
Environment Ministers from the UK Overseas Territories (OTs) and Crown Dependencies (CDs) gathered together for the first time ever in Gibraltar’s Garrison Library last week to consider the environmental challenges facing the Territories.

Leaders of British Overseas Territories will gather in Bermuda this week ahead of the Joint Ministerial Council. It’s the second time Bermuda has hosted the precursor of the JMC that will be held in London later in the year, reports the Royal Gazette. The Falkland Islands will be represented by Roger Edwards, Member of the Legislative Assembly.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday called the restoration of diplomatic relations with Cuba a new beginning but said many differences remain between the two nations and warned that the full normalization of ties will be a long process. He spoke hours after ceremonies were held in Havana and Washington to mark the restoration of ties after more than five decades of hostility.

A British comedian disrupted a news conference by Sepp Blatter on Monday, showering the FIFA president with fake money. As Blatter took his seat, performer Simon Brodkin rose from a front-row seat to confront him.

The latest Mercosur summit, held last week in Brazil included a special statement, --besides the main regular declaration with 69 articles--, blasting the UK for violating international law and Argentine domestic law over the exploration of hydrocarbons in the Argentine continental shelf in proximity of the Malvinas Islands.

France favors a stronger organization behind the Euro led by a vanguard of countries, French President Francois Hollande said in an interview published Sunday. In the past week the European spirit prevailed in addressing the Greek crisis, he told the weekly Journal du Dimanche.

Banks in Greece expect long queues but no major problems when they reopen this Monday for the first time in three weeks, although withdrawals will still be limited and capital controls will remain, senior banking officials said on Sunday.

Guyana on Sunday warned it would “stoutly resist” plans by Venezuela to register residents in Essequibo and issue them identification cards for the neighbouring Spanish-speaking nation. Venezuela claims the region and has launched an aggressive campaign at domestic and international level calling president David Granger a 'provocateur”.

Brazil's Finance minister Joaquim Levy warned that any attempt to relax spending-reduction goals for this year would inevitably extend the duration of the current fiscal adjustment program. The statement was made on Sunday in a long interview with one of Brazil's leading dailies, Folha de Sao Paulo.

Argentina's conservative PRO party won the Buenos Aires City mayoral runoff on Sunday, clinging to its stronghold for a third consecutive term ahead of presidential elections in October, but by a smaller-than-expected margin. Horacio Rodríguez Larreta won 51.6% of ballots cast while his opponent Martin Lousteau picked up 48.4%. Public opinion polls anticipated a ten points difference.