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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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NDP Blasts Ford for Washington Trip: Ethics Complaint Filed Over Alleged Partisan Use of Taxpayer Funds

 

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles has formally lodged an ethics complaint with the province’s Integrity Commissioner over Premier Doug Ford’s recent Washington, D.C. trip. The complaint alleges that Ford blurred the lines between official government business and partisan campaigning by leveraging taxpayer-funded travel for electioneering purposes. A campaign-style video—initially posted with the Progressive Conservative party logo—has come under fire for suggesting that the trip was used to boost his re-election campaign, even after the logo was later removed. 

Ford made the trip in his capacity both as Ontario’s premier and as chair of the Council of the Federation, meeting with U.S. lawmakers to counter potential punitive tariffs amid threats from President Donald Trump. Despite assertions that the visit was intended to serve Ontario’s economic interests, Stiles argues that such actions constitute a misuse of public funds. “His actions have repeatedly and intentionally blurred the lines between official provincial business and partisan promotion,” she stated, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability. 

Critics from both the NDP and Liberal ranks contend that the trip, especially during the middle of a snap election, undermines democratic integrity by prioritizing political gain over the public good. The complaint calls for an investigation into whether government resources were inappropriately used to produce campaign content and whether proper protocols were followed during the trip. 

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