'Unseen' News and Views
**Photo shows Tomahawk missile being fire from the USS Philippine Sea and the USS Arleigh Burke at IS targets | 23 September 2014 | United States Department of Defense | U.S. Navy photo | Wikimedia Commons: “This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights.”
14 April 2018 — The United Nations Secretary-General has called on the international community to avoid actions which could escalate the crisis in Syria and deepen the suffering of its people.
“There’s an obligation, particularly when dealing with matters of peace and security, to act consistently with the Charter of the United Nations and with international law in general. The UN Charter is very clear on these issues,” Guterres said.
14 April 2018 — In an address to an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Saturday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned against the crisis in Syria “spiraling out of control.“
**Lula in June 2015. | Valter Campanato/ABr | Agência Brasil | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Brazil license.
As expected, the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil rejected the writ of habeas corpus presented by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s lawyers after he had been sentenced by two different courts of justice to 9 years first, and then to 12 years.
The offense attributed to him is that of having improperly received a three-floor apartment on the beach from the Brazilian construction company OAS in exchange for certain advantages while in government.
Greenpeace together with the Break Free From Plastic coalition conducted a beach cleanup activity and plastics brand audit on Freedom Island, Philippines in 2017. © Daniel Müller / Greenpeace
(Greenpeace International)* — I love the ocean, but for years I haven’t been able to visit a beach without seeing the effects of plastic pollution. Microplastics mix with seashells in the sand. Plastic bags roll down the beach. Foam cups break down in the surf.
Geneva, 13 April 2018 (IOM)* – IOM, the UN Migration Agency reports that 16,847 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2018 through 11 April, with the vast majority arriving in Italy and the rest in Spain, Greece, and Cyprus. This compares with 33,602 arrivals across the region through the same period last year.
The United Nations refugee agency and the Government of Bangladesh on 13 April 2018 signed a cooperation agreement on the safe, dignified return of Rohingya refugees to their homes in Myanmar, “once conditions there are conducive.”
While a moderate upturn in the world economy led to more development financing in 2017, a new United Nations report out 13 April 2018 revealed that the vast majority of investment is still short-term oriented, putting global commitments to create sustainable economies at risk.
At least 1,000 children have been abducted by the Boko Haram insurgent group in northeastern Nigeria since 2013 amid repeated attacks on schools, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on 13 April 2018 said, calling for an end to such violence and the release of those who have yet to be returned.
Young people are prime targets of extremist recruiters but they can also play leadership roles in fighting terrorism and creating greater opportunities for all, said speakers at a United Nations forum on 12 April 2018 called ‘Investing in Youth to Counter Terrorism.’
“I do not agree that young people are the leaders of tomorrow. More and more, they are the leaders of today,” Secretary-General António Guterres told the event.
“I thank all the young women and men who are stepping up and assuming those responsibilities,” he added.
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 