitute.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have a doubt over forward Leandro Trossard, who has a groin issue, and Gabriel Jesus is still sidelined, after being injured against United back in January.
More team news will be forthcoming after Amorim and Mikel Arterta hold their pre-match press conferences later in the week.
• Several treatments for anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) are available. None has been proven better in terms of removing AIN or preventing the return of the disease.
• Overall, few people with AIN will develop anal cancer. However, people receiving treatment for AIN have a lower risk of developing anal cancer.
What is anal intraepithelial neoplasia?
Anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) is a rare condition in the anal skin or anal mucosa (the moist tissue that lines the anal canal) caused by infection with human papillomavirus. However, certain population groups have a higher risk of AIN, including people living with HIV, men who have sex with men, and immunosuppressed people (i.e. when the immune system is weaker than normal). AIN is most often without symptoms, but may lead to itching, bleeding, or the sensation of an anal mass. AIN is not cancer, but the abnormal cells are believed to be able to develop into anal cancer (squamous cell carcinoma).
How is anal intraepithelial neoplasia treated?
There are several treatments for AIN. It can be removed surgically or destroyed with heat by infrared coagulation or electrocauterisation devices (i.e. tools that use heat or electricity to safely burn, seal, or destroy tissue). AIN can also be treated with topical ointments (locally applied gels or creams) with imiquimod, a medication that stimulates the immune system, or topical fluorouracil ointment, which stops the growth of the AIN cells.
What did we want to find out?
We wanted to find out which treatments are best to remove AIN, prevent the development of anal cancer, and remove human papillomavirus. We also wanted to know if the treatments cause any unwanted effects.
What did we do?
We searched for studies that investigated and compared different treatments for AIN and the development of cancer. We compared and summarised the results, and rated our confidence in the evidence, based on factors such as study methods, precision, and study sizes.
What did we find?
We found five studies eligible for inclusion, involving 4907 participants. All participants in the studies were people living with HIV. Most were men with a median age of 45 to 51 years. The studies were conducted in the USA, Spain, the UK, and the Netherlands.
The main results came from one study comparing high-resolution anoscopy-guided treatments (where a powerful magnifying device is used to spot problem areas in or around the anus) to active monitoring. The study included 4446 participants, and its main focus was the development of anal cancer. Researchers found that the number of people with AIN who develop anal cancer is low, but also that people who received treatment for AIN had a lower risk of developing anal cancer than those in the active monitoring group. However, the evidence is very uncertain.
The study also asked 124 people about their health-related quality of life while they participated in the study. Researchers found that those in the active monitoring group reported a worsening in psychological functioning in the 28 days after joining the study, whereas people in the treatment group reported no change in quality of life measures in the same timeframe. However, the evidence is very uncertain.
Two per cent (43 of 2227) of participants in the treatment group and 0.2% (4 of 2219) in the active monitoring group reported unwanted events, mostly mild pain. However, the evidence is very uncertain.
The study did not assess other important outcomes we were interested in, including the removal of AIN, the removal of human papillomavirus, whether AIN became less severe, or the recurrence of AIN.
Details about treatments and results in the other four studies are available in the review.
What are the limitations of the evidence?
We are not confident in the evidence because all participants in the studies were people living with HIV, whereas the question we wanted to answer was broader. The studies also did not assess all the outcomes we were interested in.
How current is this evidence?
This review updates the previous Cochrane review of treatments for anal canal intraepithelial neoplasia. This evidence is current to April 2025.
Former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is set for a medical at Leeds United after reaching an agreement to join the newly promoted Premier League side on a free transfer.
The 28-year-old ended his nine-year stay at Everton in June, saying it was an “incredibly difficult decision” to leave the club.
Calvert-Lewin scored 71 goals in 273 games for Everton after joining from Sheffield United for £1.5m in 2016.
Leeds’ other striking options are Joel Piroe and Lukas Nmecha, while Patrick Bamford has been told he is “not part” of manager Daniel Farke’s plans this season and Mateo Joseph has joined Mallorca on loan.
