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Argentina's stunning comeback sends the defending champions into the World Cup final, Washington and Tehran trade new threats as fears grow over global energy supplies, and a major international survey points to shifting views of US and Chinese leadership.

Plus, France passes an assisted-dying law and new Alzheimer's research offers cautious optimism.

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The Big Read

Argentina Stun England With Late Goals to Reach the World Cup Final

Anthony Gordon put England ahead in a raucous Atlanta stadium, and for an hour the Three Lions looked bound for their first final in six decades. Then Argentina roared back through Enzo Fernández and a late Lautaro Martínez strike to win the semifinal 2-1, sending the defending champions through to a title clash with Spain and leaving England to relive their agony since 1966.

The comeback revived one of soccer's most combustible rivalries, with Lionel Messi pulling the strings and Harry Kane unable to find an equalizer. Days of buildup had framed the fixture as a grudge match freighted with history, from Maradona's "Hand of God" to Beckham's red card, and the frantic finish delivered on every ounce of that tension.

The US Tightens the Screws on Iran as Tehran Threatens the World's Energy Arteries

Washington reimposed a naval blockade and launched a fresh wave of airstrikes as the conflict entered a volatile new phase more than four months after the first shots. President Trump vowed to strike Iran's bridges and power plants as soon as next week unless Tehran returns to the negotiating table over its nuclear program.

Iran answered by threatening to choke off shipping lanes well beyond the Strait of Hormuz, a warning that rattled oil traders and allied capitals alike. Analysts caution the open-ended campaign risks hardening into what some now call a "forever war", with neither side offering a credible path to de-escalation and civilian casualties mounting on both fronts.

Survey Finds More Nations Now Favor China Over the United States

A sweeping new Pew study suggests global opinion has tilted, with more people viewing China favorably than the United States across a wide range of surveyed countries. Respondents in many of those nations also expressed greater confidence in Xi Jinping than in Donald Trump to steer world affairs responsibly.

The findings arrive as Washington leans on tariffs and military pressure while Beijing steadily courts trading partners across the Global South. Analysts say the widening reputational gap could complicate US efforts to rally allies on trade, technology, and security at a moment when those coalitions matter most.

World View

Death Toll in Bangkok Pub Fire Climbs to 32

The number of people killed in a fire at a popular Bangkok music bar rose to 32, with dozens more still hospitalized and some in critical condition. Thai investigators are examining the venue's exits and electrical systems as the bar's own house band mourns members lost in the blaze.

Ebola Cases in Congo Surge Past 2,000 as Health Workers Strike

The outbreak in Congo has now exceeded 2,000 cases and 754 deaths, overwhelming an already fragile and underfunded response. More frontline health workers walked off the job this week over unpaid wages and safety fears, raising the risk that the epidemic spreads across borders.

France Gives Final Approval to Assisted-Dying Law

France's National Assembly granted final approval to a bill allowing assisted dying for terminally ill adults who meet strict criteria, closing years of emotional and contentious debate. The measure places France among a growing group of European nations permitting the practice under tightly drawn medical and legal safeguards.

Need To Know

House Rejects Bid to Cut Off Military Aid to Israel

The House defeated an attempt to halt US military assistance to Israel in a vote that split the Democratic caucus down the middle. The outcome laid bare a widening intraparty fracture over Middle East policy, made sharper by the ongoing Iran conflict and rising casualties in Gaza.

Appeals Court Ends Decades-Old Louisiana Desegregation Order

A federal appeals court dissolved a school desegregation order in Louisiana that had governed local districts for generations. Civil-rights advocates warned the decision could accelerate the unwinding of similar court oversight across the South, where dozens of such orders remain technically in force.

Rights Groups Sue Over Trump's Sanctions on the ICC

A coalition of human rights organizations filed suit challenging sanctions on the International Criminal Court imposed over its investigations touching Israel. The plaintiffs argue the penalties unlawfully chill legitimate legal advocacy and punish Americans for advocacy the Constitution protects.

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Money & Markets

Wholesale Prices Unexpectedly Fell 0.3% in June

US producer prices dropped 0.3% from May to June on a sharp pullback in energy costs, a softer reading than most economists had forecast. Analysts cautioned the outlook remains cloudy, warning that renewed oil gains tied to the Iran conflict could quickly reverse the relief in the months ahead.

Fed Chair Warsh Defends His Independence Before the Senate

Kevin Warsh acknowledged to the Senate banking committee that he meets "often" with the Trump administration, but insisted the central bank stays independent in setting policy. He pledged a sweeping "regime change" in approach aimed at wringing what he called an inflation "tax" out of ordinary Americans' budgets.

Musk's Rocket Company Is Whipsawing Retail Traders

Trading in SpaceX has been notably volatile since the company went public a month ago, with big swings in both directions rattling retail investors who piled in on day one. The stock has now given back its post-listing gains.

