The Left Parties have rejected the Indo-US nuclear deal and asked the government not to go ahead with the 123 agreement in its current form.
The Left parties said they are unable to accept the agreement in its present form because it has to be read in the context of the Hyde Act.
According to them the deal is inherently flawed as it contradicts the Hyde Act of the US.
After ''careful assessment'' of the text of 123 agreement released on Friday and studying it in the ''context of burgeoning strategic alliance'' with the US, the Left parties said they were ''unable to accept the agreement.''
''The Left calls upon the government not to proceed further with operationalising of the agreement,'' a statement issued by the four parties on Tuesday said.
''There has to be review of the strategic aspect of Indo-US relations in Parliament,'' it said.
Making it clear they would block the deal, the Left parties also said they will press for a constitutional amendment for taking parliamentary approval before signing treaties of this kind.
Unlike the US, where the Bush administration still needs a final go-ahead from the US Congress for the deal to become law, in India the government does not require any parliamentary approval. But that doesn't mean the government can ignore its Left allies.
Withdrawal of support?
To a volley of questions on how the Left planned to ''block'' the government from going ahead with the deal, Karat said, ''we have not discussed our Parliament strategy. We will discuss it further separately''.
Asked whether their unhappiness on the deal would lead to withdrawal of support, he remained non-committal saying it was a separate issue that has not been discussed.
At the same time, the leader said that the Left would have a separate meeting on the issue of review of support to the government, which was to be taken up on Tuesday. CPI has been insisting that it was time the Left redefine its ties with the UPA.
On the deal, Karat said while the 123 agreement is being presented as a victory for New Delhi's position, ''we find that there are a number of issues on which it falls short of what the Prime Minister had assured the Parliament'' on August 17, 2006.
Under the terms set by the Hyde Act, he said, ''it was clear that one of the key assurances given by the Prime Minister, that Indo-US nuclear cooperation would cover the entire nuclear fuel cycle, would be violated.''
Karat said the agreement should not be seen in isolation from the overall strategic tie-up with the US.
''While we have to accept clauses and safeguards in perpetuity, the US will be bound by its national law (Henry Hyde Act). This will be a serious problem for us,'' he said.
Parliamentary ratification
He said the Hyde Act, which was passed after the Prime Minister's statement, ''would be continuously enforced by successive US Presidents and the Congress including the annual certification issue for 40 years when it will be operational.
Observing that there was no law enabling parliamentary ratification of major international agreements, Karat said the Left parties would press for a constitutional amendment for bringing such treaties and certain bilateral accords for approval in Parliament.
He said the ''flawed nuclear cooperation agreement cannot be justified on the debatable basis of augmenting our energy resources or achieving energy security. The motivation for the US side is commercial gains which will accrue for its corporates running into billions of dollars''.
Maintaining that the 123 agreement must be seen as a ''crucial step to lock in India into the US global strategic designs'', Karat said along with the negotiations for the nuclear accord, steps were being taken for closer military collaboration with Washington.
He said the disagreement with the 123 accord stemmed from the fact that there existed an unequal global nuclear order and, under the deal, the idea of universal nuclear disarmament, advocated forcefully by India so far, would be ''given the go by''.
Political posturing
Pointing out that the Hyde Act raised several issues, which were outside nuclear cooperation, he said the question of annual certification and reporting to the US Congress whether India was taking a stand ''congruent'' to that of Washington, was unacceptable.
The Hyde Act was a ''national law which is there at present and will be there in the future,'' Karat said.
He, however, acknowledged the efforts made by the Indian side to take note of the Prime Minister's assurances during the recent negotiations with the US.
So how much of this is political posturing and how far will the Left go to block the deal?
The answer is not clear yet. Unlike the BJP, which has demanded that the 123 agreement be referred to a parliamentary committee, the CPM says parliamentary approval for all international treaties should be mandatory.
The government has ruled out setting up a parliamentary committee and now Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee has been deputed to sweet talk the Left parties into consent.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Monday, August 6, 2007
Microsoft to cut $50 off price of Xbox 360
Confirming one of the worst-kept secrets in video-game history, Microsoft Corp. says it plans to drop the price of its main Xbox 360 console by $50 this week.
The decrease, to $349.99, has been widely anticipated since several video-game Web sites obtained and published copies of pre-printed ads for Circuit City and other retailers showing lower Xbox 360 prices.
With the move, Microsoft is hoping to better position itself against Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii in the competition for console market share.
The $50 price decrease applies to the Xbox 360 version that comes with a 20-gigabyte hard drive. Microsoft says it also will reduce the price of the Xbox 360 Core System, which has no hard drive, by $20, to $279.99. In addition, the price of the Xbox 360 Elite, with a 120-gigabyte hard drive, will drop $30, to $449.99.
Each of the price cuts will officially take effect Wednesday.
Microsoft says it timed the move to take advantage of next week's release of "Madden NFL 08," the next installment in the blockbuster football game from Electronic Arts. The game has the potential to fuel sales across the console market; it's available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. Microsoft is trying to give Madden fans more reason to choose the Xbox 360.
More broadly, Microsoft has been planning all along to reduce the price at this point in the console's life cycle, said Microsoft's David Hufford, Xbox director of product management. The Xbox 360 was launched in November 2005. The upcoming holiday season will be its third.
"The feeling is that, in order to capture a broader market, we need to bring the prices down slightly and introduce a lineup of content that really speaks to the masses," Hufford said, referring to the new Xbox 360 games due for release later this year.
