One of the potential paradoxes of the elections taking place in Pakistan today is that regardless of who is the winner the Army’s image and reputation seems to be a clear loser. Judiciary is not independent. Consequently, many can no longer find or see it. all very subtle and carefully orchestrated”. “Do you want to see our hospitality?” one official said, according to London’s Sunday Times, as he took his gun out of his pocket. He says its “unwritten, unstated . It stretches back to independence. They’ve been assigned magistrate powers to hold on-the-spot trials of anyone accused of breaking the laws and, thereafter, to sentence them.

Munizae Jahangir, an Aaj TV anchor who travelled with Mr Sharif on his return from London, was threatened by security and intelligence operatives when she filmed the former PM being taken off the plane.“Self-censorship is the new norm”, according to Raza Rumi, editor of the Daily Times. For the first time after 31 years of reporting on Pakistan, Sunday Times’ chief foreign correspondent Christina Lamb was denied a visa.”The story of the Pakistani military’s interference in the nation’s politics is not new. However, the recent episode arguably began with the dismissal of Nawaz Sharif as Prime Minister followed by his debarment from politics and leading to his arrest and imprisonment.”

The Human Rights Commission chairman, Mehdi Hasan, calls this “blatant, aggressive and unabashed attempts to manipulate the outcome of the upcoming elections”. As scholar Ahmed Rashid puts it: “For the first time, not just the elite, but the public is aware of the Army’s major role. He also claims the National Accountability Court, which is trying corruption cases, is required to report to the ISI every evening. Alongside the Pakistan People’s Party and Awami Party candidates, they have been harassed, their movements monitored and restricted and their electoral banners removed.

Ironically, they were given permission to stand just after Pakistan was placed on the watchlist of the Financial Action Task Force..” Clearly discernible behind this is the iron hand of the military.After the election was called, Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission reported that the military’s security agencies put pressure on Nawaz Sharif’s candidates to switch loyalties and Australia plugs return their tickets.” The group’s well-known news channel was shifted by Islamabad’s main cable network from the number 9 to number 28 slot. Even the media is getting directions from the military.In the circumstances it’s hard to resist the conclusion of outspoken former senator Farhatullah Babar: “A creeping coup has taken place against the authority of the civilian government.

Its intimidation of politicians and journalists and its enormous power to manipulate the electoral outcome has been recognised and adversely noted across the country..Haroon, who is also president of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society, accused the Pakistani military in a BBC Hard Talk interview of an “unprecedented assault” on press freedom.Side by side with this sorry story is the disturbing saga of what has progressively happened to those parts of the Pakistani media that have the courage to speak out and criticise. “Today the judiciary and the media have come in the control of the ‘bandookwala’.Today, as people cast their votes, some 371,000 troops will be deployed both outside and inside polling stations. In addition to losing viewership, it’s losing advertising revenue. Some 200 Lashkar-e-Tayyaba candidates are in the field. The Human Rights Commission says they’ve been “subject to censorship, intimidation, harassment and abduction”. The BBC says nearly 17,000 of his party members face criminal cases for breaking unspecified election rules. Leading columnists have had their columns dropped; TV stations have introduced a 90-second delay to beep out anything sensitive. It is different from the martial law of the past, with two resulting outcomes — the civilian government exists, but has no authority; press freedom exists, but journalists have no freedom. Its velvet glove has worn very thin. As Ahmed Rashid said: “The real power appears to rest with Pakistan’s military and the judiciary, which China Power Cords sees undiluted democracy as a threat

The STAR was tested on a procedure called anastomosis, which comes after a surgeon has cut open the patient’s body and completed the main goal of the surgery — for instance by removing a tumour from the bowel — and is then reconnecting two sections, “like trying to put together a garden hose, which has been cut,” explained co-author Ryan Decker.Anastomosis is performed more than a million times each year in the United States, for surgery involving the intestines, as well urologic and gynecologic operations.As many as 30 per cent of gastrointestinal anastomoses “are complicated by leakage, strictures, and stenosis,” according to a statement from the Children’s National Health System.The STAR system is likely years away from widespread use.

