Additionally, some 117,000 people have sought refuge in another country, Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for the UN secretary-general, told a daily briefing, citing the UN Refugee Agency.
Dujarric said that, according to UN humanitarians, the Middle East region is home to some of the largest numbers of people in need of humanitarian assistance globally. “The recent escalation risks deepening civilian suffering and causing further damage to already fragile civilian infrastructure.”
The United Nations and its humanitarian partners are continuing to provide humanitarian aid to people impacted across several countries and remain ready to ramp up response in support of national authorities where needed, he said.
People search for daily necessities from damaged buildings in Tehran, Iran, March 12, 2026.
The Coordination Council of El Geneina Emergency Rooms, a voluntary civilian group, said in a statement that a drone fired four missiles at the crossing, killing 13 people involved in the fuel trade, including five women, and injuring five others.
The strike destroyed the fuel market at the crossing, damaged several civilian vehicles, and burned large quantities of food supplies, the group said.
According to the council, all the victims were small-scale traders who transported fuel and goods from the Chadian city of Adre to the crossing using traditional animal-drawn carts as part of their daily livelihood activities.
The group added that the crossing is also used for humanitarian operations, including the delivery of relief supplies, medicines, and shelter materials, as well as the movement of international humanitarian workers.
Meanwhile, an eyewitness, Adam Abdalla, a local fuel trader, told Xinhua that the attack occurred early in the morning while traders were preparing to begin their daily work.
“Several successive explosions hit the fuel market, and the fuel tanks and vehicles caught fire,” he said.
Abdalla added that the fuel market at the crossing had been a primary source of livelihood for dozens of families, noting that the strike caused heavy losses for traders and left the site almost completely destroyed.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) accused the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) of carrying out the attack, claiming it was intended to disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Darfur region.
The RSF called on the UN Security Council and international organizations to take urgent measures to halt what it described as “attacks” and to hold those responsible accountable.
Border crossings between Sudan and Chad, particularly the Adre crossing, are among the most important commercial routes for residents of Darfur, serving as a key artery for the movement of goods and people.
On February 23, Chad announced the closure of its border with Sudan after armed groups involved in the conflict crossed into its territory, while stating that humanitarian exceptions would still be granted subject to prior authorization.
Fighting between the SAF and the RSF erupted in April 2023 and has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions inside Sudan and across its borders.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) accused the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) of carrying out the attack, claiming it was intended to disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Darfur region.
European Commission Deputy Chief Spokesperson Olof Gill told a press briefing that the Commission would carefully review the details of the U.S. investigation and continue to ensure that the EU’s interests are fully protected.
Gill added that the Commission would seek further clarification from Washington on how the Section 301 investigation would interact with the framework agreed under the EU-U.S. joint statement.
“The Commission will respond firmly and proportionately to any breach of the joint statement commitments,” Gill said.
Under the EU-U.S. trade deal reached in July last year, the EU agreed to eliminate tariffs on all U.S. industrial products and introduce tariff-rate quotas for a wide range of U.S. agri-food products entering the EU market. In return, Washington would set a 15-percent tariff ceiling on most EU goods exported to the United States.
Under the EU-U.S. trade deal reached in July last year, the EU agreed to eliminate tariffs on all U.S. industrial products and introduce tariff-rate quotas for a wide range of U.S. agri-food products entering the EU market.
According to Wildlife SOS, the elephant, named Veer, had reportedly endured years of exploitation, including being used as a “begging” elephant on the streets, a practice that often exposes animals to harsh conditions, overwork and inadequate medical care.
Responding to the urgent situation, Wildlife SOS mobilized a specialized veterinary team late last month to rescue the injured animal and transport him to safety.
The remarkably tall, exceptionally calm and endearingly curious Veer would keep peeping and popping out his trunk over the ambulance every few minutes. Photo by Wildlife SOS
For the mission, the organization deployed its newly commissioned elephant ambulance, marking the vehicle’s first field rescue. Designed specifically for long-distance elephant transfers, the ambulance is equipped with advanced safety and stabilization systems to ensure the safe transport of injured elephants.
The vehicle includes specially designed access points that allow veterinary technicians to administer medication and monitor vital signs while maintaining a safe distance. Inside, the ambulance is structured to provide stability and reduce stress for the animal during travel. Since elephants must remain standing during transport, supportive straps and harnesses allow them to shift weight away from injured limbs.
