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Mojtaba Khamenei’s Rise Sparks Market Turmoil as Hardliners Mobilize

People attend a gathering to support Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 9, 2026.  Iran’s hardline factions mounted a powerful show of support for newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei , rallying across Tehran in a display that signaled a tightening of conservative control and diminished hopes for de-escalation in the Middle East.  The demonstrations, marked by mass gatherings and imagery linking Mojtaba to his late father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, underscored the regime’s consolidation at a moment of heightened regional conflict.  Analysts warn that the hardliners’ unified backing suggests Iran is unlikely to soften its stance amid ongoing tensions with the U.S. and Israel. Global markets reacted sharply. Fears that prolonged instability could further disrupt energy supplies sent oil prices soaring and triggered steep declines in major stock indices. With one of the most significan...

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China’s Central Bank Cuts Reserve Requirement Ratio for Banks to Boost Slowing Economy

 

China’s central bank has announced a cut in the reserve requirement ratio for banks to help boost the slowing economy. The move is expected to provide 1 trillion yuan ($141 billion) in long-term liquidity to the market. The deposit reserve requirement will be cut by 0.5 percentage points as of February 5th, 2024. 

The decision comes as the world’s second-largest economy faces multiple challenges, including a faltering recovery from the shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic. The central bank’s moves appear to be part of a concerted effort to stabilize the markets and instill greater confidence in the outlook for the economy.


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