July 15th 2026

The Economist Today Our best journalism, handpicked each day

Brooke Unger Senior digital editor

China gives the impression that its open-source artificial-intelligence models are more cuddly than America’s domineering proprietary ones.  And so everybody that is not America should adopt its technology. Don’t be fooled, warns The Telegram, our geopolitics column. If you’re planning to watch the World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina this evening, here’s some background reading for you. It explains why theirs is “the most intense transcontinental sports rivalry in history”. Tonight’s match will be Lionel Messi’s first (and probably last) against England; haunting the stadium in Atlanta will be the Falkland islands and “the hand of God”.

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Editor’s picks A selection of must-read articles

The Telegram When China’s open-source AI is a trap America’s quest for AI dominance is scary. China is not the solution

→ China is having another AI moment

Best of enemies Argentina v England is one of the most intense rivalries in sport The two countries have not played each other in over two decades

Distilled distress Trump’s Hormuz brinkmanship is worsening a global fuel crunch Rising oil prices are only part of the problem

An epic mistake A very silly adaptation of “The Odyssey” Sir Christopher Nolan’s film is emblematic of its time

Lingering spirits Haunted houses are in demand in Japan What’s behind the growing desire for once-shunned “incident properties”?

More of our coverage ▸ Britain’s bookies have weathered a tricky World Cup. But bigger problems are stacking up. Tax and licensing reforms in the early 2000s were intended to allow gambling to flourish in the internet age. They succeeded—until the political wind changed. ▸ A squeezed China is trying to wring more from its state assets. Cities need cash as the country’s property market remains in a tailspin. Officials have been looking for new ways to raise money. Some are almost comical. ▸ What investment gurus get wrong. Legions of social-media “finfluencers” spout off recommendations to anyone, anywhere. The advice they give reflects their countries’ financial culture, rather than the other way around.

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