  In the light of LHC data, we discuss the global description of all high
energy elastic and diffractive data, using a one-pomeron model, but including
multi-pomeron interactions. The LHC data indicate the need of a $k_t(s)$
behaviour, where $k_t$ is the gluon transverse momentum along the partonic
ladder structure which describes the pomeron. We also discuss tensions in the
data, as well as the $t$ dependence of the slope of $d\sigma_{el}/dt$ in the
small $t$ domain.