Calvert-Lewin’s best season was in 2020-21, when he scored 16 goals in 33 Premier League games and was part of the England squad that reached the final of the European Championship that summer.
He struggled with injuries and form the following season and in 2024-25 started just over half of the 26 matches he played.
He has not added to his 11 England caps and four goals since 2021.
As the Hundred fires into primary-coloured summer action, all free T-shirts and AI fan photos, the Spin has been putting her feet up, coffee in one hand, notebook in the other, chewing over the Championship season to date.
If the notebook has proved a bitter disappointment, scribbled with long-forgotten three for 67s, the ruminations have been fun. It’s been a season of surprises – Leicestershire! Lancashire! – and memorable moments, from Tom Banton’s 371 in the very first game to Ian Botham’s thunder and fury over Somerset’s field-of-onions pitch for the game against Durham.
But in all the gin joints, in all the towns, the one player to have left the biggest impression is young, still so young Rehan Ahmed – who celebrates his 21st birthday on Wednesday.
Ahmed, you’ll remember, made a precocious debut for England in Karachi in December 2022, aged just 18 years and 126 days, nudging Brian Close into the wings – which is quite some feat in itself. With his wheeling leg-breaks he fizzed five for 48 in the second innings, to help England to an eight-wicket victory, and looked feet-on-the sofa at home in the Bazball set-up. Since then, he’s played here and there, another four Tests, plus six ODIs and 10 T20s, but nothing since last autumn.
Progress after his Test debut was haphazard, as you’d expect for a teenager yet to settle in his own skin. In 2024, he played eight Championship games for Leicestershire, made four 50s and averaged 33 with the bat. With the ball, he pocketed 13 wickets at a less than dreamy 60.69.
This year, with just three games of the season to come, he has played in 10, and is averaging more than 50, with five centuries (the joint leading hundred-scorer in Division Two, alongside Kent’s Ben Compton and Saif Zaib – who has had a fantastic season for Northamptonshire). With the ball, the improvement has been even more precipitous, with 23 wickets at an average of 19 – and much of that bowling on the merciless Grace Road square.
But the figures only sketch an outline, and Ahmed is a technicolour player, an energy bath bomb with a textbook technique. The Spin has been lucky enough to watch him razzle-dazzle two hundreds in the flesh this year – both against Lancashire, one at Old Trafford, one at Grace Road, opponent-draining, sparkling innings so much better than the previous blind boundary biffing. He added another against Kent, another against Glamorgan and became the first Englishman to take 13 wickets and score a century in a first-class game since Ian Botham in the Jubilee Test of 1980, after taking Derbyshire to the cleaners with both bat and ball.
His season to remember has tickled the spectators at Grace Road, as well as the playing staff. And not only because because of his role in firing them towards promotion to Division One, now only a fingertip away. He is also a genuinely popular young man.
Rehan Ahmed bowling for Leicestershire in July 2025. Photograph: John Mallett/ProSports/Shutterstock
On the field, a move up the order has brought more responsibility, something that he has relished. And with the ball he has found more control – whereas previously a first over of a spell might have been loose, and gone for 10 runs, this year he’s kept on top of the scoreboard. Those who’ve watched him from the sidelines have seen a subtle shift – from someone who was always a good teammate to someone who wants to take his game to the next level. Someone who, from the first moment of pre-season, meant business.
Claude Henderson is Leicestershire’s director of cricket. “I think there is much more to come, we’re not even close to seeing Rehan Ahmed’s best,” he says. “There is a massive ceiling there. It must be very exciting for England to watch – having Rehan in the top six would solve a lot of problems for them. It is very exciting for us too!
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“I’ve always said you’ve got a hell of a batsman there. The skills and the hunger and the passion – that’s what shines out, that’s what I saw in his eyes when he was 18 years old. He’s a very honest young man, he just wants to play cricket, loves a challenge, what you see is what you get.