“If you have a more consistent and a more, well-tensioned, evenly spaced suture around this garden hose, it’s going to be able to withstand a higher burst pressure,” Decker said.The machine, called the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR), does not replace the need for a skilled surgeon, but acts as a tool to improve the accuracy of stitching, said the report in the journal Science Translational Medicine. For the current study, surgeons made fluorescent markings on the vessels to be sewn, and the robot followed them, showing it could make more consistent and evenly spaced stitches, or sutures, than a human surgeon, Decker told reporters.Until now, robotic surgeries have largely relied on the expertise of the surgeon and outcomes have varied according the doctor’s skill, researchers say.“That’s in fact what happened with our anastomosis..This photo provided by Axel Krieger/Science Translational Medicine shows Dr Azad Shademan and Ryan Decker during supervised autonomous in-vivo bowel anastomosis performed by the smart tissue autonomous robot.

Researchers expect there will be a need for clinical trials to assess its safety in humans before it can approved by regulators.The study showed STAR outperformed expert surgeons and a well-known robotic surgery tool already on the market, called the da Vinci robot, which is held in the surgeon’s hand and used to perform surgeries such as hysterectomies through a few small incisions.Soft tissue is particularly complicated because it is malleable and moveable.But being able to improve on such surgeries “could potentially reduce complications and improve the safety and efficacy of soft tissue surgeries, about 45 million of which are performed in the US each year,” according to the study led by doctors at the Children’s National Health System in Washington, DC and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.”The pigs survived the surgery and showed no complications a week later. They were able to withstand a higher burst pressure than surgeons performing the same task.

A robotic machine has succeeded at stitching two segments of a pig’s bowel together, an advance for the tricky field of soft tissue surgery, researchers said on Wednesday.Researchers stressed that surgeons were keeping a close eye on the machine as it worked, and it could be America extension cords quickly stopped if any error were to occur

It also comes as uncertainty surrounds the broadcast of Champions League matches in Brazil, South America’s biggest television market.That deal, which Facebook’s Director of Global Live Sports Peter Hutton said was not part of a move into buying up sports rights, will allow viewers in eight nations on the Indian sub-continent to watch every game over the next three seasons for free on the social network.Nearly all of Latin America’s top players are based with European clubs and many take part in the Champions League every year.

The current rights holder Esporte Interactivo said last week it would no longer be broadcasting Champions League games on its cable channel but is shifting them to two other non-sports channels owned by the company.Wednesday highlights and magazine programmes will also be shared each match-week on Facebook’s dedicated page, UEFA said.UEFA marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein described it as a “highly innovative and accessible manner” to broadcast games to the region.

Social network Facebook will broadcast some Champions League matches America extension cords in Spanish-speaking Latin America on a free-to-air basis over the next three seasons, UEFA said on Wednesday.The first game to be broadcast online will be Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup final between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.The deal, which runs from this season until 2021, gives Facebook exclusive free-to-air rights to 32 live matches each season, including the Champions League final and UEFA Super Cup, the European soccer body said in a statement.(Source).The decision comes a day after Facebook announced a similar deal with Spain’s top flight soccer division La Liga

"They confuse restoration of the wall with the development of a tourist attraction," Xinchiao was quoted as saying the state-run China Daily earlier this year."In the past, we repaired the entire ground.But on the ground, some workers view the new method with scepticism.He explained: "The idea is right, but I personally think that it still looks tattered after being repaired.Beijing: Nature, time, neglect and millions of footsteps have taken their toll on the Great Wall of China leaving much of it crumbling, but repairing it can be painstaking -- and controversial -- work.The plan to use traditional methods was implemented earlier this year in a bid to preserve the original look of China&Australia plugs39;s famous landmark, which is split into sections that altogether stretch for thousands of kilometres from China's east coast to the edge of the Gobi desert.

Engineer Cheng Yongmao, who has led operations in Jiankou for 15 years, said the latest restoration plan is meant to make "people feel that it has not been repaired".In places it is so dilapidated that estimates of its total length vary from 9,000 to 21,000 kilometres, depending on whether missing sections are included.Construction of the Great Wall first began in the third century BC and continued for centuries.".Today it attracts around 10 million tourists per year -- but the swell of visitors, combined with age and weathering, has left swathes of it in ruins. The bricks are used to mend these places," said Li Jingdong, one of the workers restoring the Jiankou section.Around him, labourers use an electric hoist to put a large stone that had fallen from the wall back in place, while mules traverse the steep mountainside bringing water and lime mortar for workers to mix and bind the stones with. Nearly 6,300 kilometres, including the Jiankou section, were built in the Ming Dynasty of 1368-1644. Now the idea is to repair less and keep more of the original things intact," said Li Jingdong.

