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Mojtaba Khamenei: The Rise of Iran’s New Supreme Leader

                      A picture of Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is displayed on a screen in Tehran Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has emerged as Iran’s new supreme leader following the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint U.S.–Israeli strikes. His appointment by the Assembly of Experts comes at a moment of profound crisis for Iran, as the country faces regional war, internal instability, and intense international scrutiny.  A Secretive Heir With Deep Establishment Ties Mojtaba, long considered influential behind the scenes, is a mid-ranking cleric with strong connections to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). His political rise signals continuity of Iran’s hardline establishment, despite the country’s ideological discomfort with hereditary succession.  A Leader Shaped by Conflict and Loss His ascension comes amid the “Ramadan War,” during which he was reportedly wound...

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Wall Street Rallies as Trade Hopes and Tech Surge Lift Futures to New Heights

U.S. stock futures surged Monday morning, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 climbing to record highs, buoyed by renewed optimism over international trade negotiations and a tech-led rally. The momentum followed Canada’s decision to scrap its digital services tax targeting American tech giants—an unexpected move that helped thaw stalled trade talks with the U.S.

Shares of major technology firms including Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, and Apple rose between 0.6% and 1.7% in premarket trading. The broader market also found support from expectations of deeper interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, fueled by soft economic data and speculation that President Donald Trump may replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell with a more dovish successor.

As of early trading, S&P 500 e-minis were up 0.39%, Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.6%, and Dow futures added 0.46%. Despite the record-setting highs, analysts note that the major indexes are still on track for their weakest first-half performance since 2022.

Investors are now eyeing a July 9 deadline for trade agreements, with Trump hinting at flexibility on the timeline. Meanwhile, attention also turns to key economic data releases and a Senate vote on a sweeping tax and spending bill that could further shape market sentiment in the days ahead.

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