Disputes between Gulf Arab states and the maker of the Blackberry smartphone over access to encrypted communications highlight a growing nervousness over looming regional security threats, from Iran to al Qaeda.

The security obsessed Israeli military is confronting a new adversary - trying to control what its own soldiers post to the Internet. Facebook, along with YouTube and other popular sites, is turning into a formidable nuisance for the army, as young recruits in this tech-crazy country post embarrassing and potentially sensitive information online, circumventing tight military controls.

It is common to use words like "reclusive" and "secretive" when writing about North Korea. But last Thursday, the North Koreans created a Twitter account - @uriminzok, a shortened version of a Korean word that translates as "our people".

This month, the Obama Administration's much-evangelized '21st century statecraft' approach has returned to the headlines...

China, driven by a desire for prestige and its own Nobel laureates, could soon lead the world in scientific research.

India says it wants to keep mobile technology and Internet markets safe from militants. BlackBerry says it won't give India special treatment.

In a growing global recognition of India's people-focused diplomacy in Africa, its signature Pan-African e-network project, that seeks to empower the resource-rich continent through tele-medicine and tele-education, has won a top international prize for innovation.

India's Home Ministry threatened Thursday to block BlackBerry corporate e-mail and messaging services unless the device's manufacturer, Research In Motion Ltd., makes them accessible to its security agencies by Aug. 31.