Public View

Links for 2012-02-14 [Digg]

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

World Leaders At The United Nations Refuse To Stand Near Ahmadinejaad For A Group Photo ~ Public View
World Leaders At The United Nations Refuse To Stand Near Ahmadinejaad For A Group Photo

Links for 2012-02-13 [Digg]

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Watch “Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012)” Online
Watch “Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012)” Online Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu is a forthcoming Hindi language romantic comedy film written and directed by debutant Shakun Batra. The film, produced by Karan Johar under his banner of Dharma Productions, [...]

Links for 2012-02-12 [Digg]

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Watch “Safe House – 2012″ Online
Watch “Safe House – 2012″ Online A young CIA agent is tasked with looking after a fugitive in a safe house. But when the safe house is attacked, he finds himself on the run with his charge. IMDB Rating: 7.20 [...]

Links for 2012-02-09 [Digg]

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Watch “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island – 2012″ Online
Watch “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island – 2012″ Online Sean Anderson partners with his mom’s boyfriend on a mission to find his grandfather, who is thought to be missing on a mythical island. IMDB Rating: 6.30 | Genre: Action , [...]

Links for 2012-02-08 [Digg]

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Microsoft certified Pakistani wonder kid makes world record by creating 7 computer operating systems ~ Public View
ABBOTABAD: After Arfa Karim now another Pakistani wonder boy has made world record after creating Microsoft and Google certified seven computer operating systems in the suburb of Abbotabad. This teen computer genius of Pakistan, 14-year old student Sikandar Mehmood Baloch, lives in Bilal Town situated in the suburb of Abbotabad.

Links for 2012-02-06 [Digg]

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Watch “Chronicle – 2012″ online
Watch “Chronicle – 2012″ online Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides. IMDB Rating: 7.60 | [...]

Links for 2012-02-04 [Digg]

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Watch “Red Tails – 2012″ Online
Watch “Red Tails – 2012″ Online A crew of African American pilots in the Tuskegee training program, having faced segregation while kept mostly on the ground during World War II, are called into duty under the guidance of Col. A.J. [...]

PIC suo motu: Interim report to be submitted on Feb 6, death toll reaches 117

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:50:29 PST

Advocate general informs court that samples of medicines sent abroad for tests, results awaited.

ISLAMABAD / LAHORE: Advocate General of Punjab Ashtar Ausaf, during a suo motu hearing of the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) free medicine case on Tuesday, told the Supreme Court that an interim report in the case will be submitted to the court on February 6.

Ausaf informed the court that samples of the drugs were sent out to Switzerland, Belgium and England for tests and the results are awaited.
He said that this step was taken because there was no laboratory in Pakistan which could clearly determine the cause of the deaths by examining the samples.
Ausaf told the court that so far, nothing concrete has surfaced in the investigation and an autopsy of the victims’ bodies will be required to determine the actual cause of the deaths.
Heading a three-member bench, Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, asked why the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested the people involved in the case.
The FIA officials present in the court informed him that after the 18th Amendment, all the health related issues were transferred to the provincial government and the FIA is supposed to arrest people who are involved in making the medicines.
Justice Jillani ordered the FIA to release the three arrested people. However, the FIA told the court that the reason of arresting MS of PIC will be explained to the court later.
When Justice Saqib Nisar inquired about the steps taken by the Punjab government, Ausaf informed the court that the government had contacted the chief justice of the Lahore High Court to constitute a tribunal to investigate the case.
The advocate general also told the court that the ministry of health in Punjab is headed by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, when the court inquired.
The three-member bench observed why Sharif had not taken any action regarding the issue.
The court said that the tribunal will carry on with its investigations, but the FIA and Punjab government will have to submit their replies to the court in the next hearing scheduled for February 6.
Death toll reaches 117
The death toll due to the fake medicines reached 117 on Tuesday as three people lost their lives in the Services Hospital and the Mayo Hospital.
Two of the dead were identified as 51-year-old Mumtaz Ibrahim and 55-year-old Rabia Bibi.
More than 400 people are admitted in various hospitals and are currently under treatment in Lahore.
Investigations reveal 100,000 adulterated pills handed out
Recent investigations into the PIC fake medicine case hinted on Tuesday that more than 100,000 adulterated pills might have been handed out to heart patients in Lahore.
The medicine, called Alfagril, had a manufacturing fault because of which the pills developed brown spots on them and consequently resulted in a disease in the bone marrow.
The Central Drug Laboratory issued a notice saying that one out of the seven pills that were being given out to heart patients in Lahore was substandard. The pill was identified as Alfagril.
An investigation team has been formed by the Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) to probe the case which has resulted in more than a 100 people in Punjab, while the Supreme Court has initiated a suo motu action.

