A beloved cartoon character from Argentina who has delighted people across the planet for six decades, was at UN Headquarters on Monday to bring her message of peace, education, freedom and sanity to “a rather senseless world”.

UN human rights chief Volker Türk lent his weight to growing ceasefire calls in Lebanon on Tuesday, as senior Israeli cabinet members were reportedly due to meet on a deal to end more than a year of conflict with Hezbollah militants, sparked by the war in Gaza.

With all eyes on a possible ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, UN humanitarians have condemned the ongoing violence in Lebanon, Gaza, and Israel. Meanwhile, at UN Headquarters in New York, a special meeting is underway to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Stay tuned for live updates from UN headquarters and the field. UN News app users can follow here.

CHACSINKIN, Mexico, Nov 25 (IPS) - María Bacab, a Native Maya, considers herself the “guardian of seeds” as she cares for the milpa - an ancestral Mesoamerican polyculture that mixes maize, beans, squash and other vegetables - and promotes its practice and use in Mexico.

WASHINGTON DC, Nov 25 (IPS) - In Nigeria, over 80,000 women die each year from pregnancy and childbirth complications. Recently, Nigeria’s coordinating minister of health and social welfare, Muhammad Pate, announced the Maternal Mortality Reduction Initiative. It aims to provide free cesarean section (CS) and essential maternal care to poor women nationwide, ensuring safer childbirth and improved maternal health outcomes. Free CS is a life-saving solution. But while the idea is great, let’s take a closer look to unpack how it can really help Nigerian women.

TORONTO, Nov 25 (IPS) - Despite the 1,583 legislative measures in 193 countries around the world, violence against women has not been eradicated or even abated.

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 25 (IPS) - Every 10 minutes, one woman or girl is killed at the hands of their partner or other family member. This is only scratching the surface on how femicide, one of the most extreme forms of violence against women, persists at high levels around the world.

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 25 (IPS) - As living conditions in Sudan deteriorate as a result of the Sudanese Civil War, levels of famine and violations of international humanitarian law continue to accelerate among the roughly 11.5 million displaced persons. Conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have severely hampered aid efforts, leaving millions of civilians to deal with widespread disease and an overall lack of essential resources.

NEW YORK, Nov 25 (IPS) - A woman’s right to live free from violence is upheld by international agreements like the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the 1993 UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women.

NEW YORK, Nov 25 (IPS) - The 16 Days of Activism to end gender-based violence, started with seeking to eliminate violence against women (VAW). This year’s theme highlights the reality that violence against women and girls is of pandemic proportions. The figures are galling.