"As the border is porous, criminals often commit crimes in India and slip into Nepal through the border. In a bid to provide fast and smooth movement to SSB personnel, the UP government has forwarded a Rs 1,503 crore project to the Centre for approval," UP Parliamentary Affairs Minister Lalji Verma said. The minister lamented that the Centre had reduced the state's financial assistance to modernise police force.

The events, trends, and goofs that defined 2008

Media reports said that three IT companies, HCL Tech, Tech Mahindra and Cognizant, are in the fray for Satyam. While a HCL spokesperson said the company does not comment on speculation, Tech Mahindra officials termed the reports as baseless.

"The state government is taking all out efforts to organise intensive patrols and effective screening of the refugees entering the country to avert infiltration of anti-national elements," Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said in his speech at the Conference of Chief Ministers on Internal Security in New Delhi.

Anti-India elements in Pakistan are planning to attack Indian computer networks, intelligence agencies have warned. Pakistani hackers are trying out a dry run by hacking popular websites registered there, home ministry sources said on Tuesday. "Every time the relations between the two countries dampen, Pakistanis start attacking Indian computer networks and this has increased after the Mumbai terror attacks," a home ministry source said.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday demanded a financial assistance of Rs 300 crore from the Centre to modernise the state police to meet any challenge posed by terrorism. The chief minister said if the state police were better equipped and trained, there was no need to fly commandos to tackle any terror strike.

Seeking to allay apprehensions of the National Democratic Alliance-ruled states, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said that the Centre will have the 'closest possible interaction' with all states while undertaking all anti-terror initiatives.Noting that it is not possible to effectively fight terror without the whole-hearted cooperation of the police machinery at all levels, he suggested setting up of a Group of Officers to advise the Government.

Demanding deployment of at least 2,000 personnel of paramilitary force in riot-hit Kandhamal till the end of the coming general elections, Orissa government on Tuesday said it was severely handicapped by lack of resources. Though Patnaik informed the conference that situation in Kandhamal was under control, he said complete normalcy could be restored only after all persons in the relief camp returned to their villages.

The statement by United States president-elect Barack Obama regarding American intervention in Kashmir is his first foreign policy mistake, a leading expert on South Asia said on Tuesday. A Kashmir initiative by America, however veiled, can undermine improving India-US ties, Selig S Harrison, director of Asia Programme at the Center for International Policy and a senior scholar of the Woodrow Wilson International, said an opinion piece published in The Washington Times.

Mounting an attack on the Centre on behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance at the chief ministers' conclave in New Delhi, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday claimed that certain states have been 'sidetracked' during the United Progressive Alliance's fight against terrorism. Nitish Kumar shared his misgivings about the National Investigation Agency encroaching upon the state's powers.

'What will happen to Mumbai if it continues to be attacked mercilessly? It is easy to say that Mumbai is unstoppable. But with each attack our city is finding it more difficult to pick up its pieces. Can this city break? If it breaks what will happen? Will there be schisms that pit people against each other?'

There is a need to introduce National Identity Cards for all citizens to combat terror, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said in New Delhi on Tuesday.In his speech at the conference of chief ministers on internal security, Chouhan said "there is a need to give National Identity Cards to every citizen in order to stop infiltration from neighbouring countries. It will be effective in curbing heinous crimes other than keeping a check on terrorism."

The economic downturn and the geo-political tensions notwithstanding, citizens of India are looking forward to 2009 and around 42 per cent of people feel that this year will be better than 2008, says a study.

'In response to incoming enemy fire, the forces returned mortar fire to the source. This is not the first time that Hamas has fired mortars and rockets from schools, in such a way deliberately using civilians as human shields in their acts of terror,' the army said in a statement. With this attack, the death toll since the launch of the offensive on December 27 rose to over 620.

The Congress is allowing successes in Delhi, Rajasthan, and (to an extent) JandK to blind its national alienation as seen in Karnataka.

Somdev Devvarman began the new season on a winning note, carving out a straight set win over world number 114 Kevin Kim to make the second round even as Rohan Bopanna was knocked of $ 450,000 ATP Chennai Open on Tuesday.

How did we get to this point, where the US President -- the ostensible leader of the free world -- is disrespected in a most serious manner and the incident is considered funny and deserving? What happened?

On a day when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the Mumbai attacks could not have been carried out without the support of official agencies in Pakistan, Intelligence Bureau sources told rediff.com that the Inter-Services Intelligence agency had detailed knowledge about the planning and execution of the November 26 attacks in Mumbai. No terror operation in India is a success unless it is backed by the ISI, the sources added.

The United States said on Tuesday that it was suspending aid to Guinea as it renewed calls for a return to civilian rule and the holding of elections following a military coup in Conakry last month.

Obama's decision to name Leon Panetta to lead the US intelligence agency has surprised the spy community.

Pakistanis are now procuring guns and other arms, as a surge in Islamist violence has led to security fears.

Reader Tabish Khan has sent us a photograph

Luck By Chance's music is aimed at the Dil Chahta Hai generation of Bollywood viewers -- definitely urban. Let's hope the movie matches up.

Americans spent $2.2tn on healthcare in 2007, or $7,421 per person, according to a US government report released on Tuesday.

The autopsy conducted on Jett Travolta, 16-year-old son of actor John Travolta, shows he died of a "seizure," and that his body showed no signs of head trauma.

Democrats in the US Congress will work with President Barack Obama to push an aggressive legislative agenda in 2009.

US President-elect Barack Obama has picked former White House chief of staff Leon Panetta to head the CIA.

Daughters of US President elect Barack Obama - Malia and Sasha - began their first day of school at Sidwell in Washington as waiting photographers and media people jostled for pictures of the Obama girls.

The new US Congress convenes on Tuesday under pressure to deal with a worsening economy by passing a stimulus package that Barack Obama could sign into law soon after being sworn in as president.

Equating the Palestinian group Hamas with LeT terrorists, the White House said both were engaged in despicable acts to achieve their political objectives.

Dance reality show Superstars of Dance, debuted last night in the US, following weeks of anticipation.

Reader Suresh Nair has sent us photograph.

Hollywood star John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston went through a traumatic weekend when their 16-year-old son Jett passed away on January 2.

Do you like Abhishek's new look, or do you prefer his hairband look?

Gulama may impress the mass audience to some extent, but is not meant for the family audience.