Ten year old sets world powerlifting record

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:34:14 PST

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas: Naomi Kutin, a 10-year-old girl native of Fairlawn, New Jersey, who weighs slightly less than 97 pounds, lifted 215 pounds, more than twice her body weight - setting the new world record for the Strongest 10-year-old girl, according to World Records Academy.

The previous world record for the 97 pound division was 209 pounds broken by a 44 year old European woman last summer.

The Guinness world record for the most weight squat lifted in one hour by an individual is 56,728.53 kg (125,065 lb) by Ryan Lapadat (Canada) at Goodlife Fitness in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the most weight lifted by lateral raises in one hour: 19,600 kg (43,210 lb) by Eamonn Keane (Ireland) at Louisburgh Gym in Louisburgh, Ireland.

Kutin actually regained her own world record after losing it several months ago. Kutin, who began powerlifting in April 2010, first set the 97-pound world record last July at age 9, but Geitner bested it with a 209-pound squat last September.

Kutin drew a round of applause from the onlookers as she completed the record-breaking lift.

The event, an invitational for elite powerlifters, had never invited a competitor younger than 14, but made an exception for Kutin because of her extraordinary achievements to date, her father Ed said.

"When I was younger, my friends would be doing a lot of things that I couldn't do, and I wanted to do something extraordinary," an excited Kutin said. "I wanted to break a record of some sort and I just really wanted to get this record."

"You know she gets giggly or silly in a 10-year-old girl kind of way," Naomi's Dad said.

"She's also learned a lot about psyche. In this sport, it's not just about strength, it's also about the ability to focus and psyche, and she's back there pacing and getting herself psyched and she's really doing that well too."

Why Quaid-e-Azam Slapped his Guard :Report

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:35:12 PST

Why Quaid-e-Azam Slapped his Guard :Report

Hasb e Haal 28th January 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:41:33 PST

Hasb e Haal 28th January 2012

Khabarnaak – 28th january 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:38:17 PST

Khabarnaak – 28th january 2012

Pakistan will 'crush' us 2moro [@StuartBroad8]

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:40:47 PST

My taxi driver has informed me he thinks Pakistan will 'crush' us 2moro. I told him to be quiet politely ...@StuartBroad8

Saudi women to be allowed in sport stadium

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:28:19 PST

Saudi Arabia's strict interpretation of Islam prohibits unrelated men and women from mingling.—AFP photo

RIYADH: A government-run Saudi Arabian newspaper reports that for the first time in the conservative Muslim country, women will be allowed to attend soccer matches in one of the country’s stadiums.
Al-Sharq newspaper on Saturday quoted unnamed officials as saying that women will be able to watch the matches in a new facility that will be completed in 2014 in the western port city of Jeddah.
The officials say that the new stadium will include a family section with private cabins and balconies for women who wish to attend the games.
Saudi Arabia’s strict interpretation of Islam prohibits unrelated men and women from mingling. Women and men in Saudi Arabia remain highly segregated and are restricted in how they are allowed to mix in public.

Pakistan v England: Tourists humiliated to lose series

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:23:32 PST

Second Test, Abu Dhabi, day four:
Pakistan 257 & 214 beat England 327 & 72 by 72 runs
Match scorecard

Eoin Morgan being bowled by Abdur Rehman was part of England's collapse

England crumbled to a 72-run defeat in the second Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi to lose the three-match series.

Chasing 145 to win, the tourists were bowled out for 72, with left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman taking 6-25.
Only Andrew Strauss and Matt Prior reached double figures as England wilted under the pressure applied by the Pakistan spin bowlers.
Earlier, Monty Panesar ended with 6-62 as Pakistan were bowled out for 214, before the tourists disintegrated.

