Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader?

The 56-year-old is expected to continue the hardline rule of his father
BBC Persian
Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was killed in US-Israeli strikes, has been chosen as his successor.

The Dawn of New Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is Shrouded in Chaos as Title Equals a Death Row Sentence. But an allied ground invasion could meet the same fate as his.

The Greek Courier

By Yiannis Damellos

Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has ascended to the position his father held for nearly four decades, which ended with his death during US-Israeli air strikes. He now inherits an electric chair at the top of a system significantly weakened after the 88-member Assembly of Experts made a decision many Iranians feared—transforming the Islamic Republic into a dynasty. The uncertainty surrounding this new leadership, including potential consequences, adds complexity to an already unstable situation. 

At the same time, analysts suggest that any ground attack against Iran by American, Israeli, or Kurdish forces could be countered by robust Iranian defensive strategies, especially in challenging terrains like the Zagros and Alborz mountain ranges, as well as in the vast deserts of Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut. While the U.S. has the capability to deploy bunker busters, operating in this rugged terrain may prove hazardous and could lead to higher American casualties.

If Medical Needs Are Key for Nancy Guthrie's Survival, Why Not Focus the Investigation There?

The Greek Courier

Vancouver, BC - In the case of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of journalist Savannah Guthrie, maintaining medical needs is crucial for survival. Unless the motives of those who abducted her are more sinister than extortion, keeping her in good health requires considerable attention. It also offers critical insights into the identity of the abductor and her potential fate. 

NASA successfully kicks asteroid off course in Earth defence test

NASA knocked an asteroid off course in 2022 in a pioneering test of humanity's ability to defend Earth. Its spacecraft's impact pushed the space rock into a slightly different orbit around the Sun, according to new research published Friday.

07/03/2026 

By: FRANCE 24

The narrow corridor planes are being pushed through to avoid the Middle East just got even narrower

Transportation

By Pete Syme

Mar 6, 2026, 3:21 AM PT

• More airplanes have been re-routing through the Caucasus since Saturday's strikes on Iran. 
• Azerbaijan closed part of its airspace after an airport was hit by a drone on Thursday. It's the latest country to be dragged into the conflict. 
• A narrow flight corridor that's become vital to airlines is shrinking as the Iran conflict expands.

How Russia Emerged as an Early Winner of the Iran War

Rebecca Schneid
Sat, March 7, 2026 

The war in Iran has killed hundreds of civilians, displaced hundreds of thousands more, sent global oil prices skyrocketing, created a political crisis for President Donald Trump and shaken the stability of the Gulf. But for one nation at least, the chaos has created opportunity. Russia has emerged from the first week of the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran as an early winner, seemingly able to profit from the secondary economic and geopolitical effects of the war while others bear the costs.

Iran fires at Gulf neighbours as president’s apology draws criticism at home

MIDDLE EAST
Issued on: 07/03/2026 - 22:54

Modified: 07/03/2026 - 23:03

By: FRANCE 24

Iran's president apologised on Saturday for attacks on "neighbouring countries" even as its missiles and drones continued to target US bases in Gulf Arab states and hardliners in Tehran asserted that the country's war strategy would not budge. Iran also traded blows with Israel, whose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to pursue the war "with all our force" and to "eradicate the Iranian regime".

Oil and gas prices rapidly rise as Iran war shows no signs of letting up

Business
By CATHY BUSSEWITZ
Updated 2:21 PM PST, March 7, 2026
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil surged higher and showed no signs of halting its rapid climb a week after the U.S. and Israel launched major attacks on Iran that escalated into a war in the Middle East.

Documents Reveal a Web of Financial Ties Between Trump Officials and the Industries They Help Regulate

Trump Administration

ProPublica is releasing a trove of disclosure records that detail the finances of more than 1,500 Trump appointees, including former lobbyists, industry executives and at least a dozen officials who declined to identify former clients.

by Corey G. Johnson, Brandon Roberts and Al Shaw

March 5, 2026, 5:00 am

Is The Shield of Americas an Ultra Conservative Block designed for regime change and Empire? Does it pose a threat to Canada?

