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Iran's clerical leadership chose confrontation over compromise in appointing Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father, Ali Khamenei, a move regional officials say is a direct rebuke to US President Donald Trump, who had declared the son "unacceptable".

Iran's security chief, Ali Larijani, threatened US President Donald Trump in a social media post on Tuesday. In a post on X, Larijani wrote, "Even those greater than you could not eliminate Iran. Watch out for yourself, lest you be eliminated!"

The US defence secretary says the military is increasing attacks on the regimePete Hegseth warns of day of ‘most intense’ US strikes on Iran yetHow have you been affected by the latest Middle East events?Investor hopes for a swift resolution to the Middle East conflict propelled Australian shares higher today, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 finishing the day up 1.1% and recovering about $35bn in value after yesterday’s $90bn plunge.Oil prices surged to a four-year high early in the week before coming back down below $US90 a barrel after Donald Trump suggested the Iran conflict would end soon, sending global stock markets higher. Continue reading...

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe among more than 100 signatories to letter urging PM not to get drawn further into the conflictNazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is among three of Iran’s former political prisoners and more than 100 Iranians living in the UK who have urged the British prime minister not to get drawn further into the Iran conflict.They are all signatories in a letter to Keir Starmer saying the way the war is being conducted is strengthening the regime in Tehran. Continue reading...

Co-founders of Moltbook, a platform for artificial intelligence agents, will join tech giant’s AI research unitFacebook parent Meta Platforms said on Tuesday it had acquired Moltbook, a social networking platform built for artificial intelligence agents, bringing the company’s founders into its AI research division.The deal will bring Moltbook co-founders Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr into Meta Superintelligence Labs, the unit led by Alexandr Wang, former Scale AI CEO, which Meta purchased for $14.8bn. Meta did not disclose financial terms of the deal. Schlicht and Parr are expected to begin at Meta Superintelligence Labs on 16 March. Continue reading...

Some administration officials snipe about having to wear middling footwear instead of their upmarket favoritesUS politics live – latest updatesSitting behind the Resolute desk, Donald Trump fixed his gaze on JD Vance’s and Marco Rubio’s feet. “Marco, JD, you guys have s—y shoes,” said the US president, consulting a catalogue and asking their shoe size. Rubio said 11.5 and Vance 13. Trump leaned back in his chair and remarked: “You can tell a lot about a man by his shoe size.”The story is recounted in a Wall Street Journal newspaper report that tells how officials, advisers and visiting allies are quietly acquiring leather dress shoes courtesy of Trump, who presents them with the enthusiasm of a travelling salesman. Continue reading...

Doubts are bound to follow if even the US, the mightiest of the militaries and with 13 major military bases in the region, could not protect it against only one opposing nation - Iran.

The book serves as a visual representation of what the literary world might look like if AI continues to use copyrighted works without permission or compensation.