UN News Today 28 November 2025 |

UN condemns ‘summary execution’ of two Palestinians in Jenin

The UN human rights office (OHCHR) says it is appalled by what it calls the brazen killing of two Palestinian men by Israeli border police in Jenin — describing the incident as an apparent summary execution.

OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence told journalists in Geneva that the shooting — seemingly caught on film — comes amid a surge in unlawful killings of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, with almost no accountability.

He said an internal review was announced but warned that public comments by a senior Israeli official, appearing to absolve security forces of responsibility, raise serious concerns about the credibility of any investigation.

According to OHCHR, 1,030 Palestinians — including 223 children — have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank since October 2023.

Laurence said impunity must end, calling for independent, prompt and effective investigations. He stressed that there are lawful processes for handling cases — and that “the solution is not to pull a gun and shoot.”

OHCHR warns Myanmar junta forcing civilians back into danger ahead of military-run election

Staying with human rights…

The UN human rights office says Myanmar’s military-imposed election next month will take place amid threats, violence and deepening insecurity — putting civilian lives at risk.

Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said the vote is being held while major political parties are banned, over 30,000 political opponents have been detained, and ethnic minorities — including Rohingya and Tamils — are excluded from voting. The military has expanded electronic surveillance and restricted humanitarian access.

James Rodehaver, who heads OHCHR’s Myanmar team, said civilians are being pressured — and in some cases forced — to return to unsafe conflict areas simply so the military can stage a vote.

Speaking from Bangkok, he said people fleeing airstrikes have been threatened:

“Some groups have been targeted in airstrikes and told, ‘You must return to town. If you do not, we will continue to bomb you.’ In some contested areas, villagers are being forced to attend military trainings on how to use electronic voting machines… and even those who try to return home just to gather supplies discover that their villages have been burned, or that the damage to their homes is very severe.”

UN human rights chief Volker Türk has called the vote “unfathomable” under such conditions and said the priority must be ending violence and restoring humanitarian access.

Measles deaths down 88% since 2000 — but cases surge, WHO warns

Measles deaths have fallen by nearly 90 per cent since 2000 — but global cases are now surging as immunity gaps widen, the World Health Organization warned on Friday.

New WHO estimates show 59 million lives have been saved through measles vaccination in the past 25 years.

But 11 million people were infected last year, nearly 800,000 more than before the pandemic.

Around 95,000 people — mostly young children — died from measles in 2024, the lowest number since 2000 but still unacceptably high.
Most deaths were in children under five, with 80% in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.

WHO says outbreaks are rising sharply — including in countries that had previously eliminated measles — because routine vaccination rates still haven’t recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking in Geneva, Dr Kate O’Brien said measles exposes every weakness in an immunisation system:

“Its high transmissibility means that even small drops in vaccine coverage can trigger outbreaks like a fire alarm going off when smoke is detected.”

Only 76 per cent of children worldwide received their second measles dose last year — far below the 95 per cent needed to stop transmission.

WHO is urging countries to reach missed children, strengthen surveillance, and secure sustainable financing to close dangerous immunity gaps.

Katy Dartford, UN News