Hasb e Haal 27th January 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:40:16 PST

Watch "Hasb e Haal 27th January 2012" online

Iqbal Sey Sharmindgi Kee Sath [ BNN ]

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:25:36 PST

BNN presents great poem on Pakistan's current situation.

Pakistan’s television stations had advertising revenues of more than $200 million last year

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:01:25 PST

Pakistan’s television stations had advertising revenues of more than $200 million last year, according to Aurora, an industry journal — 28 percent more than the previous year. Television is also a lucrative business controlled by powerful, largely unaccountable tycoons. (NYT)

Hasb e Haal – 26th January 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:35:21 PST

Watch "Hasb e Haal – 26th January 2012" online

Banana news network – geonews – 26th january 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:33:31 PST

Watch "Banana news network – geonews – 26th january 2012" online.

Microsoft Will Pay Nokia "Billions" To Use Windows Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:15:38 PST

Microsoft paid Nokia $250 million in the fourth quarter to adopt the Windows Phone operating system, according to Nokia's fourth-quarter earnings report released Thursday.
That was the first in a series of so-called "platform support" payments believed to eventually total billions of dollars. To date, Microsoft and Nokia have been quiet about the deal's specifics - perhaps because it appears as if Microsoft is paying Nokia significantly less than its paying other cellphone manufacturers.

"Our broad strategic agreement with Microsoft includes platform support payments from Microsoft to us as well as software royalty payments from us to Microsoft" Nokia said in its results today. "We have a competitive software royalty structure, which includes minimum software royalty commitments."
Slashgear's Chris Davies is suggesting Microsoft's Nokia arrangement is less than that it has struck with other cellphone makers. LTE, for example, is reportedly paying about $27 for each phone it sells with Windows Phone.
"Over the life of the agreement both the platform support payments and the minimum software royalty commitments are expected to measure in the billions of US Dollars," Nokia said.
Windows Phone has gotten rave reviews, but Microsoft could struggle to get developers to create apps for the phone. By some estimates, Windows Phone could pass Apple's iOS in market share by 2015.

Bill Gates: I don't pay enough tax

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:16:49 PST

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says he does not think he pays enough tax, and says wealthy Americans should contribute more in order to solve the deficit problem.
Speaking on BBC World, Mr Gates said taxing the rich, was "just justice".

Pakistan v England: Hosts recover after Cook-Trott stand

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:50:20 PST

By Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport

Second Test, Abu Dhabi, day two:
Pakistan 257 v England 207-5
Match scorecard

Trott and Cook shared their sixth century stand before Pakistan fought back

A late Pakistan revival undid the good work of England's Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott on day two of the second Test in Abu Dhabi.

The pair shared a second-wicket stand of 139 after Andrew Strauss managed only 11.
But after Trott (74) fell to Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal accounted for Cook (94), Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan to leave England 207-5, 50 behind.
Earlier, Pakistan lost their last three wickets for one run in 16 balls.
More to follow.

World Economic Forum - Imran Khan: The face of Pakistan at Davos

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:23:49 PST

The most prominent Pakistani at Davos is Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan who was the guest speaker at a lunch hosted by defence analyst Ikram Sehgal, who runs a security company in Pakistan. PHOTO: FILE

