Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday warned that the “fragile” legitimacy of the Security Council could endanger global peace if it remains gridlocked and fails to fulfil its primary purpose.

Imagine this: you visit the familiar website of your local hardware store. Everything looks the same — the same design, the same brand name, the same interface.

UNITED NATIONS, October 23 (IPS) - Since the declaration of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on October 10, families in the Gaza Strip have begun returning to previously inaccessible areas, as humanitarian organizations work to scale up aid operations to meet growing needs on the ground even amid security risks, including unexploded ordnance.

MUTARE, Zimbabwe, October 23 (IPS) - Shamiso Marambanyika assists a male customer in selecting a pair of jeans on a Saturday morning in Mutare, a city in the eastern part of Zimbabwe.

A shipwreck off Tunisia that claimed the lives of at least 40 African migrants has once again exposed the lethal risks of irregular sea crossings on routes to Europe, the UN migration agency said on Thursday.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed Wednesday’s advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) saying Israel must allow aid into Gaza.

Gaza’s health system remains in ruins despite the fragile ceasefire holding, with hundreds of thousands still facing urgent medical and humanitarian needs, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday.

Over 900 days of brutal conflict, widespread human rights violations, famine, and the collapse of essential services have driven millions of people in Sudan to the “brink of survival” – with women and children bearing the heaviest burden.

The Gaza ceasefire provides a rare opportunity to end one of the most destructive phases of the wider Israel-Palestine conflict, the UN’s deputy Middle East envoy told the Security Council on Thursday.

The UN Security Council meets at the top of the hour in New York to debate the Middle East, with Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Special Coordinator for the region expected to brief. The session comes amid faltering progress on the fragile Gaza ceasefire and mounting humanitarian needs after two years of war, with famine still looming in parts of the territory. Ambassadors will likely discuss yesterday's ICJ advisory opinion affirming Israel’s obligation to allow agencies aid access under international law. Follow our in-depth live coverage from 10am; UN News app users can go here.