On March 14, 2012, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued the first verdict since it began operations 10 years ago in the case of Thomas Lubanga, a former militia leader from the region of Ituri in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
When a government spokesman announced on April 4, 2012 that no country has better credentials for hosting the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June, he had a point. Brazil’s environmental record isn’t perfect; it is still home to vast pockets of poverty.