70 Indian passports stolen from San Francisco

About 70 Indian passports have reportedly been stolen from a private company, to which the Indian Consulate in San Francisco had outsourced for various visa and passport related services.

The serious breach of security is being investigated by the San Francisco Police Department. Both the Indian Consulate and the local police have informed the State Department and the relevant federal authorities so that these passports are not misused, a media report said.

At least 70 Indian passports were stolen from BLS International's San Francisco Office, sometime during the weekend beginning November 29, an Indian-American publication India West reported.

The San Francisco Police Department began investigating the case on December 2, 2013. According to the investigating officer a BLS employee told the police that the passports, along with cash and checks, were taken from a locked safe.

The Indian Consulate in San Francisco has cancelled the stolen passports. The cancelled passports cannot be used for fraudulent travel, as they are machine-readable and verified through a system that is used throughout the world, the newspaper quoted a consulate official as saying.

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Kasturirangan Report: Draft Notification Gets Election Commission Clearance

The Election Commission gave clearance to issue the draft notification on Katurirangan report on Western Ghats conservation on Monday. The Election Commission advised the environment ministry to hold back the final notification till the Lok Sabha elections are over.

The BJP had approached the Election Commission with a complaint against the issuing of the draft notification on the Katurirangan report after the election code of conduct came into effect.

Though The Election Commission had found ground in BJP's complaint that only a new government could take any further decision on the report, it found objection in issuing the draft notification.

State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has asserted that all the doubts related to the draft notification has been removed with Election Commission 's clearence and added that all the efforts of the parties including the CPM to derive a political advantage over the issue has fizzled out.

Meanhwhile, the High Range Protection Committee has declined to accept the draft notification.

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Malaysia Air Probe Finds Scant Evidence Of Terror Attack

Investigators in Malaysia are voicing skepticism that the airliner that disappeared early Saturday with 239 people on board was the target of an attack, U.S. and European government sources close to the probe said.

The fate of the Malaysian airliner that vanished about an hour into a flight to Beijing remained a mystery, as a massive air and sea search, now in its third day, failed to turn up any trace of the Boeing 777 plane.

Neither Malaysia's Special Branch, the agency leading the investigation locally, nor spy agencies in the United States and Europe have ruled out the possibility that militants may have been involved in downing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

But Malaysian authorities have indicated that the evidence so far does not strongly back an attack as a cause for the aircraft's disappearance, and that mechanical or pilot problems could have led to the apparent crash, the U.S. sources said.

"There is no evidence to suggest an act of terror," said a European security source, who added that there was also "no explanation what's happened to it or where it is."

Meanwhile, dozens of ships and aircraft from 10 countries were still scouring the seas around Malaysia and south of Vietnam as questions mounted over possible security lapses that could have led to a downing of the Boeing 777-200ER after it climbed to an altitude of 35,000 feet (10,670 meters).

Interpol confirmed on Sunday at least two passengers used stolen passports and said it was checking whether others aboard had used false identity documents.

Even so, one U.S. source said Malaysian authorities were leaning away from the theory that the plane was attacked. Their view was mostly based on electronic evidence that indicates the flight may have turned back toward the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur before disappearing.

Even that information has not been clearly confirmed, and investigators and intelligence sources say the fate of the Flight MH370 is still shrouded in mystery.

One reason was that the aircraft had failed to make automatic contact with a flight data-monitoring system after vanishing from radar screens, two people familiar with the matter said on Monday. Such contact could have helped investigators determine what happened.

The aircraft was equipped with a maintenance computer capable of talking to the ground automatically through short messages known as ACARS. "There were no signals from ACARS from the time the aircraft disappeared," a source involved in the investigations said.

Also raising doubts about the possibility of an attack, the United States extensively reviewed imagery taken by spy satellites for evidence of a mid-air explosion, but saw none, a U.S. government source said. The source described U.S. satellite coverage of the region as thorough.

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US Says Ready To Do Business With Modi

The United States would welcome Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi if he wins the upcoming election, a U.S. official said, in the clearest sign Washington will drop a travel ban on Modi imposed after anti-Muslim riots in 2002.

US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal told a television interviewer that Washington was ready to do business with Modi, the front runner ahead of the April-May general election who is best placed to form a coalition government.

"I would just say that the United States has welcomed every leader of this vibrant democracy, and that a democratically elected leader of India will be a welcome partner," Biswal said.

Biswal made her comments in New Delhi on a visit to rebuild trade and political ties shaken by a row over the arrest in New York last December of an Indian diplomat suspected of visa fraud.

US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell visited Modi at his home in Gandhinagar in Gujarat last month, ending a long estrangement over riots that erupted in the state governed by the Hindu nationalist leader.

At least 1,000 people, most of them Muslims, were killed in 2002 when mobs went on a rampage across Gujarat after a train carrying Hindu pilgrims was torched, killing 59 people.

Powell's visit was the highest-profile encounter between US officials and Modi since the State Department revoked his visa in 2005 over the bloodshed to which rights activists say he turned a blind eye. He denies the allegation.

Biswal said the United States hoped India would continue to build a tolerant, moderate and secular society when asked if Washington had put its human rights concerns on the back burner because of Modi's political rise.

"Visa issues are handled on a case by case basis. And determinations are made based on the facts of the day and are reviewed at the time that a request is made," she said according to a transcript released by the US embassy.

