W O R L D

China radar-lock on Japan ship dangerous: PM Abe
Tokyo, February 6
The radar-lock that a Chinese frigate put on a Japanese warship was "dangerous" and "provocative", Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said today, as tensions rose in a territorial row.

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe at the National Diet in Tokyo on Wednesday. — AFP

Pak calls for OIC probe into LoC ceasefire violations
Islamabad, February 6
Seeking to internationalise tensions along the Line of Control, Pakistan has called for an investigation into the recent incidents there by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

— Hina Rabbani Khar, Foreign Minister, Pakistan

Iran seeks strategic axis with Egypt Cairo, February 6 President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on the first visit to Cairo by an Iranian leader in more than three decades, called for a strategic alliance with Egypt and said he had offered the cash-strapped Arab state a loan, but drew a cool response. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi (R) and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Cairo on Tuesday. — AFP

Explain support to alleged rapist, India asks France
Paris, February 6
An Indian mother whose daughter was allegedly raped by her French father has asked France's Foreign Ministry to explain why their diplomats are providing support for him but not the little girl. Lawyers acting for Suja Jones Mazurier have asked the ministry to investigate the conduct of senior officials at the the French Consulate in Bangalore.

VINTAGE WINGS: A plane Gipsy Moth de Havilland (1929) at an auction at the Grand Palais on Wednesday in Paris. 125 vintage motor cars, 100 collection motorbikes and a 1920's Gipsy Moth plane by De Havilland will be presented at the Bonhams auction on Thursday. — AFP

Sikh family found dead in suspected ‘murder-suicide’
Washington, February 6
Four members of a Sikh family, including two minor children, have died in Atlanta in the US state of Georgia under mysterious circumstances with the police terming it as a "murder-suicide".

Mexican girl gives birth at nine
Mexico City, February 6
A Mexican girl aged nine has given birth to a girl of her own, local authorities and family members said today. "The girl was just over eight when she got pregnant. The father is a 17-year-old boy, but we have not found him, since he ran away," the mother of the girl, identified only as Dafne, told local officials in Jalisco state.

China radar-lock on Japan ship dangerous: PM Abe

Tokyo, February 6
The radar-lock that a Chinese frigate put on a Japanese warship was "dangerous" and "provocative", Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said today, as tensions rose in a territorial row.

"It was a dangerous act that could have led to an unpredictable situation," Abe told Parliament. "It is extremely regrettable. We strongly ask for their self-restraint in order to avoid an unnecessary escalation."

The hawkish prime minister, who took office late December following a landslide election victory, described the radar-locking as "unilateral provocative action by the Chinese side".

Abe's comments come a day after Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera announced that weapon-targeting radar had been directed at the Japanese vessel in international waters of the East China Sea last week.

The move marks the first time the two nations' navies have locked horns in a dispute that has some commentators warning about a possible armed conflict.

Onodera said a Japanese military helicopter was also locked with a similar radar on January 19.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a news conference that Tokyo protested yesterday to Beijing about the incidents and asked for an explanation, but had yet to receive any reply.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said today she was "not aware of the specifics" and referred inquiries to "competent Chinese authorities".

"You can understand in this way: we learned about this incident from the press reports," she told reporters at a regular briefing.

Beijing's defence ministry did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment.

US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Washington was concerned at the incident.

"With regard to the reports of this particular lock-on incident, actions such as this escalate tensions and increase the risk of an incident or a miscalculation, and they could undermine peace and economic growth in this vital region," she said. — AFP

Pak calls for OIC probe into LoC ceasefire violations

Islamabad, February 6
Seeking to internationalise tensions along the Line of Control, Pakistan has called for an investigation into the recent incidents there by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

"We would also welcome an OIC fact-finding mission to investigate the recent incidents of ceasefire violations along the LoC," Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said while addressing a meeting of the OIC contact group on Kashmir in Cairo yesterday.

She reiterated that Pakistan is ready to work with the United Nations Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan to carry out an independent inquiry into the ceasefire violations.

Earlier, Pakistan's attempt to rope in the UN by demanding a probe by UNMOGIP was foiled by India, which rejected it saying the matter can be settled bilaterally.

Clashes between Indian and Pakistani troops last month were among the worst violations of the ceasefire that was put in place along the 742-km LoC in late 2003.

One Indian soldier was beheaded while the body of another jawan was mutilated by the Pakistan army men in ceasefire violations in Mendhar sector in Poonch last month. Pakistan claims three of its soldiers were killed in Indian firing. — PTI

Iran seeks strategic axis with Egypt

Cairo, February 6
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on the first visit to Cairo by an Iranian leader in more than three decades, called for a strategic alliance with Egypt and said he had offered the cash-strapped Arab state a loan, but drew a cool response.

Ahmadinejad said outside forces were trying to prevent a rapprochement between the Middle East's two most populous nations, at odds since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution and Egypt's signing of a peace treaty with Israel in the same year.

"We must all understand that the only option is to set up this alliance because it is in the interests of the Egyptian and Iranian peoples and other nations of the region," the official MENA news agency quoted him in remarks to Egyptian journalists published on Wednesday.

The two countries have not restored diplomatic ties since Egypt overthrew its long term leader Hosni Mubarak in 2011, but its first Islamist president, Mohamed Mursi, gave Ahmadinejad a red-carpet welcome on Tuesday to a summit of Islamic nations.

"There are those striving to prevent these two great countries from coming together despite the fact that the region's problems require this meeting, especially the Palestinian question," Ahmadinejad said. — Reuters

iran prez targeted with shoe

Explain support to alleged rapist, India asks France

Sikh family found dead in suspected ‘murder-suicide’

Washington, February 6
Four members of a Sikh family, including two minor children, have died in Atlanta in the US state of Georgia under mysterious circumstances with the police terming it as a "murder-suicide".

"While Sartaj (12) and Gurtej (5) died from homicide by sharp force injuries to the neck, their mother Damanjit Kaur Grover (47) died from homicide by blunt force trauma to the head.

"Besides, the police also recovered the family head Shivinder Singh Grover's(52) body, which was found hanging at their their residence in Johns Creek on Monday," Johns Creek Police Chief Ed Densmore said yesterday.

"It's pretty bad as you can imagine any time you deal with this. When it involves kids, it's a little bit heart-wrenching," Densmore said.

Investigations are still on and the reason behind the incident is yet to be ascertained, the police chief said.

Shivinder Grover, who had studied at University of Michigan, recently moved to Atlanta from Michigan. He was an executive at a technology firm. — PTI

Mexican girl gives birth at nine

Mexico City, February 6
A Mexican girl aged nine has given birth to a girl of her own, local authorities and family members said today. "The girl was just over eight when she got pregnant. The father is a 17-year-old boy, but we have not found him, since he ran away," the mother of the girl, identified only as Dafne, told local officials in Jalisco state.

"We are looking for the young man to get his story because she does not understand what has happened. This is a rape or child sex abuse case," said Jorge Villasenor with the state prosectors' office.

The baby girl was born January 27 in Zoquipan Hospital, weighing 2.7 kg. Both girls were released from the hospital over the weekend, apparently doing well, but the hospital said it would have to do extensive followup due to the new mother's age. — AFP