Holy See (Vatican City State): Pope against computers in children's bedrooms
Pope Francis has warned of the dangers of allowing children to have computers in their bedrooms, saying it can lead to them watching pornography. He approved of parents putting them in a communal room in the house, saying there are things that parents can do to prevent their children accessing websites containing sexually explicit or violent material. The Argentinian pontiff said children were becoming far too attached to digital media: ‘It harms the soul and curtails freedom - it makes you a slave of the computer’. He said that while it was important for younger generations to master digital technology, computers and other devices should be used with moderation.
Greece: Leaders lash out as tempers fray
As talks between Greece and its creditors drag on and pressure mounts on both sides to find a deal, relations between Athens and its European partners are getting worse. Tensions over reforms-for-aid negotiations came to a head on Sunday when European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker accused the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of distorting what the creditors had proposed to make some headway in securing a deal for the country. Tsipras said he was ‘unpleasantly surprised’ by the offer made by Juncker, who - as head of one of the three institutions overseeing Greece's bailout programme, along with the International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank - had helped to craft the proposals. It was reported by Reuters that Juncker refused a request from Tsipras to meet him on Saturday, feeling that there was little left to discuss. Expectations are rising that Greece could default on its debt and leave the eurozone altogether.
Gibraltar: 300-year-old tradition of military governors could end
Britain's failure to tackle Spanish aggression over Gibraltar has sparked the shock resignation of the governor of the Rock. Lieutenant General Sir James Dutton took the unprecedented step of quitting the overseas territory after less than two years amid frustration he had been ‘sold a duff’. The resignation has sparked fears that his replacement will be a civil servant, responsible to Whitehall, and less likely to stand up to Spanish sabre-rattling. This would end 300 years of rule by a military governor directly accountable to the Queen. The Foreign Office is searching for his replacement to take up the role in September.
Germany: G7- Merkel and Obama and Russia sanctions
The US and German leaders say sanctions on Russia must stay until it implements a deal to end fighting in Ukraine. President Barack Obama and Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks as the G7 summit of economic powers began in southern Germany on Monday. Moscow is the target of European Union and US sanctions over its role in support of Ukrainian rebels. Russia has been excluded from what was previously known as the G8, since the annexation of Crimea last year. The West accuses Russia of sending military forces into eastern Ukraine to help the rebels. Moscow denies this, saying any Russian soldiers there are volunteers.
