• WTI crude briefly surpasses $100 per barrel; Brent reached $113.44.
• Prices go beyond Feb 27 levels of $67.02 (WTI) and $72.48 (Brent).
• After Trump warning, Iran threatens to blow up energy sites of US, allies.

TOKYO: Oil prices rose early Monday after US President Donald Trump gave Iran a 48-hour ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz or face decimation of its energy infrastructure, and Israel warned the war would continue for several more weeks.

Shortly after the 2200 GMT open, the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US benchmark crude, for May delivery was up 1.8 percent to just over $100 per barrel, before retreating slightly.

The price of North Sea Brent crude for May delivery rose at a similar rate, to $113.44 per barrel before sliding to around $111 some 45 minutes into trading.

On February 27, the day before the US-Israeli attacks began on Iran, they stood at $67.02 and $72.48 per barrel, respectively.

Trump and Tehran have issued tit-for-tat threats as the war entered its fourth week, with the US president demanding the Islamic republic reopen the blocked Strait of Hormuz, through which some 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas shipments transit.

The bottleneck has nearly halted all petroleum shipments through the narrow waterway, and oil prices have spiked.

Trump posted late Saturday on Truth Social that US forces would “hit and obliterate” Iranian power plants – “starting with the biggest one first” – if Tehran did not fully reopen the strait within 48 hours, or 23:44 GMT on Monday, according to the time of his post.

In response, Iran’s army said it will target energy and desalination infrastructure “belonging to the US and the regime in the region,” according to the Fars news agency.

Meanwhile Israel’s military chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, said Sunday his forces were expanding their ground campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, and warned of a lengthy operation.

“We are now preparing to advance the targeted ground operations and strikes according to an organised plan,” he said.

In retaliation for the US and Israeli military operation, Iran is carrying out missile and drone strikes against infrastructure – particularly energy targets – in countries allied with Washington, as well as against ships in the Gulf, specifically threatening those venturing into the strait.

Carrie Anne Fleming, a familiar face to fans of cult horror has died at the age of 51. 

The Canadian actress passed away on February 26 in Sydney, British Columbia, following complications related to breast cancer, her Supernatural co-star Jim Beaver confirmed.

Over the years, Fleming quietly built a career that spanned television, film, and theatre often leaving a lasting impression in roles. 

She became a recognisable presence in genre television, appearing in fan-favourite series like Supernatural and iZombie, where she portrayed Candy Baker across multiple seasons.

Born on August 16, 1974, in Digby, Nova Scotia, Fleming later moved to British Columbia, where her passion for performance began to take shape. 

Early roles included appearances in the action series Viper and a small part in the Adam Sandler comedy Happy Gilmore.

On Supernatural, Fleming portrayed Karen Singer, the wife of Bobby Singer, bringing warmth and humanity to a storyline often filled with darkness. 

Uma Thurman is stepping back into villain territory, and the director behind her latest role couldn’t be more gushy about what she brings to the part.

Speaking to PEOPLE at the world premiere of Pretty Lethal during the 2026 SXSW Film Festival in Austin on 13 March, director Vicky Jewson was unstinting in her praise for the 55-year-old actress. 

“Uma is obviously an icon, and she can play a villain like nobody else can,” Jewson said. 

“She has a wicked sense of humour, and she also brings empathy to the character that allows you to stay with the character when the most absurd stuff happens. I don’t think anyone but someone of Uma’s talent could do that.”

In Pretty Lethal, Thurman plays Devora Kasimer, a reclusive former ballet prodigy running an unsettling roadside inn. 

The film follows five ballerinas travelling to a dance competition whose bus breaks down in a forest, forcing them to seek shelter at Devora’s inn, where things quickly take a sinister turn. 

As the situation turns deadly, the young dancers must set aside their rivalries and turn their years of brutal training into something rather more useful than performance, weaponising their skills, and even their pointe shoes, for survival.

It’s a role that adds to Thurman’s already formidable villainous CV, which includes Poison Ivy in Batman & Robin and Discord in last year’s The Old Guard 2. 

Thurman is joined in the film by Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika and Maddie Ziegler. 

Pretty Lethal premieres on Prime Video on 25 March.