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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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Canada’s Inflation Eases to 2.3% in March, but Core Pressures Persist

Canada’s annual inflation rate unexpectedly slowed to 2.3% in March down from 2.6% in February, according to Statistics Canada. The decline was largely driven by lower gasoline and travel costs, which helped offset rising prices in other sectors.  

Despite the overall slowdown, core inflation measures remained elevated, signaling persistent underlying price pressures. The CPI-median, which tracks the central trend of price changes, held steady at 2.9%, while the CPI-trim, which excludes extreme price fluctuations, edged down slightly to 2.8%.  

The inflation report comes just ahead of the Bank of Canada’s monetary policy decision, scheduled for Wednesday. Analysts are closely watching whether the central bank will adjust interest rates in response to the latest data.  



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