Europe

9 October 2024 Health Our “collective amnesia” about how bad the COVID-19 pandemic was should not prevent us from protecting ourselves and our loved ones from the ongoing spread of respiratory diseases as the northern hemisphere prepares for winter, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday. Coronaviruses like COVID, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) “must be taken seriously” as they are particularly dangerous for at-risk groups including the elderly...

In a briefing to the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday, UN rights chief Volker Türk highlighted the widespread devastation and violations of international law that have defined the conflict. He noted that July 2024 was the deadliest month for civilians since October 2022, with a sharp rise in casualties due to large-scale Russian attacks across Ukraine. Between June and August, civilian casualties surged by 45 per cent compared to the previous three months, driven by missile, drone, and...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that Russia cannot defeat his people on the battlefield, so it is looking for other ways to break the Ukrainian spirit, deplorably by targeting its vital energy infrastructure as winter approaches.

“When the alarm went off, we were all rushed into the shelter,” she said. “Even the tiniest babies from the neonatal intensive care unit were brought down by nurses and aides, who carried them gently because they are too fragile for the mothers to move them on their own.” As a massive wave of Russian air strikes hit Ukraine, targeting critical infrastructure and causing widespread damage and casualties, the staff and patients at the Kyiv Regional Perinatal Centre struggle to care for the...

Global perspective Human stories A panoramic view of high-rise buildings at night time in the city Warsaw, Poland. 26 August 2024 Women The rights of women in Poland are currently being violated due to restrictive abortion laws that have contributed to “several preventable deaths,” according to independent rights experts on Monday. These restrictive laws have forced many women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, travel abroad to have legal abortions or seek private...

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racism (CERD) voiced concern over persistent hate crimes, hate speech and xenophobic incidents on various platforms, including by politicians and public figures. It was particularly concerned about recurring racist acts and violence by extremist far-right and white supremacist individuals and groups targeting ethnic and ethno-religious minorities, migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers. Southport stabbing attack This includes violent acts committed in...

The UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide is urging States hosting fugitives to prosecute or extradite them for international crimes in a statement released on Monday, which highlighted the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the 1995 Srebrenica genocide.

By Vibhu Mishra 2 August 2024 Human Rights Top UN officials on Friday called for a stand against bigotry “wherever and whenever it appears”, paying tribute to the hundreds of thousands of Roma and Sinti brutally murdered during the Second World War by the Nazis. On the night of 2 August 1944, the last 4,300 Roma and Sinti in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp were murdered by the Nazi forces, despite their fierce resistance. That marked the killing of more than 500,000 members...

More than 20 journalists and dissidents were freed, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and recent Pulitzer Prize winner Vladimir Kara-Murza. The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, Mariana Katzarova, has repeatedly advocated for their release. Good news in dark times “I can’t even believe it,” she said in an exclusive interview with UN News. “In the dark times in which we live...

25 July 2024 Health It seems that Europeans don’t want to give up booze. A UN World Health Organization (WHO) report has found that nothing has changed in the continent’s drinking habits. Despite the health risks, Europeans consume an average of 9.2 litres of pure alcohol a year – making them the world’s biggest drinkers. WHO’s Dr Gauden Galea said that the impacts are far-reaching including domestic violence, accidents and mental health issues. He called on countries to implement...