“His introduction to cricket happened very quickly and that creates a bit of pressure but he’s come through with flying colours. His fitness has improved, his bowling has improved, which is really good to see, he is more mature. He’s grown up a bit and all while scoring the runs, taking the wickets, with a massive smile on his face.”
Would Henderson take Ahmed on the Ashes tour, with all the pressures that brings? “I would definitely consider him. I know what he can offer. If they are comfortable that he can bat in the top seven, then you’ve got an all-rounder up your sleeve. He has shown in the Championship, and now in the Hundred, what he is capable of with the bat. He’s changed the whole perception of Rehan Ahmed – hold on a sec, I can bat, give me a go, I can win you a game with bat and ball.”
Happy birthday Rehan, may your summer continue to sizzle and your winter entertain you, and us, royally.
The Perseid meteor shower peaked on Aug 12–13, overcoming the glare of a waning gibbous moon to put on a spectacular show of shooting stars that delighted onlookers worldwide.
The Perseids are active every July and August as Earth barrels through the trail of dusty debris shed by the wandering comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Our planet plowed through the densest part of the comet’s trail on Aug. 12-13, when countless cometary shards collided with Earth, burning up in spectacular fashion as they were overcome by the friction of atmospheric entry.
In previous years, the Perseids have produced between 50 to 100 meteors per hour at their peak, with shooting stars emanating from a point of origin known as a radiant located in the constellation Perseus. Unfortunately, the 2025 Perseids happened to coincide with the appearance of a waxing gibbous moon, which bleached the sky with moonlight, blotting out all but the brightest members of the ancient meteor shower.
Thankfully, there were still plenty of bright meteors to be seen, which outshone the moon to dazzle stargazers and provide a mesmerizing target for the astronomical community, who captured the shooting stars against a backdrop of aurora and framed spectacular landscapes.
Read on to see a selection of spectacular shooting stars captured during the 2025 Perseid meteor shower.
The 2025 Perseid meteor shower in pictures
Aurora photographer Harlan Thomas struck gold, not only capturing Perseid meteors streaking across the sky but also the northern lights dancing overhead! Similar scenes played out last year when the Perseids’ peak coincided with a powerful geomagnetic storm that sparked auroras over North America.
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Meteors streak through green aurora in the skies above Alberta, Canada.(Image credit: Harlan Thomas)
(Image credit: Harlan Thomas)
(Image credit: Harlan Thomas)
(Image credit: Harlan Thomas)
Photographer Josh Dury captured a breathtaking view of Perseid meteors raining down alongside the glowing band of the Milky Way towards the Durdle Door rock formation on the coast of Dorset in the UK.
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“As this year’s event will be flooded by light of the waning gibbous moon, this image was captured earlier in the month when the moon was at a much smaller phase,” Dury told Space.com in an email. “The challenge being, the peak of the shower would be weeks away. With an integration time of 7 hours, 14 meteors were captured in this composite, tracked image utilising the image sequence.”
Perseid meteors streak towards Durdle Door in this 2025 image from photographer Josh Dury. (Image credit: Josh Dury)
This striking Perseid was snapped by Amreet Kini during the early morning hours of Aug. 3 using a Canon R6 full-frame mirrorless camera with a Rokinon RF 14 mm lens from a rural location in central Illinois.
“This was the brightest meteor of the night and it actually left a ‘smoke’ trail (ionized gas) that lingered for a few seconds,” Kini told Space.com in an email. “I had set my camera on a timer to take 20 second photos continuously but with about 1 second between exposures, and I would have completely missed the meteor if it came by in that one second between shots.”
A shooting star streaks through the night sky next to the Milky Way. (Image credit: Ameet Kini)
Jeff Berkes captured this view of a fiery meteor blazing Earthward with a Nikon Z9 camera while running a night sky photography workshop in Yellowstone, Wyoming.
“The display lasted no [longer than] 1.5 seconds but it felt like an eternity,” said Berkes. “One of the best firefalls I have ever seen and the best one that I have captured over the last 15 years. What a special night this was. With a few meteor showers going on it is hard to tell which one it came from, or if it is a random! Either way, you just never know what you will see when you step out into the night. That is why I love it so much.”
