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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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US Stocks Hit Record Highs as Canada Lags Behind


The US stock markets continued their upward momentum on Friday, reaching new record highs amid a strong jobs report and a rally in tech giants. The S&P 500 index rose 1.3% to close at 4,937.96, while the Nasdaq composite surged 1.9% to end at 15,536.25. Meta Platforms and Amazon were among the biggest gainers, as the former announced a surge in profits and the latter beat earnings expectations.

The US economy added 304,000 jobs in January, beating forecasts and signaling a robust recovery from the pandemic. The unemployment rate fell to 3.6%, the lowest since March 2020. The solid labor data boosted investor confidence and reduced the odds of a rate cut by the Federal Reserve in the near future.

Meanwhile, Canada’s main stock index posted a small loss on Friday, weighed down by losses in the base metal, telecommunications and utility sectors. The S&P/TSX composite index fell 0.3% to finish at 21,052.57. The Canadian dollar traded for 74.32 cents US, down from 74.60 cents US on Thursday.

The Canadian economy shed 71,000 jobs in January, missing expectations and reversing some of the gains made in December. The unemployment rate rose to 6.4%, the highest since June 2020. The disappointing jobs report added to the concerns over the impact of the Omicron variant and the high inflation on the Canadian economy.

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