Greetings! Happy International Women’s Day to those celebrating.

Let’s get into today’s top stories.

🇮🇷 Iran elevates Mojtaba Khamenei as war rages on. Iranian state television announced early Monday, March 9th, that Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen as supreme leader. State television said he won “strong” votes and aired scenes of celebration in Tehran. The Assembly of Experts convened as airstrikes continued and dissent flared over hereditary optics. Senior security official Ali Larijani praised the assembly for meeting and said Mojtaba was trained by his father. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard backed the selection, and Hezbollah echoed support. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian threatened broader strikes on American targets across the region. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a drone aimed at the Shaybah oil field and warned Iran would be the “biggest loser” if attacks on Arab states continued. Oil rose above $100 as Tehran oil depots smoldered after overnight Israeli strikes. Officials said the war has killed at least 1,230 in Iran, 397 in Lebanon, with many hundreds more wounded and/or missing. Last weekend, at least 165 young girls were killed in an Israeli-US strike in Minab, Iran.

🇸🇪 Sweden boards Caffa as “stolen grain” allegation spreads. Swedish authorities opened an investigation into the cargo ship Caffa in the Baltic Sea. The Swedish Coast Guard said the crew is predominantly Russian. Officials said the ship is on Ukraine’s sanctions list, according to Swedish news agency TT. Sweden boarded the vessel in territorial waters on Friday, March 6th, to search and conduct interviews. TT reported the ship was allegedly sailing under a false flag. It had been flying a Guinean flag, the report said. Authorities are also concerned about the ship’s seaworthiness. TT reported a person is now under criminal investigation. Sweden has expanded efforts to collect insurance information from ships crossing its waters and exclusive economic zone. Officials have not said whether they think Caffa is part of a “shadow fleet".

🗽 Jake Lang’s anti-Islam rally draws a major police probe. Police said a counterprotester threw an improvised explosive device, and it sputtered out near officers. The flashpoint was a “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” event outside Gracie Mansion. The rally was led by far-right activist Jake Lang, police said, outside Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who herself has in the past made anti-Arab and anti-Muslim comments, said the bomb squad determined the device was an improvised explosive that could have caused serious injury or death. Tisch said the same person was handed a second device that was dropped and did not ignite. Police said they were also investigating a second suspicious device found nearby on the Upper East Side. Two people were in custody as investigators worked the scene. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents on the Joint Terrorism Task Force joined the investigation, officials said. Lang was previously charged in connection with January 6 crimes before receiving clemency in President Donald Trump’s sweeping act for January 6 defendants. Lang has announced a Florida Senate run and has staged pro-crackdown rallies in other cities, including Minneapolis.

✊ Selma marks Bloody Sunday as voting rights anxiety returns. Marchers crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma on Sunday, March 8th. The commemoration marked the 61st anniversary of Bloody Sunday. On March 7th, 1965, state troopers attacked peaceful marchers demanding voting rights. The marchers were led by John Lewis and Hosea Williams toward Montgomery. Footage of the beatings shocked the nation and helped spur the Voting Rights Act. Organizers now warn that protections are thinning through litigation and new political tactics. The Supreme Court is weighing a case that could narrow a provision used to protect minority voting power in redistricting. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker told the crowd racism is rising in America and urged renewed action. Thousands marched this time with law enforcement protection, a jarring reversal of the original tableau. The bridge remains a memorial and a measuring stick, asking each era what it intends to do next.

🌺 International Women’s Day fills streets from Karachi to Madrid. March 8th brought rallies, marches, and celebrations across multiple continents. In Istanbul, women carried signs and chanted in packed streets. In Mexico City, crowds gathered at the Zócalo under banners and drums. In Madrid, protesters raised fists and shouted slogans for equality. In Karachi, women’s rights activists marched in daylight with determined calm. In La Paz, marchers held photos of men they accused of abusing women. In Montevideo, the tone shifted toward celebration and music. In Santiago, signs turned politics into wordplay aimed at leaders. In Guatemala City, demonstrators filled central streets with chants. In Pyongyang, women danced in a staged celebration of the day. The message varied by country, but the demand was consistent: dignity should not be a seasonal campaign.

✈️ NTSB member Todd Inman says he was fired without cause. Todd Inman said the White House personnel office ended his role “effective immediately”. He said he was not given an explanation. Inman had been a public face of the investigation into a deadly midair collision near Washington. That January 2025 crash killed 67 people, officials said. He also led the investigation into a UPS cargo plane crash in Kentucky that killed 15. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is designed to have five board members. Its website showed only three members on Sunday, after earlier removals. Inman said working major disasters deepened his belief in the board’s mission. The board investigates aviation and major surface disasters to determine probable cause and prevent repeats. The agency is currently investigating nearly 1,250 cases. A safety board without stability is a quiet way to make accidents louder.

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That’s all for today!

Much obliged and many thanks for reading and sharing today’s newsletter.

See you tomorrow!