To protect the relic, authorities in the heavily-visited Badaling section of the wall decided to cap visits to 65,000 people per day from June 1.Song Xinchao, deputy director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration said some of those tasked with preserving the wall have "stereotyped ideas" that every portion should look like Beijing's Badaling section, a heavily visited site that includes cable cars."It will break"In 2016, a section of the Great Wall in northeast Liaoning province was covered in cement, turning the uneven path -- originally built in 1381 -- into a flat surface which some compared to an ordinary pavement.It is physically demanding work -- placing one rock can take around 45 minutes and for their efforts, they are paid 150 yuan (USD 22) per day. Especially in the slopes, it will break in less a year under the feet (of tourists).Images of the restoration work went viral, causing a social media uproar, with people leaving comments such as "it's heartbreaking" and "poor Great Wall".

While the new regulation will accomplish the goal of keeping the aesthetic of the old wall, Li fears that such repairs will not last and the structure will keep falling apart.After public outcry when a 700-year-old section of the monument was 'fixed' by covering it with cement -- authorities insisted on more authentic restoration using traditional methods: so now labourers, aided by mules, use reclaimed stones and mortar.In response to that and other less high-profile cases, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism released a new conservation plan earlier this year based # on the principle of minimum intervention to restore the wall."They are all the bricks that collapsed from the original wall

The unit offers updated Honda satellite-linked navigation system (developed in co-operation with Garmin) along with support for Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto. Besides the regular features such as multiple airbags and ABS (anti-lock braking system), the new safety equipment in the 2017 CR-V will include an updated Honda Sensing Suite (not available in India). It is likely to be launched in the European market next year and will hit Indian market in a couple of years.

It will also come with the carried over 2.The new CR-V will probably be launched in the European market next year and will hit the Indian market after a couple of years. Rest of the features will be carried forward from the previous model.5-litre VTEC Turbo, a direct-injected, turbocharged petrol producing 190PS of max power and 242Nm of max torque. Also, the CR-V now offers Denmark power cables dual exhausts. The cabin shares its bits and pieces with the latest Hondas, again largely with the Civic. Design and PlatformThe CR-V borrows design cues from the latest Hondas (especially the current-gen Civic), featuring a ‘windswept’ front end. Like we have mentioned before, the 2017 CR-V is based on Honda’s latest global compact platform and courtesy of it, the CR-V has grown nearly 38mm in length. Let's have a look at the 2017 Honda CR-V.4-litre i-VTEC motor featuring direct-injection 184PS, while the torque remains similar to the 1. We also expect that Honda will offer a diesel with the fifth-generation model of the SUV in India. At the sides, the 2017 CR-V gets a new set of machined alloy wheels (available in 17- or 18-inch profiles).

The rear profile features LED tail lamps, and like always, they look more Volvo-ish than Honda. The Suite will come with CMBS (collision mitigation braking) with (FCW) forward collision warning and pedestrian-sensing capability, RDM (road departure mitigation) with LDW (lane departure warning), ACC (adaptive cruise control) with low-speed follow and LKAS (lane keeping assist). The SUV will be sold in the United States by late 2016. It now has a longer bonnet compared to the previous model and offers all-LED headlights with wing-shaped LED daytime running lights, both found on the India-bound face-lifted Accord and the Civic.5-litre turbo. The SUV will also feature a family of latest turbocharged petrol engines, the VTEC Turbo. And with shorter overhangs along with wheels placed to the extremities, the wheelbase of the new SUV has grown by a whopping 40mm. However, the essence of the previous generations of the CR-V has been retained with elements like the dash-mounted gearshift lever. It is based on the compact global platform upon which the tenth-generation Civic is also based.Mechanicals The 2017 CR-V will offer turbocharged petrol for the first time ever since its inception in 1997. In terms of features, the CR-V will come with a digital central instrument cluster display borrowed from the Civic.