Future Frontiers

Alibaba's Qwen AI Set to Power Apple Intelligence in China

Alibaba's US-listed shares jumped 4% after reports that its Qwen model will be integrated into Apple Intelligence for users in China. The partnership marks a long-awaited breakthrough for Apple's stalled AI rollout in a market where regulators require a domestic partner for such features.

Trump Blasts New York's Moratorium on AI Data Centers

Trump lashed out at Governor Kathy Hochul after New York paused construction of large data centers for a year while it studies energy and climate impacts. The clash spotlights how the AI building boom is colliding head-on with strained power grids and mounting local resistance.

Experimental Alzheimer's Drug Targets a Different Brain Protein

Researchers reported that a new therapy showed early promise by going after the tau protein rather than the amyloid plaques most treatments have chased. The fresh approach offers a rare glimmer in a field littered with costly failures, though scientists stressed the findings still need larger trials.

The Score

FIFA Defends Its Referee After French Complaints

Soccer's governing body publicly backed the "world-class" official who worked Spain's win over France, firmly rejecting criticism from Les Bleus over several disputed calls. The pushback set the stage for a charged run-up to Sunday's final between Spain and Argentina.

Heading Footballs Caused Nobby Stiles' Brain Disease, Coroner Rules

A coroner concluded that England's 1966 World Cup winner developed his degenerative brain disease as a direct result of repeatedly heading the ball over his career. The landmark finding intensifies pressure on the sport to better protect players from the long-term neurological toll of the game.

A'ja Wilson Drafted No. 1 as WNBA All-Star Captains Choose Teams

A'ja Wilson went first overall as the league's captains built their All-Star rosters in a playground-style draft, cementing her standing as the WNBA's marquee talent. The picks set up an entertaining showcase weekend as the league rides a wave of surging popularity and attendance.

Life & Culture

Post Malone, Tom Cruise and IShowSpeed to Headline the Closing Ceremony

Organizers unveiled a star-studded lineup, with Post Malone, Tom Cruise and IShowSpeed joining the World Cup closing ceremony's cast. The spectacle aims to cap the tournament with a splashy blend of music, Hollywood, and internet stardom for a global television audience in the hundreds of millions.

Lucas, Foster, Weaver Get France's Legion of Honor

Emmanuel Macron awarded France's Legion of Honor to George Lucas, Jodie Foster, Sigourney Weaver, and Illumination founder Chris Meledandri at a ceremony at the Élysée Palace. It's France's highest civilian distinction.

Bill Maher on Comedy, Atheism and Dining With Trump

The comedian sat for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, free speech, and his much-scrutinized dinner with the president. He reflected candidly on the challenge of staying provocative in an era when the comedic middle ground keeps shrinking from both directions.

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Deep Dive

SpaceX Slips Below Its IPO Price as the Hype Meets Reality

What happened: SpaceX shares fell beneath their $135 offering price for the first time since the company went public roughly a month ago, capping a jittery debut for the most anticipated market listing in years. The slide erased the first-day pop that greeted the rocket maker's arrival and left many early buyers underwater on one of the market's most closely watched names. What was pitched as a generational chance to own a piece of the space age has, at least for now, become a lesson in how quickly enthusiasm can cool.

Why it matters: The stock has become an effective referendum on Elon Musk's sprawling empire and on the broader "space economy" narrative that lured a wave of retail investors into the offering. Trading has been unusually volatile since the debut, swinging on Musk's public commentary, launch schedules, and shifting appetite for richly valued technology bets. A sustained drop could chill sentiment across the long pipeline of space and defense startups hoping to follow SpaceX onto the public markets, and it complicates the paper wealth of employees holding newly liquid shares.

The key variables: Much rides on Starlink's subscriber growth, the cadence and cost of launches, and Musk's ability to keep his many other ventures from distracting from the core business. A crucial Starship test flight is expected this week, and any setback on the pad could weigh further on a stock still searching for a floor. Government contracts and competition from rivals add another layer of uncertainty.

What to watch: Watch whether SpaceX can reclaim its $135 debut price, how the coming Starship launch is received, and when early-investor lockups begin to expire and unleash more supply. Broader risk appetite matters too, since climbing oil prices and the Iran conflict are keeping high-growth technology names on a notably short leash.

Extra Bits

  • Repairs left the National Mall's Reflecting Pool drained and revealed that its much-touted "American flag blue" liner now looks a lot closer to gray.

  • A museum in Hungary used forensic techniques to bring ancient Roman faces back to life, letting visitors stare into the reconstructed eyes of people who lived nearly two millennia ago.

  • An artist transformed Paris's historic Pont Neuf into an immersive optical-illusion "cave", drawing crowds even as the city sweltered through a punishing summer heat wave.

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—The Five Minute Daily Team

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