A Perseid meteor crosses the Milky Way in the skies above Yellowstone. (Image credit: Jeff Berkes)
Matt Melnyk was able to snap this rare view of a Perseid blazing through a sky wreathed in colorful aurora at a height of 37,000 feet (11,280 meters) while flying aboard a Boeing 787 ‘Dreamliner’ traveling from Calgary to London on the morning of Aug. 10.
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Matt Melnyk captured this view of a meteor travelling through twisting aurora while travelling 27,000 ft above Earth’s surface.(Image credit: Matt Melnyk)
(Image credit: Matt Melnyk)
Photographer Ercin Erturk set up a striking composition that featured Perseids racing alongside the Milky Way in the sky above the Kusca Fairy Chimneys rock formations in the Cihanbeyli district of Konya, Turkey, on the night of Aug. 12, as the Perseids came to a peak.
Shooting stars captured alongside the Milky Way above the Kusca Fairy Chimneys rock formations in the Cihanbeyli district of Konya, Turkey (Image credit: Photo by Ercin Erturk/Anadolu via Getty Images)
This striking view of a Perseid meteor framed by the columned roof of the Temple of Zeus in the ancient city site of Çavdarhisar was captured on Aug. 13 by Kemal Aslan from the Kütahya Province of Turkey.
Meteors are visible streaking through the night sky beyond the columns of the Temple of Zeus in Turkey. (Image credit: Photo by KEMAL ASLAN/AFP via Getty Images)
This image of a solitary meteor striking through the starry sky above the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China was also captured in the early hours of Aug. 13, as Earth passed through the densest part of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.
A meteor heads Earthward in the skies above the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. (Image credit: Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
A bright Perseid was also spotted brightening the sky above the Monument to the Unknown Hero on Avala Mountain in Belgrade by Andrej Isakovic on the night of Aug. 12, as stargazers gathered to witness the 2025 Perseid maximum.
A meteor brightens the sky above the Monument to the Unknown Hero in Belgrade. (Image credit: Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer Zafer Goder used long-exposure photography to great effect to capture several Perseid meteors streaking through the sky on Aug. 12, alongside the bright lines of star trails, which can be seen circling the north star Polaris in the sky above Turkey.
Star trails and meteors captured in a long-exposure in the skies above Turkey. (Image credit: Photo by Zafer Goder/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Perseids will continue to be active until Aug. 23, albeit at a much lower hourly rate, so it’s still possible to see the famous shooting stars before they disappear from our skies for another year. Stargazers hoping to capture a Perseid should check out our guide to photographing meteor showers and would do well to pick up Josh Dury’s book ’52 Assignments: Night Photography’, which provides practical advice on how to image the night sky.
Editor’s Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com’s readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
LUANDA – MOÇÂMEDES (Angola) – A thorough look at the first four games of the 2025 AfroBasket reveals that the reserve players were the heroes of the day.
Although some starters dominated and contributed greatly to their teams, it was the substitutes who made the biggest impact.
This article highlights some standout performances that were too impactful to overlook.
During the postgame press conference, Guinea coach Nedeljko Asceric was asked about the secret to his team’s shocking 88-80 win over South Sudan. He responded that there was no secret, and his players stuck to the game plan, executing what he expected from them.
However, Asceric didn’t reveal his secret weapon, which completely changed the game’s narrative for Guinea.
With the score tied at 6-6 early in the game, Asceric called Alpha Diallo off the bench, after which the game changed dramatically for the Bright Stars of South Sudan, as Diallo dictated the pace at will. Diallo didn’t sit out until the final buzzer.
The AS Monaco small forward shot 8-for-16 from the floor, including 5-for-10 from deep, and finished with a game-high 28 points. Diallo also grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists, finishing with an efficiency rating of 25.
