Students in Syria have been discussing their education with their counterparts over in the UK on Skype, and both groups have learnt a great deal about their foreign peers.

It's India-Pakistan diplomacy with a difference: two groups of students, one in Bangalore and one in Islamabad, talking fashion, film and politics over homemade curry and steaks.  By dining together over Skype calls, the students might knock down the cultural and political barriers that divide them.

India has widened its security crackdown, asking all companies that provide encrypted communications - not just BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion - to install servers in the country to make it easier for the government to obtain users' data. That would likely affect digital giants like Google and Skype.