The US administration, which does not want to be seen as taking sides in the Indian election campaign, has stopped short of stating publicly that Modi would be able to travel to the United States should he win the lower house election, leading to speculation that he would not be welcome in Washington.

But diplomats say the until the election results are known, the question of whether Modi would be given a visa is hypothetical. Should he become the country's next leader, he would automatically receive a US visa, they say.

Modi himself has not commented on the travel ban, but for his supporters in the Bharatiya Janata Party and outside the US decision has been a sore point. Senior party leader Arun Jaitley said last month that the US boycott had not been based on any evidence or court verdict but on "excessive propaganda".

Britain was the first European country to end its boycott on meeting Modi followed by other European countries last year.

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Samuels Bats And Bowls Windies To Victory

Marlon Samuels's all-round performance gave West Indies a 1-0 lead in the three-match Twenty20 International series against England with a 27-run victory at Kensington Oval here.

Samuels scored a stroke-filled unbeaten 69 as West Indies reached 170 for three and then restricted England to 143 for nine, taking two wickets Sunday.

With the victory West Indies sent out a challenge to other teams that they are in fine fettle to retain their World T20 title in Bangladesh later in the month, though they have concerns over the fitness of their match-winning spinners Sunil Narine and Samuel Badree.

Narine only bowled two overs and left the field after hurting his right knee in the field while Badree, who claimed three for 17 in his four overs, hurt his fingers of his bowling hand attempting to take a return catch.

“He’s (Narine) is being looked after, so fingers crossed everything is alright,” said West Indies captain Darren Sammy.

The West Indies won the toss and decided to bat first with a challenging start from Smith and Gayle. Smith was off the mark with the first ball, hitting Stuart Broad for six and West Indies piling 19 runs off the first over.

When Smith was bowled by Ravi Bopara for 27 in the sxith over, West Indies were already 57 runs on the board and then Chris Gayle and Samuels provided a showpiece of batting display.

Gayle scored a quickfire 43 off 35 balls, hitting five fours and two sixes before leg before wicket to James Tredwell.

A 54-run partnership from 38 balls between Samuels and Andre Russell took West Indies to 170 after Lendl Simmons was dismissed for three.

Samuels’ half century came up off 28 balls and was unbeaten on 69 with Russell on 24, setting England a challenging 171 for victory.

"I've been working hard, it was a wonderful crowd so I had to come out and play. They loved Carl Hooper and I came out to play in his style. It worked out well for us as we have some wonderful spinners,” said Samuels.

Bopara (2-23) and James Tredwell (1-16) were the successful bowlers for England.

The visitors never seriously threatened the Windies’ total and were reeling on 55 for 5 midway through their innings.

Only Tim Bresnan and Ravi Bopara made useful scores to England’s total of 143 for 9. Bopara made 42 and Bresnan was unbeaten on 47 as Samuel Badree and Samuels saw West Indies close in on the victory.

Samuels, who finished with 2 for 21, was the man-of-the-match.

"We didn't get going, but that's something that can happen in Twenty20 cricket, especially when you're chasing a decent score," said England captain Stuart Broad.

"It's certainly not something to panic about."

Broad, however, hinted that he may miss the remaining two matches of the series on Tuesday and Thursday because of tendonitis in his knee.

West Indies will look to take an unassailable lead in the second match Tuesday at the same venue.

Brief scores:

West Indies 170 for three (Marlon Samuels 69 not out, Chris Gayle 43, Dwayne Smith 27, Andre Russell 24; Ravi Bopara 2-23, James Tredwell 1-16).

England 143 for 9 (Tim Bresnan 47 not out, Ravi Bopara 42, Eoin Morgan 19; Samuel Badree 3/17, Marlon Samuels 2/21, Sunil Narine 1/8).

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Obama To Meet New Ukrainian PM On Wednesday

U.S President Barack Obama will meet Ukraine's new Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk here on Wednesday.

The visit will highlight the "strong" support of the United States for the people of Ukraine, who have "demonstrated inspiring courage and resilience through recent times of crisis", said sources at the White House.

Obama and Yatsenyuk are likely to discuss how to find a peaceful resolution to Russia's ongoing military intervention in Crimea that would respect Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity

They would also discuss international support to help Ukraine confront its economic challenges, and the importance of uniting Ukraine and working to fulfill the aspirations of the Ukrainian people as they prepare for May presidential elections.

"(Obama) has invited the Ukrainian Prime Minister Yatsenyuk to come to the White House on Wednesday to further demonstrate support and consult him," Obama's Deputy National Security Advisor Blinken told the media.

Crimea, host to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, has been at the epicenter of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine since Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted by parliament Feb 22.

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Pak Actress Sana Khan Dies In Road Accident

Pakistani actress Sana Khan has died in an accident near Looni Kot, around 30 km off Hyderabad, a media report said.

Sana and her husband actor Babar Khan were on their way from Karachi to Hyderabad in a car when the vehicle, driven by Babar, went out of control Friday, reports dawn.com.

The car overturned, leaving the duo seriously injured.

The motorway police and ambulance reached the spot soon after receiving the information, and shifted them to Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro.

Sana breathed her last before she could get any first aid while Babar was later shifted to Liaquat University Hospital City Branch.

Babar, who had married Sana in December 2013, is said to be in critical condition.

Sana was known for her appearance in a serial "Parchaiyan" and Babar is known for the serial "Ek Tamana Lahasil Se".

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