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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.

Cuba Allows Cryptocurrency Services but Requires A License From the Central Bank

Cory Russell

Apr 28, 2022 09:50

After approving the personal use of cryptocurrencies last year, the Cuban central bank released rules for virtual asset service providers on Tuesday, a move that some experts believe might help the Communist-run Caribbean island avoid hefty US penalties.


Cryptocurrencies, which enable financial transactions to be carried out anonymously and decentralized, have previously been used to circumvent capital regulations and improve the efficiency of payments and transfers.


Those intending to use cryptocurrencies must get a license, according to the bank authorisation, which was published in the government's official gazette on Tuesday.


Before giving a license, the bank said it would assess the legality, socioeconomic interest, and project features of every request. The license would be valid for one year at first.


The introduction of mobile internet three years ago paved the path for cryptocurrency transactions in Cuba, and the number of cryptocurrency fans on the island is rising as the currencies assist the nation overcome difficulties posed by US sanctions.


Cubans are blocked off from traditional international payment systems and financial markets by the US trade embargo, which has been in place for decades. On the island, Cubans are unable to get credit or debit cards for foreign usage, and they struggle to do so overseas.


"If the central bank is developing a cryptocurrency-friendly legislative framework, it is because they have already concluded that it may help the nation," said Pavel Vidal, a former Cuban central bank economist who now teaches at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali in Colombia.


El Salvador, the first nation in the world to embrace bitcoin as legal cash, is one of Cuba's Latin American neighbors to be interested in cryptocurrencies.


Vidal said he doubted Cuba would follow El Salvador's lead and adopt bitcoin as its currency of choice or create its own cryptocurrency, instead preferring to focus on enabling remittances and international foreign trade activities.


"This may lower the cost of these international transactions and provide an alternative to dollar-based operations that are less susceptible to sanctions," he added.