Topic: UN

One in three prisoners around the world is being held without having stood trial or been found guilty by any court, according to a new study published on Friday by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a major backsliding in childhood vaccinations, with 23 million children worldwide missing out on routine immunizations last year, two UN agencies reported on Wednesday.

The global death toll due to COVID-19 officially passed four million late on Wednesday, marking yet another “grim milestone” and underlining the urgent need for the world to put a Global Vaccine Plan in place to get the pandemic under control, said the UN chief in a statement.

The death of renowned activist and Jesuit priest 84 year old Father Stan Swamy, who was arrested, jailed last year under draconian UAPA in connection with the Elgar Parishad case and repeatedly denied bail by courts, has triggered an outrage against Narendra Modi government's investigation agencies and India's draconian anti-terror laws from rights activists, political leaders, intellectuals and community leaders worldwide.

The practice of shutting down internet and mobile phone access to stifle dissent has become “entrenched” and more sophisticated in a growing number of countries as governments seek to retain power, a top United Nation-appointed independent rights expert said on Thursday.

The head of the UN health agency expressed concern on Friday over the COVID-19’s delta variant, which he called “the most transmissible” mutation to date.