DAVOS: Every country that matters is here, but where is Pakistan? Pakistanis are found on panels such as “Security Agenda in 2011” and “The Reality of Terrorism” and even there, our representation is weak.
The most prominent Pakistani at Davos is Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan who was the guest speaker at a lunch hosted by defence analyst Ikram Sehgal, who runs a security company in Pakistan.
“The moment Nato leaves Afghanistan, things will settle down. There will be peace and then we can deal with the terrorists,” Khan tells a bewildered Western audience, who mostly showed up to get a good look at their favourite cricket star.
Speaking about Pashtuns, he said it was important to make a distinction between al Qaeda and the Taliban who are Pashtuns and the Pashtuns should not be attacked. “You must understand the Pashtun mentality. If you kill them (with drone attacks) they will take revenge, so there will be repercussions,” he said. “There are human beings and then there are Pathans,” he joked.
“The Pashtuns of Pakistan and Afghanistan are not a threat to the West, al Qaeda is,” he said to a sceptical audience.
Khan explained that Salmaan Taseer’s murder had exposed the extreme polarisation in society. “If the war on terror continues and the US keeps pressuring Pakistan to flush out Taliban militants, this polarisation of society will be detrimental,” he said.
Apart from his well-known stance on the war on terror, Khan advocated that the present government had lost its moral authority and the time was ripe for change. He warned that if the present “corrupt set up” is tolerated, there may be a revolution made up of young Pakistanis under the age of 30.
“After the National Reconciliation Ordinance was promulgated, the biggest crooks formed the government,” he said, while referring to the country’s top political leadership. He predicted that in the next general election, which he believes will be free and fair, all “the old political faces will be wiped out”.
But Khan also insisted that any form of democracy is better than dictatorship. “I supported Musharraf in the beginning and I admit that it was the biggest mistake I have ever made,” he said. Later in the day, Khan shared panel space with the Indian Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, who forcefully stated that terrorists must be dealt with sternly and there should be swift punishment for those found guilty.
Chidambaram maintained the traditional Indian foreign office line that there are “home-grown modules in India that get support from across the border.”
On a panel titled “The reality of terrorism”, Chidambaram made it quite clear that India was not willing to show flexibility on the issue of terrorism, putting a dampener on the upcoming India-Pakistan secretary level talks at Thimpu.
Another panellist, Tahirul Qadri called upon the West and India to recognise the “root causes” of terror and to immediately resolve outstanding disputes such as Kashmir. However, Chidambaram shot back, “none of the issues (Kashmir or the territorial dispute between Israel and Palestine) justify use of terror. This is not the way civilised societies settle their disputes.”
But Khan insisted that the root cause of terror must be dealt with. “The cancer must be treated and not its symptoms,” he said.
While the security debate dragged on at Davos, it was quite clear that no one – those asking questions or those answering them – had found a fresh approach to deal with problems in Pakistan. The same questions were asked and the familiar rhetoric was repeated.
While back in Pakistan’s semi-autonomous areas, the tribal lashkars and paramilitary forces battle Taliban militants, it seemed like our leadership was making no effort to engage powers of the world on platforms such as the World Economic Forum where perhaps sympathetic ears would have helped. A Pakistani delegation well-prepared to plead their case and defend their position regarding the war against militancy should have been sent. Instead, what the World Economic Forum saw was a cricketer-turned-politician advocating a view that not necessarily represents the official line taken by the government of Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2011.

David whatmore to reach Pakistan on Feb 20

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:23:30 PST

David whatmore to reach Pakistan on Feb 20

LAHORE - 26th January 2012 (5 hours ago)

By Javeria Nasir

Australian Dav Whatmore is due to arrive here on Feb 20 to sign a two-year contract as head coach of the Pakistan cricket team,
Though the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not confirming Whatmore, or anyone else, as head coach of the team, sources said Whatmore has finalised all the details of the contract and would sign it in Lahore on Feb 20.
Whatmore visited Lahore on Jan 14 and almost settled all the issues with the PCB, but the announcement was delayed for one month since both the parties agreed to delay it owing to the England series under way in the UAE.

Whatmore will take charge of the team from interim head coach Mohsin Khan after the ongoing series against England.

However, the PCB is being criticised by some quarters for making a change at the moment when the national team is performing well under the coaching of Mohsin Khan.

Sharapova, Azarenka reach Australian Open final

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:11:25 PST

Sharapova, Azarenka reach Australian Open final

MELBOURNE - 26th January 2012

By AP

Maria Sharapova avenged her defeat in the Wimbledon final to Petra Kvitova with a gutsy three-set victory over the Czech in the last four of the Australian Open.
Sharapova, who won 6-2 3-6 6-4 to move through to a meeting with Victoria Azarenka in the title-decider, was overpowered at times but found the reserves to advance.
Saturday’s champion will also become the new world number one, taking over from Caroline Wozniacki, who will drop to number four.

“I just felt in the third set she had the advantage because I was always down on my serve,” said Sharapova.
“I thought I had to hit it and don’t let her finish the points the way she likes to. I just hung in there and got a few returns in in that final game, perhaps that was the key.”