It will be powered by a 1. Its window line is somewhat similar to the outgoing model. Its chrome grille is closely flanked by the headlamps and has active shutters that lower aerodynamic drag, which is a first for Honda. It will offer Honda’s latest seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which protrudes out of the dashboard.Honda has showcased the fifth-generation CR-V at an event in Detroit.Source: CarDekho.Rest of the new features in the 2017 CR-V include remote engine start, dual-zone climate controls, heated side mirrors, an EPB (electric parking brake), rear USB charging ports, front passenger seats with four-way power adjustment and driver's seat with eight-way power adjustment and four-way power lumbar support along with heated front seats. Interiors and Features As is the case with the exterior, the 2017 CR-V features completely redesigned interiors, incorporating upgraded materials such as a new soft-touch instrument panel and more intricately stitched seats. The European version of the 2017 CR-V will also have a diesel option as well along with these petrol motors, like the fourth generation model. Both engines will be mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with Honda G-Shift control logic and it comes with an option of FWD (front-wheel-drive) or AWD (all-wheel-drive) drivetrain

” Wiped out from most parts of Europe, brown bears thrive in this wild, rugged region, and spotting one is never too hard. Outfitted in multiple layers of clothing, I set out to hike in the Tatra National Park — the largest and theoldest natural reserve in Slovakia.As we start trekking, we pass a tall, lanky man walking ahead of us, carrying at least 70 kg weight on his back. He asks me to not confuse the Slovak sherpa with the Himalayan sherpa as the formercarries only supplies to the mountain huts, not the luggage of the hikers. Looking at Erik&Power Cords Manufacturers39;s peach complexion, chiselled face and well-built # physique, it's hard toguess his age.

Here, craggy mountain peaks,plunging waterfalls, turquoise blue glacial lakes and winding hiking trails come together to create the perfect adventure destination.On reaching the finishing line of the trek, a delightful traditional wooden chalet, we are greeted with a conventional Slovakian fare. She stopped just a few feet away, turned to face me, satdown and yawned for a while before trotting away. We cover the first half of the trekquite easily in less than an hour, stopping every few hundred metres to capture the beauty of the trail and the sweeping valley views. This touching serendipitous moment became one of the highlights of my trip.” We get talking and soon, I realise why the locals are so cheerful and happy in this tiny landlocked nation — Slovaks learn toski and hike even before they start talking. From here, our trail becomes narrower and steeper as we climb higher. You don’t have to trek miles to spot foxes and brownbears.

When I ask him the secret, he blushingly credits the weather of the rugged upland playground, his birthplace. Looking at my bemused reaction, Erik explainsthat the trek is called the Shepherd trek because of Sherpas like him.The previous night Erik had light-heartedly said, “In Slovakia, hiking and wildlife sighting go hand in hand.

The well-marked but rough-hewn rocky path led us through several wooden bridges, wild mountain streams and cascading waterfalls. On my way back, down themountain, Erik's words came true when our paths crossed with Liska, a beautiful Slovakian wild fox. The trail began as soft-adventure — broad and smooth, before zigzagging into an uphill stony trek lined with towering spruce and Scots pine trees. We greet passerbys on theway with ‘na zdravie’ and chat about Erik’s life here as we make our way to the destination. Just next to the stream, the giant waterfall, Obrovský vodopád,plunges down thunderously into a 20-meter-deep gorge.

The High Tatras is a year-round destination, and the mountain chalets are the onlyaccommodation option available up in the woods. There are no roads for vehicles to tow supplies in the park. Soon, we are in the most photogenic part of the trek – a creek named Studený Potokthat slices the barren granite peaks on one side and snow-covered mountains on the other side. How often do you see a wild animal up so close, without much effort, and entirely on its terms?. After placing an order in thecosy dining area, we plonk ourselves in the sun-kissed wooden-benched outdoor terrace. The High Tatras, a protected park with a small part across the border in Poland, is a UNESCO-protected reserve dotted with35 valleys, over 90 mountain lakes and countless waterfalls. And the benefits are myriad. And unlike any other European countries, alpine adventure here is inexpensive, sustainable and offbeat.As we embark on a hike to Vysoké Tatry (High Tatras), my guide Erik Sevcik points at a poster of Petra Vlhová, the country's top Alpine skier and remarks,"Slovakia is a land of adventurers. In winter, snow transformsthe hiking trails into snow-smoothened ski slopes. This pocket-sized ski resort isthe base of numerous hiking trails of various difficulties, each one snaking through a different path around the inky-mountains and lush green valleys. Occasionally, the fluffyclouds try to shroud the snow-capped peaks and green-carpeted valley. I opt for a day hike to the traditional wooden chalet called Zamkovskeho Chata, a Swiss-style chalet built in 1942. Hot lunch of local favourites — lentil soup, dumplings with sheepcheese and pierogis stuffed with cheese was the perfect treat to our hungry souls. But what makes it so stunning is the sheer number of peaks cresting 2500m – 25 in total. So, they have to rely on these sherpas entirely to haul everything up and down the mountain even when there’s snow, rain or blizzard.After a short funicular cable ride from Stary Smokovec, a small resort town, we reach the starting point of the trek at Hrebienok.The summers in Slovakia are colder than our winters