“This rescue represents both urgency and hope,” said Nikki Sharp, Executive Director of Wildlife SOS USA. “For decades, ‘begging’ elephants have endured unthinkable physical and psychological trauma. With our new elephant ambulance and expert veterinary team, we are able to respond faster and more safely than ever before.”
Veer displayed no unrest around the Wildlife SOS team, and remained engrossed with the abundance of food offered to him. Photo by Wildlife SOS
Upon reaching Veer, the medical team conducted an examination and provided immediate treatment before beginning the transport. Because elephants must stand while the vehicle is moving, the team made regular stops during the multi-day journey so the animal could rest and lie down.
Veer was eventually transported to the Wildlife SOS Elephant Hospital, located at the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, where he will receive specialized treatment and long-term care.
Wildlife SOS is also spearheading an international campaign to end the exploitation of elephants used for street begging in India. The initiative aims to rescue and rehabilitate all such elephants by 2030, many of whom suffer from chronic injuries, malnutrition and untreated illnesses.
The organization currently cares for more than 30 rescued elephants at its conservation facility.
“Veer’s rescue is a powerful reminder of why this work matters,” Sharp said. “Because of our supporters, he now has access to the specialized treatment and long-term care he urgently needs.”
A brighter chapter has opened up in Veer’s life, filled with nourishing care and affection. Photo by Wildlife SOSVeer was offered a lot of cucumbers to keep up his hydration levels. Photo by Wildlife SOSWhile the team faced an unexpected turn of events when the ambulance tyres sunk into the mud, caregivers made the best of the situation by creating a mud bed for Veer to aid his sleep. Photo by Wildlife SOSThe remarkably tall, exceptionally calm and endearingly curious Veer would keep peeping and popping out his trunk over the ambulance every few minutes. Photo by Wildlife SOSWildlife SOS rushed to prepare the animal ambulance by sanitising it thoroughly and stocking it with fresh edibles for the elephant thereafter. Photo by Wildlife SOSThe gentle giant was forced to walk on concrete roads, bearing goods on his back under the scorching sun. Photo by Wildlife SOS
This research, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, provides the first statistically significant evidence that global warming is not just continuing, it is speeding up. Researchers removed the influence of natural climate variations to show that the recent increase in temperature is real and persistent.
According to the study, if temperatures continue to rise at the current rate, the world is likely to exceed the 1.5°C global warming limit established under the 2015 Paris Agreement by the end of this decade.
This threshold is considered crucial because surpassing it would greatly increase the risks of extreme weather, rising sea levels, and long-term damage to ecosystems and human societies.
Scientists emphasize that the main driver of this rapid warming is human activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, which release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and trap heat. Global fossil fuel consumption and emissions have both reached record levels, mainly contributing to the recent acceleration in warming.
The study also notes that the past 11 years have all been the warmest on record, with the three most recent years among the hottest ever observed. This trend underscores the urgency of reducing carbon emissions and shifting toward cleaner energy sources in order to limit future warming and avoid the most severe consequences of climate change.
Global warming has accelerated over the past decade.
In a new assessment, the council estimates that disruptions to air travel, declining traveller confidence and reduced regional connectivity are costing the sector about $600 million per day in international visitor spending.
“Travel & Tourism is the most resilient of sectors,” the WTTC said, noting that losses across the region currently average “around US$600 million per day.”
The Middle East plays a significant role in global travel flows, accounting for roughly 5% of international tourist arrivals worldwide and 14% of global transit passenger traffic. As a result, any instability quickly reverberates across the international travel network.
Major aviation hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama, which together normally process more than half a million passengers daily, have experienced temporary closures and operational disruptions as tensions escalate. The WTTC had projected that international visitors would spend about $207 billion in the Middle East in 2026, meaning even short-term interruptions could translate into significant economic losses for airlines, airports, hotels and other tourism services.
Despite the challenges, the organization says the sector has historically shown strong resilience, with tourism demand often rebounding within months when governments and industry coordinate efforts to restore traveller confidence and ensure safety.
The World Travel & Tourism Council estimates that disruptions to air travel, declining traveller confidence and reduced regional connectivity are costing the sector about $600 million per day in international visitor spending.
The one-day gathering, held under the theme “Turning Vision into Velocity: Building Africa’s Trade Ecosystem for Real-World Impact,” brought together policymakers, development institutions, business leaders and investors to discuss ways to accelerate Africa’s participation in global trade while expanding commerce within the continent.
