
Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has met with the new Minister for Europe, Sir Alan Duncan, in London, where he set out the concerns that Brexit has created in the Rock. Mr. Picardo also outlined the opportunities that could now be exploited as a result of a new relationship with the EU.

RMS St. Helena, one of the last Royal Mail Ships in the world is to continue serving her remote South Atlantic island namesake until 1 July 2017, the St Helena Government has announced. The RMS passenger and freight service will continue to operate between Cape Town, St Helena and Ascension Island with the extended schedule confirmed by the island's director of tourism.

Brazil’s federal police said they had arrested two people and raided properties over alleged corruption at building firm Queiroz Galvão, as fresh allegations linked the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) to an alleged US$3-million bribe. The sprawling “Operation Carwash” investigation was launched two years ago to tackle price fixing, bribery and political kickbacks at state-run oil firm Petrobras.

Venezuela has defiantly confirmed that is will fully exercise the self-proclaimed presidency of Mercosur, despite the opposition from Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, who consider the chair vacant and are meeting in Montevideo to find an alternative for the six month mandate.

Brazil's long-running presidential impeachment drama starts to unveil this week just as the Rio Olympics sprints out of the starting blocks. Suspended Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who is accused of breaking budgetary laws, is staying away from the opening ceremony in Rio.

Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony on Friday will break with the recent tradition of large-scale and expensive shows, featuring a low-emissions cauldron and an analogue experience, executive producer Marco Balich said.

Mercosur's disarray and fault lines were again exposed when Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay insisted that Venezuela's self proclamation as president of the group was invalid, and also expressed disappointment with Uruguay for having ended its mandate last Saturday causing great uncertainty.

Venezuela rejected Argentina's call for an urgent Mercosur meeting and underlined it is exercising the group's pro tempore presidency legally accusing Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay of being part of a Triple Alliance which is re-editing a sort of Plan Condor against Venezuela to harass and criminalize its model of development and democracy.

Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay have announced they do not support Venezuela as the pro tempore presidency of Mercosur, further deepening controversy in the group which could even hinder ongoing trade negotiations with the European Union and closer links with the Pacific Alliance.

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Brazil on Sunday, some calling for the permanent ouster of suspended President Dilma Rousseff and others demanding her return to office.Rousseff was impeached and suspended in May for allegedly violating budget laws. A Senate trial on permanently removing her is expected in late August.