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July 4 - Ali Azmai, former deputy commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, has been appointed as the commander of the IRGC Navy. Azmai previously served for a long time in the IRGC Navy.July 4th - According to the New York Times, four officials familiar with the details of the meeting revealed that in the final stages of negotiations, when Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei hesitated to approve the preliminary ceasefire agreement, Iranian President Pezechzian visited him. The Iranian president told the Supreme Leader that the economic situation was dire, the US naval blockade was strangling Iran, and he would resign if he rejected the agreement. Furthermore, the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, Abdulnaser Hemmati, also wrote to Khamenei, stating that the country faced a severe budget crisis and that critical food and medical supplies would run out by the end of August if the naval blockade continued. Hemmati explained in the letter that Iran could not sell oil on the required scale or find alternative trade routes. These statements played a crucial role in Mojtabas eventual decision to support the agreement. In a brief public statement, he stated that although he opposed the agreement "in principle," he instructed the president to proceed if he obtained the support of the Supreme National Security Council. Pezechzian stated that the council approved the agreement by 12 out of 13 votes.July 4th - According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, a magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck Binchuan County, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province (25.95°N, 100.58°E) at 18:28 on July 4, 2026, with a focal depth of 10 kilometers. Following the earthquake, the China Earthquake Administration quickly activated a Level IV emergency response, coordinating with the China Earthquake Networks Center and the Yunnan Provincial Earthquake Administration to conduct emergency response, requiring relevant units to hold joint consultations, strengthen seismic monitoring and post-earthquake trend analysis, and promptly report relevant information.July 4th - At 17:30 Beijing time on July 4, 2026, my country successfully launched the Qianfan Polar Orbit 13 satellite constellation into its predetermined orbit using a Long March 6A carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The launch mission was a complete success.On July 4th, European Central Bank (ECB) Governing Council member Mohelan stated on Saturday that following last months interest rate hike, data shows inflation has fallen with the plunge in oil prices, placing the ECB in a "favorable position." The ECB does not provide forward guidance, so it will not reveal its plans for July. However, the rapid decline in oil prices has provided some relief and puts the ECB in a more advantageous position regarding interest rates. Mohelan also stated that the ECBs 2.25% interest rate is "very low" compared to other central banks, and the June rate hike was "reasonable" under any circumstances. He further pointed out that the ECBs communication at the time indicated that this rate hike was not the start of a new tightening cycle.

Plastic Consumption Is Projected to Nearly Double by 2050, According to Studies

Haiden Holmes

Feb 27, 2023 14:08

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According to research published on Monday, plastic consumption in G20 nations is on track to nearly double by the middle of the 21st century unless a comprehensive and legally binding global treaty to reduce consumption is drafted.


According to Back to Blue, a research group operated by the Economist Impact think-tank and the Nippon Foundation, existing initiatives to increase recycling or reduce single-use plastic consumption have "barely scratched the surface" and a more comprehensive global plan is required.


In Uruguay, the United Nations began negotiations on an agreement to combat plastic pollution in November, with the goal of drafting a legally binding treaty by the end of the following year. 175 countries have joined up for the negotiations.


Nonetheless, if negotiations fail, annual plastic production in G20 nations could reach 451 million tonnes by 2050 based on current development rates, according to Back to Blue - an increase of nearly 75 percent from 2019.


The research group stated, "There should be no illusions that the treaty negotiations will be anything but difficult and treacherous." "The likelihood of failure is high, both in terms of no treaty emerging and a treaty that is insufficient to reverse the plastic tide."


It called for a stricter ban on single-use plastic, as well as increased production taxes and mandatory programs to hold companies accountable for the entire lifecycle of their products, including recycling and disposal.


Back to Blue stated that the combined measures could limit annual consumption to 325 million tonnes by 2050, but that would still be a 25 percent increase from 2019 and the equivalent of 238 million garbage vehicles.


Brazil, the United States, Indonesia, and Turkey are among the G20 countries that have yet to introduce national prohibitions on single-use plastic products, according to the report.