Decision Desk HQ projects Republican Senator Sullivan will advance in Alaska's U.S. Senate race.

UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed spoke by phone with US President Trump on the 18th to discuss bilateral cooperation and the regional situation. The US‑Iran conflict remains ongoing; a two‑month window for peace talks recently ended with no progress, and the US says Iran refused to make concessions in indirect negotiations. On the 17th, Mohammed met Oman’s Sultan Haitham in Abu Dhabi to discuss regional security and deepen economic cooperation; both sides agreed to continue cooperating on shared regional challenges and to strengthen their partnership for security and stability.

ECB data on Wednesday showed the euro area current-account surplus widened in June, led by higher primary income including dividends, wages and direct investment. Seasonally adjusted surplus rose to €35.1bn in June from €25.8bn in May (€40.7bn). Unadjusted figures show a €46.9bn surplus and a €6.1bn deficit. Over the 12 months to June, the euro area’s current-account surplus as a share of GDP narrowed to 1.7% from 2.0% in the prior 12 months.