Oil prices jumped further above $100 Monday and Asian stocks mostly fell as the Iran war moved into a third week with both sides showing no sign of backing down and diplomats trying to ensure safe passage for tankers through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
Explosions rang out over the Ukrainian capital on Monday and AFP journalists witnessed air defence batteries fending off a barrage of Russian projectiles during a rare daytime attack on Kyiv.
Israel said Monday it had launched ground operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon while US President Donald Trump piled pressure on world powers to help reopen the vital shipping lane choked off by Iranian attacks.
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Politics
Iranian activist Farhad Sheikhi fights back tears as he recalls the crack of gunfire and his fellow protesters falling under a hail of bullets. Now, having fled to Iraq, he watches from afar as American and Israeli strikes pound his country.
March 16, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Andy Farrell will "not be happy" that Ireland finished runners-up in the Six Nations, but he will be satisfied at the depth he has built with the Rugby World Cup looming next year, former Irish prop Mike Ross told AFP.
March 16, 2026
RECENT NEWS
As a Six Nations tournament widely lauded as the greatest ever came to a close on Saturday, the teams were left to reflect not only on the entertainment, but also on the issues they need to fix with the Rugby World Cup less than 18 months away.
March 16, 2026
Ryan Coogler launched his career with an indie look at police brutality in America. He moved on to transform the Marvel universe culture with his blockbuster "Black Panther" films.
March 16, 2026
Kings of the league phase, England's six Champions League sides were made to look like paupers in the first legs of the last 16 as they failed to muster a win between them.
March 16, 2026
Culture
Irish actress Jessie Buckley capped her spectacular rise to Hollywood stardom on Sunday, winning a best actress Oscar for her searing portrait of motherhood and love undone by loss in "Hamnet"
March 16, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Director Paul Thomas Anderson has often been on the outside looking in during an eclectic career of boundary-pushing filmmaking, but he received the ultimate insider's accolade Sunday -- the Oscar for best director of his acclaimed "One Battle After Another."
Michael B. Jordan on Sunday won the best actor Oscar for playing twins confronted with pure evil in vampire race fable "Sinners" -- tortured fighters typical of the roles director Ryan Coogler has repeatedly created for him.
Twenty Thai crew members of a cargo ship that was attacked in the crucial Strait of Hormuz arrived in Thailand on Monday, with three of their colleagues still stranded on the vessel in the Gulf.
Norwegian family drama "Sentimental Value" -- a bittersweet and melancholic story of an ageing absent father seeking forgiveness from his daughters who have learned to get along without him -- won the Oscar for best international film on Sunday.
March 16, 2026
Sports
Kimi Antonelli, 19, converted being the youngest pole-sitter in history into a maiden victory at the Chinese Grand Prix after an action-packed weekend dominated by Mercedes.
March 16, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Indonesian companies targeted in a palm oil fraud probe supplied European firms including Italian energy giant Eni and Finnish sustainable aviation fuel leader Neste, an investigation by AFP and SourceMaterial has found.
Sean Penn, Hollywood's eternal rebel, on Sunday won a third Oscar for his comic yet terrifying portrayal of an absurdly uptight soldier ashamed of his past in "One Battle After Another."
President Donald Trump on Sunday sought to pressure NATO allies and China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the critical oil transport conduit that Iran has effectively closed in retaliation for the US and Israeli war against Tehran.
The Oscars kicked off on Sunday after months of expensive campaigns, with all eyes on the race between "One Battle After Another" and "Sinners" for best picture, Hollywood's most coveted prize.
March 16, 2026
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