Initially worked on by the good people at the Johns Hopkins University at Baltimore, US, there are numerous accounts of other scientists and inventors currently working on its development. Clarke, science fiction writer, futurist and inventor who was amongst the giants in his field.Last February, Elon Musk’s research/ exploration company SpaceX sent up — just because it had the capability of doing so — to orbit hopefully near Mars, a Tesla Roadster, the payload carried by SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, now the world’s most powerful rocket. Recent events give hope that humanity may yet breach the final frontier.Writers have dreamed up ideas and possibilities out of nowhere, and future scientists have again and again been inspired enough to look into turning them into reality.With a high level of sensors of various sorts, it will be either a standalone device that measures matters such as blood pressure and temperature, etc, capable on its own of analysing the data, or through a connection to a medical database through the Internet. If it’s just us, seems like an awful waste of space”.)What is encouraging is that space exploration continues to be worked upon, and we seem to be closer than ever to breaching the final frontier.

It has often been said that the science fiction of yesteryear becomes the real science of today.Far from our world of war and unease, dizzyingly exciting things are happening.While the idea has remained intact, the development of the device itself has been gone in two ways, depending on the scientists involved. Thus it is that the handheld medical tricorder portrayed in the Star Trek series — you know, the one used by Dr McCoy to run non-invasively over a patient’s body to diagnose within seconds vital signs, damage, etc — is now almost a reality.)We may be tantalisingly close to finding out, though.Back in the 1980s, Douglas Adams famously conceived of the Earth as a backward planet in an uncharted corner of the galaxy — a galaxy otherwise filled with far more advanced and varied life forms, cultures, and civilisations. In his “trilogy of five parts”, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, he postulates that humanity has not yet managed to contact/ detect any alien life forms because they are waiting for us to get over petty issues such as war and famine and grow up a little.Anyone with the slightest familiarity with the Star Trek series will have recognised the title of this humble piece of writing, taken as it is from the text prologue that has preceded every episode and film for decades. Behind it were decades of complex mathematical and technological calculations, from the macro to the micro, and strings of coding and pre-programming. He commented that “Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not; both are equally terrifying”.

By arrangement with Dawn.In a world beset with war, poverty, the fallout of pollution and climate change, etc, it is a rather beautiful thought that there are, to borrow the title of Daniyal Mueenuddin’s book, in other rooms, other wonders.While not yet available on the mass market, the very fact that some version of such a device has actually been invented is absolutely fascinating. Research on astrophysics, satellite technology, and space exploration, etc, has never really ceased (though funding cuts have occurred), and the big minds that walk amongst us have doggedly gone on with their work. (The only change to this prologue came as a nod to feminism, when in the context of the exploration of space, the phrase “where no man has gone before” was changed to “where no one has gone before”.But to my mind, the most interesting observation of all came from Sir Arthur C. (For the riposte to that, by the way, one must turn to astronomer and astrophysicist Carl Sagan, who remarked that “The universe is a pretty big place.It’s a seductive image, a cherry red battery-operated sports vehicle floating in the darkness of space, its glossy paint reflecting the Earth, a gloved mannequin seated behind the steering wheel and with the words “Don’t panic” (from the Hitchhiker, which Musk extension cords Manufacturers has said directly inspired him to go into space research) emblazoned across its dashboard. To put it in Douglas Adams’ words, “Resistance is futile”.Then, in November, came Nasa’s InSight spacecraft touchdown on Mars, unmanned and rendered historic by the fact that the landing was achieved with scientists’ hands off the controls, with no real-time input from Earth. The playfulness of the exercise really must be admired. From this to the idea of a “space cable” — a line strong and flexible enough to link the Moon/ satellites to the earth so that payloads can be ferried up and down, originally dreamt up by Isaac Asimov — which is also being worked upon at Nasa, the very idea of science fiction becoming reality is utterly beguiling

While the company never explained why these products didn’t go viral, it was easy to understand that a premium smartphone enthusiast wouldn’t prefer to be associated with mass-market brand meant to cater to the budget segments. The box carries the new brand name, with all the specifications illustrated about the first smartphone under the brand — a flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chip, liquid cooling system, an AI dual camera setup for the rear and a 4000mAh battery.

