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Weekly schedule of President António Costa, 9-15 March 2026.

President Costa will be in Baku on 11 March for a series of high-level meetings with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and senior government representatives.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

On 6 March 2026, European Council President António Costa was in Hamburg where he delivered a speech at the Matthiae Mahl event.

Weekly schedule of President António Costa, 9-15 March 2026.

President Costa will be in Baku on 11 March for a series of high-level meetings with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and senior government representatives.

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

Olten qualifiziert sich in der Swiss League für die Playoff-Halbfinals. Mit dem 2:1-Auswärtserfolg im Thurgau holen sie sich den nötigen vierten Sieg. Diesen erringt auch Sierre gegen die GCK Lions.

Trois ans après l’ouverture des importations de viandes rouges (viande désossée, carcasse et bétail sur pied), le marché national affiche des trajectoires de prix déconcertantes. […]

L’article De 1 700 à 2 300 DA : Pourquoi le prix de l’agneau importé explose-t-il ? est apparu en premier sur .

In der Partie gegen Servette wird der Klotener Mischa Ramel im Schlussdrittel Opfer eines Checks gegen den Kopf von Genf-Stürmer Simas Ignatavicius. Zum Glück kann Ramel weiterspielen, für Ignatavicius ist die Partie mit einem Restausschluss aber vorbei.

Eine Woche vor dem Direktduell verkürzt Aarau den Rückstand auf Leader Vaduz auf drei Punkte. Der FCA gewinnt gegen Etoile Carouge 3:0, während sich die Liechtensteiner und Rapperswil 0:0 trennen.

Youcef Belaili, ailier international algérien de l’Espérance Sportive de Tunis, a été suspendu un an de toute activité officielle par la FIFA, dans le cadre […]

L’article  Youcef Belaili sanctionné par la FIFA : sa participation au Mondial 2026 est-elle compromise ?  est apparu en premier sur .

Viele Schweizer sitzen am Persischen Golf fest. Edelweiss hat noch 44 freie Plätze für einen Rückflug am Samstag aus dem Oman. Jetzt zählt jede Stunde für Heimkehrwillige.

In Verona findet die Eröffnungsfeier für die Paralympics statt. Die Schweizer Delegation ist aus terminlichen Gründen nicht vor Ort.

L’Autorité nationale indépendante de régulation de l’audiovisuel (ANIRA) a sévi. La chaîne privée Echorouk TV s’est vu infliger une amende pour n’avoir pas respecté les […]

L’article ANIRA : Echorouk TV sanctionnée financièrement pour cette raison est apparu en premier sur .

Beim Hallenmeeting in Berlin sorgt die Hürdenläuferin Ditaji Kambundji mit Platz 2 in guten 7,82 Sekunden für das Bestresultat aus Schweizer Sicht. Annik Kälin wird im Weitsprung mit 6,56 m Dritte.

Fred Kerley wurde im August 2025 vorläufig gesperrt – und jetzt definitiv. Zwei Jahre beträgt die Sperre.

Ein Foto von Model Chuando Tan sorgt für Staunen: Der 60-Jährige aus Singapur sieht aus wie ein Student. Das Netz flippt völlig aus.

Für die Armee soll die Mehrwertsteuer erhöht werden. Doch Papiere aus der Bundesverwaltung zeigen, wie stark Martin Pfisters Pläne von Anfang an auf Skepsis stiessen.

On 3 March 2026, at a public school in Mount Lebanon, UNICEF team is on the ground providing emergency supplies including mattresses, blankets, water, hygiene, baby and dignity kits UNICEF and other UN humanitarian agencies have begun mobilizing aid and emergency supplies to families in Lebanon and across the Middle East region. Credit: UNICEF/Fouad Choufany

By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 6 2026 (IPS)

As military fighting breaks out across the Middle East with increasing frequency and intensity, the United Nations promises to ramp up its humanitarian response on the ground.

Armed attacks have been ongoing since February 28 when the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, who retaliated with their own airstrikes on Israel and Arab Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. Since then, military strikes have continued between these states, and the fighting has only exacerbated tensions in neighboring states. In Lebanon, military skirmishes have broken out between the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and Hezbollah, which has led to a spike in internal displacements.

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), more than 330,000 people have been forcibly displaced in the last few days, mostly within their own countries. In Lebanon, nearly 84,000 people are seeking shelter in 400 collective sites. Within Iran, more than 1.6 million refugees, most from Afghanistan, have been forcibly displaced. Fighting along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan has led to the displacement of nearly 118,000 people in both countries.

These overlapping crises within one region marks what UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs called a “moment of great peril”, and an example of “increased linkages” between these humanitarian crises. Fletcher called for a de-escalation and an immediate end to the fighting, and for diplomatic dialogue and peaceful negotiation to resume, including between the parties involved.

Fletcher briefed reporters on Friday on the situation in the Middle East, announcing that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is “fully mobilized” across the region, preparing humanitarian teams and supplies into the affected areas. They have begun distributing food, aid and shelter to thousands of affected civilians across the region.

UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher briefs reporters in New York on the situation in the Middle East. Credit: UN Web TV

Fletcher warned that as this war within the Middle East continued, there would be far-reaching consequences. “War doesn’t stay neatly within borders or on desktop military plans,” he said., referring to the impact on the global market and supply chains as the war disrupts access to commercial goods and energy sources. Of note, the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime corridor that borders Iran and a strategic route for oil and natural gas exports, has seen a near-total halt of traffic due to strikes in and around the channel, causing the global prices of gas and oil to surge. Fletcher warned that this will put greater strain on public services, food prices and even constrain humanitarian operations.

As humanitarian resources and global attention is drawn to the Middle East, Fletcher also raised concerns that this will divert attention away from other humanitarian crises in areas like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan and Ukraine, among others.

Humanitarian actors are scaling their response to the countries affected by the conflicts, notably in Iran. Since February 28, there have been over 1000 reported instances of damage to civilian infrastructure, and close to 1600 people have been injured or killed in the airstrikes.

The military strikes already have reported children among the casualties thus far. In Iran, about 180 children have been killed in airstrikes while they were in school, according to UNICEF. In a statement issued on March 5, they warned that such casualties stand as a “stark reminder of the brutality of war and violence” on children that affects families and generations thereafter. In Lebanon, since the escalation of hostilities seven children have been killed and 38 have been injured.

The conflict has also complicated humanitarian operations and essential supply routes. Ongoing missile airstrikes in the region have disrupted airspace. As other sources have reported, this has forced many commercial flights to be postponed or canceled as some countries in the region have closed their airspace. For humanitarian operations, airspace closure and security restrictions have affected the movement of supplies and personnel. On this, Fletcher noted that OCHA has already pre-positioned supplies and identified alternate routes to send supplies through.

“Humanitarian action is always harder in times of war, but this is of course when it is most needed,” said Fletcher. “…The humanitarian movement will, once again, meet this moment. We’ll continue to serve those who need us.”

This most recent conflict already risks moving beyond the borders of the Middle East. Reports have emerged from Türkiye of an Iranian missile heading into Turkish airspace that was then destroyed by NATO forces, and Azerbaijan has accused Iranian drones of attacking an airport building in the exclave of Nakhchivan.

“It is critical that this conflict does not extend even further into new areas and into bringing new countries into this conflict,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Friday.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres posted on X (formerly Twitter) to warn the attacks in the Middle East are causing “tremendous suffering and harm to civilians throughout the region”, and that the situation “could spiral beyond anyone’s control”. “It is time to stop the fighting and get to serious diplomatic negotiations. The stakes could not be higher.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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