The former Basketball Without Borders (BWB) camper wasn’t even Senegal’s first option off the bench. In fact, he was the seventh player Coach DeSagana Diop called.
Gueye replaced Moustapha Diop with 1:39 left in the opening quarter.
However, it was in the second quarter that Gueye began his dominant performance.
In his first action, he grabbed a rebound and followed it up with a three-pointer. Next came a midrange shot, and the rest was history.
He went on to help Senegal secure an 88-53 win over Uganda.
In just 18:08 minutes on the floor, Gueye shot 6-for-9, had five rebounds and two assists, and earned a 20 efficiency rating.
As long as Ehab Amin is in good spirits, Egypt is often guaranteed a strong performance, as was the case on Tuesday.
Egypt outlasted Mali 75-59 thanks to a jaw-dropping performance by Amin.
The former U16 and U18 AfroBasket Most Valuable Player made his first impact with a three-pointer that gave Egypt a 9–2 lead. Then, he finished a fast break for a 13-2 lead as Mali struggled to keep up.
The 2023 Basketball Africa League (BAL) champion with Al Ahly SC went on to dominate at will.
The Al Ahly SC guard led the Pharaohs with a team-high 21 points and eight rebounds. He finished with an efficiency rating of 19.
With 1:03 left in the opening quarter, Kevin Kokila entered the game for the first time, replacing Aboubacar Gakou. He was the eighth player off the Angola bench.
First, he grabbed an offensive rebound and followed it with a steal. Then, he scored the first of his 12 points from behind the arc. He buried another three-pointer, raising eyebrows among Angolan fans.
Thanks to the 85-53 win over Libya, hosts Angola opened their 2025 AfroBasket campaign on a positive note.
Other stellar performances
Mamadi Diakite, the 2021 NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks, spent just 19 minutes on the court to help Guinea defeat South Sudan 88-80 on Tuesday.
The 2019 NCAA Division 1 champion with the Virginia Cavaliers shot 6-for-6 from the floor, including 4-for-4 from deep, and finished with 16 points and a 21 efficiency rating.
Jean Jacques Bossy, the 2025 BAL champion with Al Ahli Tripoli, came off the bench as the sixth man and made an immediate impact. He finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists as Senegal dispatched Uganda 88-53.
Egypt’s Mohamed Khalaf recorded the highest efficiency rating of the opening day with 28. He shot 6-for-6 from the floor, including a perfect 2-for-2 from deep, and finished with 16 points and 7 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench. Egypt beat Mali 74-59.
The launch of Moog’s new Messenger monosynth marks the start of what the brand calls “much more universal” gear.
Released this June, Messenger is the first instrument developed entirely under InMusic’s ownership, and it demonstrates Moog’s intent to reach beyond its traditional fanbase while staying true to the analogue roots that made it legendary.
At $799, the Messenger is one of Moog’s most accessible instruments in decades – both in price and in playability. The synth retains the brand’s signature warmth and tonal richness while integrating features aimed at modern players, from recallable presets and a 64-step sequencer with generative capabilities to extensive I/O options, including six CV patch points and high-resolution MIDI over USB-C.
Its one-knob-per-function layout and familiar left-to-right signal path, inspired by the Minimoog Model D of the 70s, make it intuitive for newcomers while still giving experienced users plenty of flexibility.
Speaking with MusicTech, Erik Norlander, Moog’s Director of Keyboard Product Development, says the goal was to create “a compact analogue synthesiser that has all the mojo of Moog’s glorious past, along with some cutting-edge new features for the present… [all] in an accessible package that’s within reach for all musicians.”
For Moog president Joe Richardson, the Messenger signals a broader strategic shift.
“The Messenger is going to be the beginning of a new category of instruments,” he explains. “It’s much more universal than the other gear we’ve got. You should expect to see more of that going forward.”
And while he remains tight-lipped on the specifics, Richardson hints that the digital side of synthesis will play “an important part of the future”. Fans can also expect a broader focus on efficiency, creative flow, and deep sound design from the brand moving forward.
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