Kvitova looked completely out of sorts in the first set, with her movement particularly suspect.
Sharapova, on the other hand, was full of intensity and forced an early break from the Czech and although her opponent hit back, further breaks in the fifth and seventh games handed her the opening set.
The Russian started the second shakily with her serve, so often her Achilles heel, starting to falter and a double fault on break point handed Kvitova a route back into the contest.
And with the momentum shifting as Kvitova’s powerful groundstrokes started to find their target, the second seed levelled with ease.

The players traded breaks at the start of the decider and having come through a titanic seventh game, Sharapova made her move to snatch the Kvitova serve and clinch the match.

Why the United States Will Never, Ever Build the iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:43:21 PST

It's not just cheap wages. China has more skilled factory workers and sits at the center of the global supply chain.
Reuters

This weekend, The New York Times published a long exploration of the many reasons why Apple chooses to build its iPhones in China. The piece is indispensable reading for anybody who wants to understand why the United States has seen certain types of manufacturing all but disappear from its shores. But the article's core lesson might be tough to swallow: Apple doesn't only choose China because work is cheaper. Apple also chooses China because the factories and the workers do a better job.

Here are four basic lessons that we can learn from Apple's manufacturing:
Cheap Labor Isn't the Issue
There's no question that China's low wages are part of the country's appeal -- even though they've increased. According to the Times, building the iPhone stateside would add up to $65 to the cost of each device. To put that in perspective, it's about 10% of the full retail price for the cheapest iPhone 4S. Given the fat margins on Apple's products, the company could absorb that extra cost and still come away with a profit. But it's hard to imagine why they would make that sacrifice.
The price of labor, though, is just one small piece of what makes China a better place to make an iPhone. After years of building its computers in California, Apple began offshoring its production after the company's near collapse in the 1990s. Driving the decision was Tim Cook, now the company's CEO, and formerly its head of operations. Per the Times:

For Mr. Cook, the focus on Asia "came down to two things," said one former high-ranking Apple executive. Factories in Asia "can scale up and down faster" and "Asian supply chains have surpassed what's in the U.S." The result is that "we can't compete at this point," the executive said.

What does it mean to "scale up" faster? For Foxconn, the global manufacturing behemoth Apple pays to assemble its products, it's the ability to hire thousands of new workers in a single day. It's being able to wake up 8,000 employees, herd them out of the company's on-sight dorms, and order them pull a midnight shift fastening glass screens onto phones. In China, workers are cheap, plentiful, and -- most importantly -- mind bogglingly compliant in ways that America's culture and its tightly enforced labor laws simply wouldn't allow. Yes, Foxconn's notoriously harsh treatment of its employees led to a now-notorious spate of suicides. But how many Americans in the 21st century can you see under any circumstances agreeing to live in, say, a General Motors dorm?

The second half of Cook's equation -- supply chains -- might be even more important. We like to talk about how the world is flat, but in reality, it still takes a month to ship goods from the U.S. to China. Because Asia is the hub of electronic components manufacturing, Chinese factories can get crucial parts faster and cheaper, whether they're coming from a semi-conductor factory down the street, or a Samsung plant in South Korea. Local Chinese factories also crank out the little metal bits like screws that you can't build an iPhone without, a small but important advantage. The United States is cut off from those networks. Logistically, it just makes less sense to build a high tech gadget here.

Fixing Education Isn't About Sending More People to Harvard

China's labor advantage goes well beyond the low-skill workers who do the menial task of stuffing parts into iPhones. The country also excels at educating middle-skill "industrial engineers." These aren't Stanford graduates capable of designing the next iteration of the iPad. Rather, they're akin to alums from your local community college who have the technical skills to manage the iPad production line. As the Times notes:

Apple's executives had estimated that about 8,700 industrial engineers were needed to oversee and guide the 200,000 assembly-line workers eventually involved in manufracturing iPhones. The company's analysts had forecast it would take as long as nine months to find that many qualified engineers in the United States.

In China, it took 15 days.

