In a report released on Jan. 24, the International Day of Education, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization warned of serious setbacks in learning and the number of children in education around the world, most notably in developing countries.

New Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is a man in a hurry. In the first 24 hours after he was sworn in for his third term on Sunday, he signed a slew of decrees, bringing to life many of his campaign promises.

As the world marked International Day Against Desertification and Drought on June 17, a report by the UN outlined the threat that humanity faces from rising desertification and serious droughts, which now seem to be a commonplace occurrence.

When the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meets in the German city of Bonn in early June to review worldwide progress in the battle against this growing threat, it will be hard pressed to find any advance at all.