The Greek Courier
March 7, 2026

Vancouver, BC - The recent formation of what is being termed the "Shield of the Americas" reflects President Trump’s vision of a strategic coalition aimed primarily at countering both local resistance to his plans in the Americas and Chinese influence in the Western Hemisphere. While the war in Iran rages on, this ideological league raises critical questions about the potential for military enforcement and regime change in countries that resist their lead.

Labor market impacts of AI: A new measure and early evidence

Mar 5, 2026
ANTHROPIC
Key Findings

• We introduce a new measure of AI displacement risk, observed exposure, that combines theoretical LLM capability and real-world usage data, weighting automated (rather than augmentative) and work-related uses more heavily
• AI is far from reaching its theoretical capability: actual coverage remains a fraction of what's feasible
• Occupations with higher observed exposure are projected by the BLS to grow less through 2034
• Workers in the most exposed professions are more likely to be older, female, more educated, and higher-paid
• We find no systematic increase in unemployment for highly exposed workers since late 2022, though we find suggestive evidence that hiring of younger workers has slowed in exposed occupations

Live Updates: Trump demands Iran's "unconditional surrender" as Russia gives Tehran intel on U.S. positions

By Tucker Reals, Kathryn Watson, Lucia I Suarez Sang

Updated on: March 7, 2026 / 1:28 AM EST / CBS News

What to know on the eighth day of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran

• Israel announcing a "new phase" in the joint war launched almost a week ago with the U.S., heavily bombing Iran's capital, Tehran, as well as Lebanon.  
• President Trump appeared to rule out negotiations with Iran, calling for its "unconditional surrender" in a social media post. Mr. Trump has said he wants to be involved in picking Iran's next leader.
• Russia is providing intelligence on U.S. positions to Iran, three sources, including a senior U.S. official with direct knowledge, confirmed to CBS News.

Nobel economist Paul Krugman says the Iran war could be the 'straw that breaks the camel's back' for a fragile US economy

Samuel O'Brient / Thu, March 5, 2026 

• The US-Iran war has sparked major volatility in financial markets.
• Economist Paul Krugman thinks the war could have significant consequences for the US economy.
• "We've added a fresh level of massive uncertainty," Krugman said.

Trump tells CNN Cuba is soon going to fall: ‘I’m going to put Marco over there’

By Dana Bash

Trump tells CNN that Cuba is soon going to fall

President Donald Trump told CNN Friday morning that Cuba “is going to fall pretty soon.” “Cuba is gonna fall pretty soon, by the way, unrelated, but Cuba is gonna fall too. They want to make a deal so badly,” he told CNN’s Dana Bash in a phone interview when touting US military success in his second term.

Trump: "No deal" for ceasefire without an "unconditional surrender"

The Greek Courier

March 6th 2026

President Trump dramatically escalated his rhetoric in the ongoing conflict with Iran on Wednesday, declaring on social media that there would be "no deal" to end hostilities unless Tehran agrees to an "unconditional surrender." Trump further stated that following such a surrender, and the selection of what he termed "ACCEPTABLE Leader(s)," the United States and its allies would assist in rebuilding Iran's economy.

Iran Barrage Sweeps Mideast as Trump Weighs In on Succession

By Dan Williams, Patrick Sykes, and Jeff Mason
March 5, 2026 at 2:31 PM PST
Updated on March 5, 2026 at 11:50 PM PST

Iran fired a barrage of missiles and drones targeting countries across the Persian Gulf overnight, while Israel renewed airstrikes on the Islamic Republic in a war that’s entered a seventh day with no end in sight.

Iran, the US, and a World Cup that starts in three months

Image source, Image caption,

By Dan Roan, Sports editor
Published 1 March 2026

In little over 100 days, the United States will co-host a football World Cup that Iran has qualified for.

On Saturday, the US attacked Iran as part of a joint, ongoing operation with Israel, sparking retaliatory strikes across the Middle East.

So what could the conflict mean for the countries involved, for Fifa, and for what was already set to be a highly politicised World Cup?

BBC Sport takes a closer look.

Trump fires homeland security secretary Kristi Noem as Democrats welcome her exit – US politics live

President picks ‘Maga warrior’ Markwayne Mullin as nominee to replace Noem as Democrats hail decision after months of controversy

18.55 GMT - Kristi Noem, the embattled Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary, has been removed from her position by Donald Trump.