The person who uploaded the video even booted the phone, revealing that this device will be running Xiaomi’s proprietary MIUI 9 out-of-the-box. The POCOPHONE F1 sports all the features that gamer seeks on a mobile device — an ergonomic design with the dual camera situated in the centre and a 3. Jain also hinted that they would be working to offer a flagship-class device for a highly affordable price with an aspirational appeal, like Samsung’s Galaxy S series. While most of it makes it look like just another midrange smartphone by Xiaomi in sub-Rs 30,000 category, the inclusion of the ‘liquid cooling system’ suggests the intentions that Xiaomi may be having with the POCO brand — it’s a gaming smartphone brand. Maybe Xiaomi is following suit by creating a new brand in the affordable midrange category to make its presence felt in the premium segments. Xiaomi also intends to do the same with POCO.5mm headphone jack. Razer started it with the Razer Phone last year and now, the entire industry has been rolling out gaming-focussed smartphones.However, these gaming smartphones are usually expensive and therefore could prove to be a difficult sell.

What do you think about POCO? Would Xiaomi have successful innings with its premium smartphone under a new brand name?(source). However, the device won’t be from the existing lineup that they possess in China. The strategy seems similar to what OPPO recently did with Realme — a brand offering feature-rich smartphones in the budget category.The video goes on to show the box contents — a USB-C data transfer cable, which is common with all Xiaomi devices.However, the last time Xiaomi did a premium smartphone, it didn’t work out according to the company’s expectations. Earlier, Xiaomi’s Jai Mani took to Twitter to officially confirm the existence of the POCO brand, the details of which will be revealed over the next couple of days.The gaming industry in the mobile segment has taken off highly recently, with certain titles dictating smartphone sales. However, a bunch of leaks on the Internet may already have hinted Xiaomi’s intentions behind POCO.The device shown in the leaked video featured all the specification required for handling resource-intensive titles such as PUBG, Mobile Legends and the upcoming Fortnite for Android. Honor termed it as a gaming smartphone for the masses. ASUS unveiled their ROG Phone while Xiaomi went ahead with the Black Shark in their home market.

The POCO brand could be Xiaomi’s affordable gaming smartphone brand, unlike Black Shark. That’s why, we saw Huawei’s Honor address the issue by launching the Honor Play — a midrange smartphone with their flagship Kirin 970 chipset. Therefore, considering all the leaks and the teasers from Xiaomi, it’s safe to assume that the POCO VDE cables Suppliers brand will be Xiaomi’s gaming smartphone brand looking to compete with an aspirational brand image similar to OnePlus. Therefore, manufacturers are banking on the opportunity heavily to tap the early adopters.A video recently obtained from the web by Slashleaks has shown a smartphone by the name of POCOPHONE F1 being unboxed entirely. This is why OnePlus has been so successful, with a strong aspirational branding.The social media has been abuzz with the announcement of POCO — a sub-brand under Xiaomi. The Mi MIX 2 was only desired by a bunch of select enthusiasts, despite being a highly advanced smartphone. In a recent report by Business Standard, Xiaomi VP Manu Kumar Jain hinted that Xiaomi will be bringing a flagship smartphone in the country. The Mi 5 also suffered a similar fate

Foxconn spokesman Simon Hsing (right) announces the approval of the purchase of a controlling stake in Japan’s Sharp Corp.Sharp is still a leader in LCD technology and remains one of Japan's best-known corporate brands overseas despite its bleeding balance sheet. in Taipei, Taiwan, on Wednesday.5 billion).The takeover must still be approved by Taiwan's Investment Commission, which said it would rule on the acquisition within a month of receiving the application for the purchase."We have much that we want to achieve and I am confident that we will unlock Sharp's true potential and together reach great heights," he said in a joint statement.

It is the first foreign acquisition of a major Japanese electronics firm and comes after weeks of delays, with Hon Hai buying a 66 per cent controlling stake.Hon Hai put the brakes on the takeover in February, soon after it was first announced, to review new information from Sharp believed to relate to the company's sizeable liabilities.The joint statement, issued at a news conference in Taipei, described the takeover as an attempt to revive Sharp's flagging fortunes and called it a "historic strategic alliance".Still, the Japanese government had reportedly been concerned about Sharp's key technologies falling into the hands of a foreign firm.

