Rio de Janeiro’s Olympics prep is being described as ‘the worst’ yet

The Olympics in Rio de Janeiro are still two years away, but international officials are already concerned the facilities may not be ready on time.

Olympic officials have called Rio's preparations "the worst" — worse even than the notoriously late construction in Sochi and Athens. Attention recently has focused on the city's preparations for this summer's World Cup, which have also been plagued by delays.

Among the concerns: facilities that haven't even broken ground, breakdowns in communications at all levels and — familiar to anyone worrying about World Cup preparations — public and labor unrest. The Guardian has more.

(Editor's note: The Global Scan can be delivered straight to your inbox every weekday. Just register and sign up today.)

A Vietnam vet searches for the son he left behind there

"I suppose I am here out of guilt," he says. "And to try and do my duty as a father."

Jerry Quinn is one of thousands of American veterans who fathered children with Vietnamese women during the Vietnam War. Many of them abandoned the women and their children when they left Vietnam — and are only now looking back. Quinn traveled to Vietnam to try and find his son, whom he felt forced to leave behind when US soldiers were ordered out of Vietnam immediately.

His trip was ultimately unsuccessful, but his story still has a happy ending. He found his son, much closer to home, as the BBC reports.

This scientist celebrates humans' fishy ancestors

When we think of the progenitors of humans, we typically think of apes and chimps. But Neil Shubin, an evolutionary biologist, says we should widen our definition to include fish. From our arms to our gonads, there's a direct connection from our anatomy to the anatomy of fish, as PRI's Science Friday reports.

Saudi Arabia criticizes Norway for its 'poor' human rights record

Saudi Arabia is putting Norway on notice over its record on human rights. If this seems somewhat reversed, Norway agrees.

Norway is one of 14 countries singled out for special review during the United Nations' Universal Periodic Review. But the criticism is typically coming from countries not widely regarded for their positions on human rights, like Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia criticized Norway for "failing to protect its Muslim citizens and not doing enough to counter criticism of the prophet Mohammed," according to The Independent. Russia, on the other hand, criticized the country’s child welfare system, among other complaints.

Mexico is testing cheap, natural ways to deal with climate change

The increasing effects of climate change are a real threat to southern Mexico, as stronger hurricanes and torrential rains lead to flooding and land erosion. Some towns have had to be relocated, but that's expensive. So the Mexican government is testing decidedly lower-tech, lower-cost solutions to keep climate change in check.

PRI's The World visited Chiapas and learned about government efforts to use natural methods to help stem the impacts of climate change. The government is planting "natural barriers," plants and trees, and even paying locals to preserve the vegetation they already have.

What we're seeing on social

Weather around the world

Australians on Tuesday got a glimpse of a partial solar eclipse that produced stunning sunset photos as the moon covered about two-thirds of the sun. Clouds got in the way of many observers chasing the eclipse, but Mother Nature Network still caught some amazing photos.