U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres laid out his priorities for the year and delivered a sobering view of the state of the world. “Tensions were of course high as the last year ended, but we were moving in the right direction in a number of hotspots. We were seeing signs of de-escalation and some measure of progress. That’s all changed. I have spoken recently about winds of hope. But today a wind of madness is sweeping the globe. From Libya to Yemen to Syria and beyond – escalation is back. Arms are flowing and offensives are increasing.”