Author: France 24

As yet another war rages in the Middle East, we take a closer look at the United States’ military presence across the region. It’s a presence that stretches back decades, but took on heightened visibility during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, when both those nations began targeting oil tankers and merchant shipping vessels in the Arabian Gulf. Some 40,000 to 50,000 US troops are stationed across the region full-time. FRANCE 24’s Luke Shrago and David Gilberg explain where they are stationed.

Paris Saint-Germain travel to Chelsea for the second leg of the Champions League round of 16. Having won the first leg at home 5-2, Paris Saint-Germain are the clear favourites to advance.

Global oil prices fell sharply on Monday after a Pakistan-bound oil tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz with its transponder on. The decline came even as countries have so far rebuffed Donald Trump’s request to send warships to escort vessels through the waterway. Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency said its members could unlock more oil from their strategic reserves after agreeing to jointly release a record 400 million barrels from their emergency stockpiles. 

From vampires and car chases to K-pop and Shakespeare, this year’s Oscars showcased the range and creativity of contemporary cinema. The clear winner of the night was “One Battle After Another” from director Paul Thomas Anderson. The satirical epic took home six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, confirming its status as one of the year’s most acclaimed films. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the film blends action, comedy and political satire, exploring themes such as authoritarianism, immigration tensions and the rise of extremism.

Conflict across the Middle East continues to rage, and Israel is fighting a war on several fronts all at once, but for how long? Since it attacked Iran, Israel has endured regular strikes, forcing widespread air raid alerts, school closures and the mobilisation of reservists. How much longer can Israel sustain itself financially if the conflict were to last? 

Olympique Lyonnais could only manage a 0-0 draw on the road against Le Havre. Lyon (4th) has fallen behind Marseille (3rd) and is seeing Lille (5th) close in.

Global benchmark prices for oil fell, and stocks rose, on the back of US President’s comments signalling the war in Iran could be nearing some form of conclusion. Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz is still effectively closed to tanker traffic, and Washington is weighing its options both to clear the bottleneck and ease pressure on consumers back home. Also in this edition, Venezuela prepares to open up its mining sector to US companies.

‘Sinners’ and ‘One Battle After Another’ are both front-runners in the race for the coveted Best Picture Oscar on Sunday. Meanwhile, the acting prizes could throw up some surprises, with the best actor category expected to be an especially tight race.

Israel says it’s carrying out fresh strikes on western Iran – as the war enters its third week. Israeli officials say the bombing campaign is wide-scale and targeting regime infrastructure. This comes as the IDF says it has detected missiles fired from Iran. Details by Hoda Abdel-Hamid, journalist in Doha.

Thanks to Endrick’s lucky goal in the final minutes of the game, Lyon still have a chance of qualifying for the Europa League quarter-finals when they play at home next week. Meanwhile, Lille conceded a goal against Aston Villa and now need a miracle to continue their European adventure.