Those sorts of statistics should bring into cold, clear focus why America's education system is at such a disadvantage when it comes to manufacturing. The problem isn't a lack of elite graduates. We have those. It's our unskilled working class.
It's been widely reported that Chinese schools graduate roughly 600,000 engineers a year, versus about 70,000 in the United States. Some have tried to downplay the severity of that gap by pointing out that as many as half of those Chinese engineers have the equivalent of a 2-year associate's degree. That may be true. But it's also missing the point. China has learned to produce graduates with mid-level technical skills that, as The Atlantic's cover story this month illustrates, are crucial to the modern manufacturing process. The United States needs to learn to do the same if it wants to remain a manufacturing force in the future. Our immediate goal shouldn't be to prep more students for Harvard, Penn State, or University of Central Florida. It should be to find a way to make sure that more than 25% of the students who enroll at community colleges actually graduate within 3 years.
Industrial Policy Matters
The Times reports that when Apple was looking for a new factory to cut the high-strength glass for its iPhone screens, it picked a Chinese plant that had already built a new wing for work in anticipation that it might win the contract. It was able to afford that pricey gamble thanks to subsidies from the Chinese government.
In the United States, of course, most factories could not have counted on Washington for the same kind of support. Here, conservatives like to argue that the government shouldn't be in the business of "picking winners and losers." But that's what our competitors have been doing for decades, to great success. Both Germany and Japan rose up from the ashes of World War II and rebuilt themselves as industrial powerhouses thanks largely to carefully managed government industrial policy. China has done the same in the 21st century. Yet, as the scandal around failed solar panel maker Solyndra showed, a large part of the U.S. public is still deeply ill at ease with the idea.
The ironic part is that, although conservatives rail against the idea of an active federal industrial policy, they're very comfortable with it on the state level. Southern states such as Alabama and Tennessee have made an art of attracting foreign auto-makers using the promise of millions in tax breaks and other perks. Rather than putting the unmatched muscle of the federal government behind building our manufacturing base, we've settled for the scattered efforts of 50 states.
Where Apple Goes, Others Follow
Manufacturers have a habit of playing follow the leader. Or more precisely, follow the customer, especially when that customer is another industrial company.
Again, it's the natural outcome of needing to be close to the supply chain. The Times piece focuses on Corning, the Upstate New York-based company that produces the high-strength glass used in iPhone and other smartphone screens, which has moved much of its production to Japan and Taiwan in order to be closer to its buyers.

Our customers are in Taiwan, Korea, Japan and China," said James B. Flaws, Corning's vice chairman and chief financial officer. "We could make the glass here, and then ship it by boat, but that takes 35 days. Or, we could ship it by air, but that's 10 times as expensive. So we build our glass factories next door to assembly factories, and those are overseas.

As Corning's story shows, industries are often connected in unexpected ways. Because consumer electronics manufacturing has moved offshore, the Untied States is now losing out on jobs in glass production. If a company like Apple moves abroad, others will go with it.

Gilani reverses earlier criticism of military

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:37:59 PST

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. —AP photo

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf raza Gilani on Wednesday appeared to back down from a confrontation with the military, moving away from remarks made earlier that it had acted unconstitutionally in supporting a court investigation of a controversial memo.

“I want to dispel the impression that the military leadership acted unconstitutionally or violated rules,” said Gilani, according to state television.

His comments appeared to be a bid to defuse tensions between the country’s civilian leaders and the powerful military and came a day after a high-level meeting with the military to discuss a possible trilateral summit on the future of Afghanistan.

“The current situation cannot afford conflict among the institutions,” he added.
Gilani left here today for Davos to attend the annual summit of the World Economic Forum.
He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and other officials.

He is scheduled to hold meetings with world leaders who will gather at Davos, the Alpine Resort of Switzerland to deliberate upon the global economic issues.
Gilani had criticised the military earlier this month when he said affidavits submitted to the Supreme Court by the Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha on `memogate` were `unconstitutional and illegal`.

In an interview with the People`s Daily Online of China, which was released by the official Associated Press of Pakistan news agency, Mr Gilani said since the COAS and ISI DG had submitted their replies to the court without seeking approval of the competent authority under the rules of business, the statements carried no legal import.

Maryam Nawaz Sharif "PTI is to be 'in our shoes'!!"

noreply@blogger.com (Abdullah Khan) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:30:03 PST

@MaryamNSharif The whole exercise of PTI is to be 'in our shoes'!!