A year after Lula came to power, his gamble has paid off: deforestation has been halved in the Amazon. But this success comes at the cost of sacrificing another ecosystem that's just as vital to Brazil: the Cerrado.

A former US diplomat has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for spying for Cuba for decades. The incident has been called "one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the US government."

A transitional council has been created to choose Haiti's next prime minister and Cabinet. The move is seen as the first step in bringing security to the troubled country.

Exactly five years after the fire that destroyed the roof and badly damaged the rest of Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of those who worked on the project has spoken of the camaraderie of the team reconstructing the edifice and the skill of their achievement. Valentin Pontarollo is a carpenter who finished working on the roof just a few weeks ago. The carpentry of the structure is now complete. In Perspective, he told us of his joy at what the team has achieved, five years after tons of 13th-century oak either caught fire or was sent crashing down into the nave below.

Some top Nigerian banks are eyeing the international and local capital markets to raise fresh capital in a bid to meet the recapitalisation exercise by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Egie Akpata, Chairman of Skymark Partners joins CNBC Africa to examine options available to banks.

After a year of war, Sudan is dealing with one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. As more local and international actors get involved, the outlook remains grim.