Hon Hai's colourful founder Terry Gou said he was "thrilled" by the "strategic alliance". The deal is set to be the fourth largest overseas investment by a Taiwanese company, the commission reported.3 billion yen, way up from the year before. (Photo: AP)Taiwan’s tech giant Hon Hai said Wednesday it had finally sealed a takeover of Japanese electronics maker Sharp in a "historic" deal worth 389 billion yen ($3.Hon Hai will pay 88 yen per share.Separately, Sharp warned on Wednesday it expects an operating loss of 170 billion yen in the current fiscal year, reversing earlier expectations of a small profit.

In February Sharp said its net loss in the April to December period came in at a whopping 108.But the cash injection from Hon Hai — the multinational owner of Foxconn, the world's biggest iPhone and iPad assembler — is well down from the original 489 billion yen put on the table in February.Sharp has teetered on the edge of bankruptcy for years and billionaire Gou has long been pushing for a takeover.The two firms have worked together on large-screen technology, including for televisions, and jointly operate a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel plant in Japan.Sharp's president and CEO Kozo Takahashi added that the move would merge forces and "accelerate innovation"."We are committed to restoring profitability and strengthening operations to once again make Sharp a leader in the global electronics arena and a world-class company with a positive outlook," it said. "For Sharp, this is the first step toward normalisation and it will make the company a buy for investors again," said Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at Ace Research Institute Austrlia and New zealand power Strips in Tokyo. A spokesman said the deal would be signed in Osaka on Saturday.. But the century-old company piled up eye-watering losses after the 2008 global financial crisis and a restructuring plan has yet to pull it out of the red

Lead author Dr. It must ensure that it doesnt drop the glass but also that water doesnt spill over the recipient during the act of passing, or that the glass is presented in such a way that the person can take hold of it.Unfortunately, that could mean that a hugely powerful machine then thrusts a potentially lethal blade towards you, at speed. Getting a machine to pick up unfamiliar objects, randomly presented, requires the seamless interaction of multiple, complex technologies.Researchers explored the issue of robots using objects., to pass the screwdriver safely to its human colleague, in order to rethink its actions.. The traditional metrics used by researchers, over the past twenty years, to assess robotic manipulation, are not sufficient.These include vision systems and advanced AI so the machine can see the target and determine its properties (for example, is it rigid or flexible?); and potentially, sensors in the gripper are required so the robot does not inadvertently crush an object it has been told to pick up.

Grasping is an action perfected long ago in nature but one which represents the cutting-edge of robotics research.The study cited the example of a robot in a factory picking up an object for delivery to a customer.In simple terms, this means machines need to understand motive the way humans do, and not just perform tasks blindly, without context, reported the study published in the journal, Nature Machine Intelligence. It successfully executes the task, holding the package securely without causing damage.e. In the most practical sense, robots need a new philosophy to get a grip.Even when all this is accomplished, researchers in the National Centre for Nuclear Robotics highlighted a fundamental issue: what has traditionally counted as a successful grasp for a robot might actually be a real-world failure, because the machine does not take into account what the goal is and why it is picking an object up.Imagine asking a robot to pass you a screwdriver in a workshop.

Ortenzi and his co-authors give other examples, involving robots working alongside people.Another scenario envisages a robot passing a glass of water to a resident in a care home. Valerio Ortenzi, at the University of Birmingham, argued the shift in thinking will be necessary as economies embrace automation, connectivity and digitisation and levels of human-robot interaction, whether in factories or homes, increase dramatically. Based on current conventions the best way for a robot to pick up the tool is by the handle.What is obvious to humans has to be programmed into a machine and this requires a profoundly different approach.Dr.Unfortunately, the robots gripper obscures a crucial barcode, which means the object cant be tracked and the firm Schuko Plugs has no idea if the item has been picked up or not; the whole delivery system breaks down because the robot does not know the consequences of holding a box the wrong way. Instead, the robot needs to know what the end goal is, i.Most factory-based machines are dumb, blindly picking up familiar objects that appear in pre-determined places at just the right moment.Robots need to know the reason why they are doing a job if they are to effectively and safely work alongside people in the near future, suggests researchers