USA - More than a third of American babies are tapping on smartphones and tablets even before they’re walking or talking, according to a new study. And by their first birthday, one in seven infants is using devices for at least an hour a day. The results of the First Exposure and Use of Mobile Media in Young Children survey was presented to the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in San Diego on the weekend. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages the use of entertainment media such as televisions, computers, smartphones and tablets by children under two-years-old.

GREECE - There's a new theory doing the rounds in the "Grexit or no Grexit" debate. Unlike the widely-held conjecture that a default would lead inexorably to Greece's ejection from the eurozone, analysts and economists now think there are a number of ways the debt-addled country can retain its membership of the euro while stiffing its international lenders.

EUROPE - It has been a very disturbing 24 hours for Greece. It all started during yesterday's surprisingly short, just one hour long Eurozone finmin meeting in Riga, where Yanis Varoufakis not only got the most "hostile" reception yet being called "a time-waster, gambler, and amateur", but for the first time one minister openly said that maybe it was time governments prepared for the plan B of a Greek default.

NEPAL - The international aid effort for Nepal is gathering pace, with Saturday's huge earthquake now known to have killed at least 3,900 people and injured 7,000. China, India, Pakistan and Britain are among the countries contributing to the effort, alongside major aid agencies. Nepal has asked for more help, saying it needs everything from helicopters and blankets to paramedics and drivers. At least 200 climbers have now been rescued around Mount Everest, after the quake triggered avalanches.

GREECE - One of Greece's largest banks says it will wipe away the debts of clients who owe up to 20,000 euros ($21,600) in a one-off gesture to ease the burden on its crisis-hit customers. The Bank of Piraeus decided to write off or restructure debts in response to the "humanitarian crisis" through which its poorest clients were living, the company said in a statement. Debts of up to 20,000 euros linked to credit cards and consumer loans would be written off completely, it said, while mortagage payments would be frozen and any associated interest forgiven. Clients must already be enrolled in a newly-launched government benefits scheme to be eligible for the debt relief.

UK - Countries band together to promote trade, defend human rights, protect the environment and repel threats. They sign treaties and join international organizations, and each time they do, they agree to give up a bit of independence. That happened in a big way with the creation of the European Union, a common market and global political force forged from the fractious states of Europe. The question always was, could this extraordinary experiment hold together? That concern is rising with the real possibility that the United Kingdom will hold a vote on leaving the bloc it joined in 1973. The way many Britons see it, the tradeoffs no longer serve their interests; they prefer the idea of living outside the EU, as Norway and Switzerland do.

USA - Why in the world has JP Morgan accumulated more than 55 million ounces of physical silver? Since early 2012, JP Morgan’s stockpile has grown from less than 5 million ounces of physical silver to more than 55 million ounces of physical silver. Clearly, someone over at JP Morgan is convinced that physical silver is a great investment. But in recent times, the price of silver has actually fallen quite a bit. As I write this, it is sitting at the ridiculously low price of $15.66 an ounce. So up to this point, JP Morgan’s investment in silver has definitely not paid off. But it will pay off in a big way if we will soon be entering a time of great financial turmoil.

UK - Back in January and February, two items in this column attracted more than 42,000 comments to the Telegraph website from all over the world. The provocative headings given to them were “Climategate the sequel: how we are still being tricked by flawed data on global warming” and “The fiddling with temperature data is the biggest scientific scandal”. The Global Warming Policy Foundation has enlisted an international team of five distinguished scientists to carry out a full inquiry into just how far these manipulations of the data may have distorted our picture of what is really happening to global temperatures.

USA - In an alarming new update to its user agreement released this week, PayPal has announced that it will assert copyright ownership over all intellectual property of anyone who uses its payment services. The update comes in the aftermath of the announcement that eBay and PayPal will split apart into two separate companies. PayPal users reacted to the terms of agreement update by expressing their shock and confusion. “Does this mean that anything I might funnel through Paypal will belong to them, and that they can do what they like with it, without consultation, interference or redress?” asked one respondent. “So, for example, my business website: they could override my copyright if I channel it through them in any of their services?”

NEPAL - Rescue efforts in Nepal are intensifying after nearly 2,000 people were killed in the country's worst earthquake in more than 80 years. Many countries and international charities have offered aid to Nepal to deal with the disaster. Seventeen people have been killed on Mount Everest by avalanches - the mountain's worst-ever disaster.

GREECE - Eurozone officials criticise 'amateur' Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, warning that time is running out to stop Greece going bankrupt. Time is running out for Greece, officials have warned at a crucial eurozone meeting in which finance minister Yanis Varoufakis was heavily criticised for stalling over urgent measures needed to release vital financial aid. Jeroen Dijsselbloem, president of the Eurogroup, said there were some "big, big problems to be solved" before Greece's creditors would release badly needed funds to the country. There are "still wide differences to bridge on substance", he said on Friday, adding that there would be no partial disbursement of funds to help Greece avoid a euro exit.

UK - Rail expert warns a new digital system aimed to make lines safer, could be exposed to malicious software, or malware. A new railway signalling system being trialled in the UK could be vulnerable to a cyber attack which could cause a train crash, a government adviser has warned. Professor David Stupples told the BBC the European Rail Traffic Management System, a new digital system aimed to make lines safer, could be exposed to malicious software, or malware, used to cause a "nasty accident". The internet security expert at City University said government ministers feared the possible threat of hacking and the biggest could come from an insider.

USA - Minnesota declared a state of emergency on Thursday over a fast-spreading strain of avian flu that has led to the extermination of more than 7.3 million birds in the country. It followed Wisconsin's action on Monday.

The highly pathogenic H5N2 strain of bird flu has been identified on 46 Minnesota farms in 16 counties and affected more than 2.6 million birds in the state. State health officials said they were expediting prescriptions for the antiviral drug Tamiflu for farm workers and others who have been in direct contact with infected flocks. No human infections have been reported in this outbreak.

ISRAEL - The use of Israeli military force against Iran’s nuclear facilities would be an act of “last resort,” Israel’s air force commander said Thursday, but part of his role is to ensure that the air force has “the genuine capacity to get the job done” if ordered to do so. Major-General Amir Eshel, in his first television interview in the three years since he took command of the Israeli Air Force, told Israel’s Channel 10 news Thursday that an Iran with a nuclear capability “would have grave significance for the whole Middle East, not just for Israel.” The use of military force “is the last resort,” he said. “That decision has not yet been made.” Nonetheless, he added, “I have to prepare a capability so that if a decision is taken, we have the genuine capacity to get the job done. That’s our role.”

USA - The drought is forcing more rodents to search for water and food in California homes and neighborhoods. Spring is already a busy time of the year for rats and mice since it’s breeding season, but dry conditions are forcing rodents to look for spaces as small as the width of a thumb to get inside homes. “It’s a very busy time especially with the drought situation,” said Kevin Carpenter with Good Earth Pest Control. He says mice and rats need at least an ounce of water a day, so they’re targeting homes and backyards that aren’t protected. “They’re moving to homes where people might have pets or water features, bird baths, that sort of thing in search of water,” he said.