W O R L D

Don’t come back, ISI chief ‘told’ Musharraf in Dubai
ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha held a secret meeting with former military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf in Dubai advising him not to visit Pakistan, TV channel DawnNews reported on Tuesday.

Senate adopts resolution on ex-Prez’s arrest
The upper house of Pakistan’s parliament on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution that demanded the arrest of former President Pervez Musharraf on his arrival in the country and the registration of a case of high treason against him. The resolution was moved in the Senate by Raza Rabbani, a senior leader of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party. Rabbani accused Musharraf, currently living in self-exile in London and Dubai, of abrogating the Constitution twice, arresting members of the superior judiciary and compromising national interests.

Strongest solar storm in 7 yrs bombarding Earth
London, January 24
The Sun is bombarding Earth with radiations from the biggest solar storm since 2005, which are heading towards our planet at 93 million miles per hour, experts say. The solar flare took place at around 11pm Eastern Time on Sunday and will hit earth with three different effects at three different times.

No let-up in Nigerian violence
Abuja, January 24
There was no let-up in violence in Nigeria today as the toll from the last week’s multiple bombings and gun attacks by radical Islamists in the northern city of Kano touched 185, including an Indian national from Gujarat.

28 hurt in Lankan prison riot
Colombo, January 24
At least 28 persons were injured today in a clash between guards and inmates in a Sri Lankan prison, officials said. A spokesman for the Colombo National Hospital said that most of the injured prisoners had gunshot wounds. Three officers were hit by stones and another had a broken leg, he said.

Thai PM arrives; to be R-Day chief guest
	Thailand’s first woman Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (L) with E Ahmed, Minister of State for External Affairs, upon her arrival in New Delhi on Tuesday. Shinawatra is on a two-day official visit to India and will be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

Don’t come back, ISI chief ‘told’ Musharraf in Dubai
Afzal Khan in Islamabad

ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha held a secret meeting with former military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf in Dubai advising him not to visit Pakistan, TV channel DawnNews reported on Tuesday.

“General Pasha, who has remained very close to the former President, held a meeting with him (Musharraf) in Dubai and advised him not to return to the country as the situation is not conducive for his return,” the channel quoted an unnamed insider who requested anonymity.

Musharraf had announced that he would land in Karachi between January 27 and 30 to take active part in national politics. The decision has been deferred indefinitely in the wake of threats that he may be arrested on arrival for various charges. The channel quoted its sources as saying that Pasha “strictly advised” Musharraf not to return to Pakistan from self-exile.

The report said it was not clear whether the meeting was held on the directions of the Pakistan People’s Party-led government or if it was a private meeting.

Several Pakistani leaders, including Interior Minister Rehman Malik, have said Musharraf would be arrested on his return to Pakistan.

Dawn News channel reported that Pasha enjoys a long history of relations with Musharraf. During Musharraf’s last year as President in 2008, Pasha was appointed to the key post of Director General of Military Operations.

Later, army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani promoted Pasha to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed him the chief of the ISI.

Currently two important cases against Pervez Musharraf have been registered in Pakistan. An Anti Terrorists Court has already declared Musharraf a proclaimed offender in the Benazir murder case. Musharraf was also been named in Akbar Bugti’s murder case in Balochistan.

Senate adopts resolution on ex-Prez’s arrest

The upper house of Pakistan’s parliament on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution that demanded the arrest of former President Pervez Musharraf on his arrival in the country and the registration of a case of high treason against him. The resolution was moved in the Senate by Raza Rabbani, a senior leader of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party.

Rabbani accused Musharraf, currently living in self-exile in London and Dubai, of abrogating the Constitution twice, arresting members of the superior judiciary and compromising national interests.

Musharraf dented the national economy and inflicted colossal loss to the national exchequer, Rabbani said.

Strongest solar storm in 7 yrs bombarding Earth

A NASA image taken on Monday shows a flare shooting out of the top of the Sun. — AP/PTI

London, January 24
The Sun is bombarding Earth with radiations from the biggest solar storm since 2005, which are heading towards our planet at 93 million miles per hour, experts say. The solar flare took place at around 11pm Eastern Time on Sunday and will hit earth with three different effects at three different times.

The main issue is radiation, which is mostly a concern for satellite disruptions and astronauts in space. It can cause communication problems for polar-travelling aeroplanes, experts asserted.

Radiation from Sunday's flare arrived at Earth an hour later and will most likely continue through until Wednesday, experts said.

Space weather centre physicist Doug Biesecker insisted that levels are considered strong but other storms have been harsher.

NASA's flight surgeons and solar experts examined the solar flare's expected effects, the Daily Mail reported.

According to Antti Pulkkinen, a physicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and Catholic University, a solar eruption is followed by a one-two-three punch. First comes electromagnetic radiation, followed by radiation in the form of protons. Then, ultimately the coronal mass ejection - that is the plasma from the sun itself - hits.

Biesecker said that normally it travels at about 1 or 2 million miles per hour, but this storm is particularly speedy and is shooting out at 4 million miles per hour. — ANI

No let-up in Nigerian violence

The brother of a suspected Boko Haram member stands next to a bullet-riddled car in Kano on Tuesday. — AFP

Abuja, January 24
There was no let-up in violence in Nigeria today as the toll from the last week’s multiple bombings and gun attacks by radical Islamists in the northern city of Kano touched 185, including an Indian national from Gujarat.

At least 15 explosions were heard today from an area where there is police station, residents said, adding that the explosions were followed by gunshots.

A night time curfew remains in place even as the police launched a massive search operations for members of Boko Haram Islamic sect that claimed responsibility for the wave of attacks on Friday.

In one incident, residents accused the police of shooting dead a person just because he had a beard normally associated with devout Muslims. The man was identified as a former federal education worker.

The death toll now stands at 185 though medical and humanitarian workers say the number may increase as more bodies werer brought into hospital mortuaries. Reports quoting hospital workers yesterday had said the toll had touched 250.

Authourities said militants, some of whom came as suicide bombers, targeted four police stations, the headquarters of the country’s secret police, state security service (SSS) in Kano state and an immigration office. — PTI

28 hurt in Lankan prison riot

Prisoners climb onto neighbouring buildings after a jail ward was set on fire in Colombo on Tuesday. — AP/PTI

Colombo, January 24
At least 28 persons were injured today in a clash between guards and inmates in a Sri Lankan prison, officials said. A spokesman for the Colombo National Hospital said that most of the injured prisoners had gunshot wounds. Three officers were hit by stones and another had a broken leg, he said.

Inmates of the Magazine prison clashed with staff. As the the clash developed into a riot the guards opened fire. The rioting inmates had set fire to a building. They were protesting against poor conditions in the prison.

In a similar riot two years ago over 50 policemen were seriously injured when inmates attacked police who had entered the prison to seize mobile phones used by inmates. — PTI