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U.S. Officials Say Iran’s New Supreme Leader Gravely Wounded Amid Escalating Conflict

Protesters hold posters of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his son, Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, during a protest marking al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day), after Friday prayers at Fatih Mosque in Istanbul. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has confirmed that Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei , was seriously wounded and likely disfigured during the opening phase of U.S. and Israeli military strikes. Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth described Iran’s leadership as “desperate and hiding,” asserting that Khamenei has gone underground following injuries sustained in the attacks.  Reports from multiple outlets indicate that Khamenei has not appeared publicly since the conflict began, fueling speculation about the severity of his condition. Some accounts suggest he may have suffered catastrophic injuries, including the loss of a limb and a possible coma, after an airstrike that also killed members of his family.  U.S....

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Wall Street Rallies Despite Fed's Tapering Plans

 


Stocks rose on Friday, extending their gains for the week, as investors shrugged off the hawkish tone of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's testimony to Congress. Powell signaled that the Fed is ready to start tapering its bond purchases as soon as November, and that interest rate hikes could follow sooner than expected. However, he also acknowledged that the economic recovery is still facing headwinds from the delta variant of the coronavirus and supply chain disruptions.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.7%, or 238 points, to close at 35,677. The S&P 500 gained 0.8%, or 34 points, to end at 4,544. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.9%, or 139 points, to finish at 15,212. All three major indexes posted weekly gains of more than 1%.

The dollar weakened against a basket of major currencies, as traders reduced their bets on a faster pace of monetary tightening. The dollar index fell 0.3% to 93.38. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note edged lower to 1.45%, after hitting a three-month high of 1.54% on Thursday.

Wall Street analysts said that Powell's comments were largely priced in by the market, and that investors are focusing on the strong earnings outlook and the prospects of more fiscal stimulus from Washington. They also noted that the Fed's tapering plans are contingent on the economic data, which could change depending on the evolution of the pandemic and inflation.

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