African Development Bank Director General for Southern Africa Kennedy Mbekeani said that global developments in recent years had highlighted the need for Africa to strengthen regional integration.
He added that risk perception was often discouraging investment on the continent. “That perception is sometimes intentional,” he said. “They will continue to tell us that Africa is risky so that they can yield as much as they can from us.”
During a panel discussion, Botswanan Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship Tiroeaone Ntsima said African countries could benefit from opening borders and jointly financing cross-border projects.
He highlighted the need for stronger coordination between neighboring countries, saying that trade routes and cross-border facilities needed to be simplified to make it easier for businesses and people to move goods.
Ghana’s Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare said fragmentation remained a key obstacle to trade, both between and within countries.
She stressed the need for data to be shared seamlessly between regions and agencies to reduce trade bottlenecks.
Zambian Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Chipoka Mulenga said that African economies should support each other through stronger investment and trade ties.
Regional Economic Communities (RECs) were intended to eliminate trade barriers among member states but were often undermined by restrictions imposed by countries themselves, the minister noted.
“The RECs are not performing the way they’re supposed to perform because we are coming up with non-tariff barriers deliberately to choke each other’s trade,” he said.
The minister urged governments and businesses to strengthen cross-border investment and cooperation across the continent.
“We need to encourage inter-country investment and business into business … never compete against each other but complement each other,” he added.
Africa Trade Conference has urged stronger regional integration to boost intra-African trade
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola confirmed during a media briefing that Bozell was called in to explain “undiplomatic remarks” that disregarded established protocols and judicial sovereignty.
Lamola emphasized that while South Africa welcomes active public diplomacy, foreign envoys must respect international etiquette and the country’s sovereignty.
Speaking at a meeting in South Africa’s Western Cape Province on Tuesday, Bozell accused the South African government, led by the ruling African National Congress, of practicing “racial discrimination” against white people.
He also criticized South Africa’s participation in the BRICS mechanism, its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and its friendly ties with Iran.
Bozell’s remarks drew widespread criticism in South Africa. The influential black nationalist left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters party called on the government to declare Bozell persona non grata and expel him from the country.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the office in January 2025, relations between the United States and South Africa have remained strained across political, economic and diplomatic fronts.
In March 2025, Trump nominated conservative activist Bozell, a long-time critic of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress, as U.S. ambassador to South Africa. Bozell arrived in the country in February this year to take up the post.
Bozell accused the South African government, led by the ruling African National Congress, of practicing “racial discrimination” against white people.
Residents in Tel Aviv reported loud blasts as Israel’s state-owned Kan TV news said debris hit several locations in the area. The country’s rescue service, Magen David Adom, said its teams were on their way to search for possible injuries at sites where missile hits or fragments had been reported.
The attacks followed large-scale Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Wednesday night, while Hezbollah targeted northern Israel for hours with rocket barrages.
According to Israeli military officials, Hezbollah militants fired about 100 rockets and several drones at northern Israel, while Iran simultaneously launched several missiles at the north as well as other areas.
Impacts were reported and at least two civilians were lightly injured, Magen David Adom said.
The fights came as the regional conflict, triggered by the U.S.-Israeli joint military strikes on Iran, stretched into its 13th day.
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area in Beiruts southern suburbs on March 11, 2026. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of the Iranian supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. Israel, which kept up strikes targeting Hezbollah despite a 2024 ceasefire, has since launched attacks across Lebanon and sent ground troops into border areas. (Photo by AFP) /
“You just said it is a little excursion and you said it is a war. So, which one is it?” Trump was asked by one of the reporters traveling with him in the U.S. state of Ohio.
“Well, it’s both,” Trump answered. “It’s an excursion that will keep us out of a war, and the war is going to be, I mean for them it’s a war.”
Addressing House Republicans on Monday, Trump described the military operation against Iran as a “short-term excursion” while later vowing to “go forward more determined than ever to achieve ultimate victory.” He has also demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”
Though Trump said earlier on Wednesday that the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran will end “soon” because there is “practically nothing left to target,” Axios reported.
U.S. and Israeli officials said that they are preparing for at least two more weeks of strikes in Iran, and that there has been no internal directive on when such strikes might stop, according to the report.
More than 1,300 civilians have been killed and 9,669 civilian sites destroyed in Iran in U.S.-Israeli strikes since Feb. 28, Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, said Tuesday.
People attend a protest against U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in San Francisco, the United States, Feb. 28, 2026.
