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Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein held a telephone conversation to discuss the situation in the Middle East and bilateral cooperation.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Rutnick: The United States has reached a very good agreement on the Gordi Howe International Bridge (the U.S.-Canada transnational bridge). The United States will receive 50% of the net revenue up to 2041 and will have a say in setting tolls.

According to the New York Times, U.S. officials said that Iranian attacks on U.S. military bases in Jordan damaged several U.S. helicopters and injured dozens of U.S. personnel.

July 19th - According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. labor market remains robust according to most key indicators. However, nearly two million Americans have been unable to find work for at least six months. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that in June, the number of long-term unemployed (unemployed for 27 consecutive weeks or more) accounted for 27.3% of the total unemployed, up 4 percentage points from a year ago. This proportion is close to its highest level since the end of 2021. Because the overall unemployment rate remains low, the size of the long-term unemployed population is not yet sufficient to cause a substantial shock to the economy. However, analysts say its ripple effects are accumulating. Preston Mooy, senior economist at Employ America, said, "We haven't seen large-scale layoffs in the past few years, so the number of short-term unemployed has remained relatively stable. But at the same time, hiring activity has seen a fairly significant decline." Even if some long-term unemployed people find new jobs, the weak hiring environment means more people are constantly joining the long-term unemployed group, keeping this number consistently high.

Ukrainian President Zelensky: Decisions regarding the military will continue to be made through consultation.

Ukrainian President Zelensky: I spoke today with Alexander Sylsky, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

July 19th - According to CNN, the US military announced that two US troops stationed in Jordan were killed in action yesterday, and another is missing. This news is bound to further fuel anger among those in the US who oppose the war. In the first phase of the US-Iran war, 13 US military personnel have already died. Subsequently, a pilot died in a plane crash, bringing the death toll to 14. The latest casualties will bring the total number of US military deaths to 16, or even 17. This is clearly an extremely difficult moment for Trump. The American public generally does not support the war, and these casualties are likely to further erode public support for the war.

July 19th - According to Axios, US military officials stated that two US service members were killed and several others injured in an Iranian ballistic missile attack on a Jordanian airbase on Saturday. This attack marks the first US military deaths since the conflict resumed two weeks ago. It also brings the total number of US military deaths in this round of the war to 16. It is reported that Iran launched at least two ballistic missiles on Saturday, hitting the Mowafak Salti airbase in Jordan. This base houses US troops and fighter jets.

U.S. Central Command: Two U.S. service members were killed in Jordan on July 17, and another U.S. service member is missing.

July 19th - A study released on the 18th by the Italian Confederation of Business, Tourism and Services Businesses indicates that with increasingly frequent extreme weather events, prolonged heatwaves could cause Italy economic losses of €6 billion to €12 billion (approximately RMB 46.5 billion to 93 billion) annually. The report points out that if Italy experiences 30 to 60 days of extreme heat each year, businesses will face multiple pressures, including rising energy costs, decreased labor productivity, forced increases in adaptive investments, and reduced turnover. High temperatures will also alter consumer and tourism habits, further impacting the commerce and tourism sectors.

On July 19th, local time, on the evening of July 18th, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei stated that the United States' repeated violations of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (Iran-US Memorandum of Understanding) once again proved that the signature of the US president was "worthless and invalid." In a statement, Khamenei emphasized that the US actions exposed "bullying, power politics, and barbarity" as integral parts of American behavior and style. He stated that the US "has once again revealed its true and undisguised face. This dark experience filled with evil and treachery has once again become irrefutable evidence of the US's hypocrisy, unreasonableness, breach of trust, and despicable nature. Iran and the resistance have left the US with unforgettable lessons."

July 19 - The Kuwaiti Fire Department reported that several Kuwaiti firefighters were injured in multiple fires sparked by Iranian attacks. Firefighters brought under control of two fires that broke out this afternoon local time, triggered by the Iranian attacks. In one of the affected areas, several firefighters and an oil industry worker were injured. The area was attacked again during the firefighting operation. Firefighters also extinguished three other fires caused by shrapnel falling into residential areas; these fires did not result in any injuries.

Advisor to the Ukrainian Interior Minister: The attacks in Ukraine have reduced Russia's oil refining capacity.

Advisor to the Ukrainian Interior Minister: Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval rating has declined significantly.

According to Iranian state media, the Supreme Leader of Iran's speech on the funeral ceremony for Iranian martyrs, as well as his explanation of several important national issues, will be released in a few minutes.

Market news: Amazon's (AMZN.O) Zoox has voluntarily recalled 105 driverless taxis to address a software issue that caused the vehicles to fail to detect dense smoke and drive directly into it.