The price drop doesn't change the company's expectation of reaching operating profitability in the Xbox business this fiscal year, which began July 1.
From a competitive standpoint, Microsoft didn't necessarily need to drop the price at this point, said Van Baker, an industry analyst with Gartner Inc. Sony dropped the price of the 60-gigabyte PlayStation 3 by $100, to $499.99, in July, and introduced a new 80-gigabyte model at a price of $599.99. However, Sony subsequently acknowledged that it ultimately plans to stop offering the 60-gigabyte model.
Nintendo's Wii, the leader in monthly unit sales, is the lowest-priced of the new consoles, at $249.99. But Xbox 360 prices have been below PlayStation 3 prices even before Microsoft announced its price drop.
In that way, Microsoft's pricing decision is "a somewhat aggressive move," Baker said. Among other things, he said, the lower price could distract gamers from Microsoft's recent acknowledgement that Xbox 360 malfunctions had reached unacceptable levels. Although Microsoft says it has addressed the problems in new consoles, it was forced to expand the warranty to three years for the specific problem, and take a $1 billion charge in its fourth fiscal 2007 quarter to compensate. However, Baker added, "Price is not enough to sell a console."
More important in that regard is games. Sony and Microsoft were both dealt a blow on that front last week, when Take-Two Interactive Software announced that it would postpone the release of the likely blockbuster "Grand Theft Auto IV" until after the holidays for both Xbox 360 and PS3.
But Microsoft will be able to count on its exclusive title "Halo 3" to generate Xbox 360 interest. The game is scheduled for release Sept. 25.
INSIDE: Microsoft's purchase of Tellme makes up the brunt of its 2007 acquisitions. E2
CONSOLE PRICES
How the major video-game consoles will stack up after Microsoft drops the price of the Xbox 360 this week:
XBOX 360
Core System (no hard drive): $279.99
Premium, with 20 GB hard drive: $349.99
Elite, 120 GB: $449.99
PLAYSTATION 3
60 GB: $499.99
80 GB: $599.99
NINTENDO WII
$249.99
The decrease, to $349.99, has been widely anticipated since several video-game Web sites obtained and published copies of pre-printed ads for Circuit City and other retailers showing lower Xbox 360 prices.
With the move, Microsoft is hoping to better position itself against Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii in the competition for console market share.
The $50 price decrease applies to the Xbox 360 version that comes with a 20-gigabyte hard drive. Microsoft says it also will reduce the price of the Xbox 360 Core System, which has no hard drive, by $20, to $279.99. In addition, the price of the Xbox 360 Elite, with a 120-gigabyte hard drive, will drop $30, to $449.99.
Each of the price cuts will officially take effect Wednesday.
Microsoft says it timed the move to take advantage of next week's release of "Madden NFL 08," the next installment in the blockbuster football game from Electronic Arts. The game has the potential to fuel sales across the console market; it's available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. Microsoft is trying to give Madden fans more reason to choose the Xbox 360.
More broadly, Microsoft has been planning all along to reduce the price at this point in the console's life cycle, said Microsoft's David Hufford, Xbox director of product management. The Xbox 360 was launched in November 2005. The upcoming holiday season will be its third.
"The feeling is that, in order to capture a broader market, we need to bring the prices down slightly and introduce a lineup of content that really speaks to the masses," Hufford said, referring to the new Xbox 360 games due for release later this year.
The price drop doesn't change the company's expectation of reaching operating profitability in the Xbox business this fiscal year, which began July 1.
From a competitive standpoint, Microsoft didn't necessarily need to drop the price at this point, said Van Baker, an industry analyst with Gartner Inc. Sony dropped the price of the 60-gigabyte PlayStation 3 by $100, to $499.99, in July, and introduced a new 80-gigabyte model at a price of $599.99. However, Sony subsequently acknowledged that it ultimately plans to stop offering the 60-gigabyte model.
Nintendo's Wii, the leader in monthly unit sales, is the lowest-priced of the new consoles, at $249.99. But Xbox 360 prices have been below PlayStation 3 prices even before Microsoft announced its price drop.
In that way, Microsoft's pricing decision is "a somewhat aggressive move," Baker said. Among other things, he said, the lower price could distract gamers from Microsoft's recent acknowledgement that Xbox 360 malfunctions had reached unacceptable levels. Although Microsoft says it has addressed the problems in new consoles, it was forced to expand the warranty to three years for the specific problem, and take a $1 billion charge in its fourth fiscal 2007 quarter to compensate. However, Baker added, "Price is not enough to sell a console."
More important in that regard is games. Sony and Microsoft were both dealt a blow on that front last week, when Take-Two Interactive Software announced that it would postpone the release of the likely blockbuster "Grand Theft Auto IV" until after the holidays for both Xbox 360 and PS3.
But Microsoft will be able to count on its exclusive title "Halo 3" to generate Xbox 360 interest. The game is scheduled for release Sept. 25.
INSIDE: Microsoft's purchase of Tellme makes up the brunt of its 2007 acquisitions. E2
CONSOLE PRICES
How the major video-game consoles will stack up after Microsoft drops the price of the Xbox 360 this week:
XBOX 360
Core System (no hard drive): $279.99
Premium, with 20 GB hard drive: $349.99
Elite, 120 GB: $449.99
PLAYSTATION 3
60 GB: $499.99
80 GB: $599.99
NINTENDO WII
$249.99
Google all set to expand its Empire to Mobile Land
When iPhone was making vibrations in the mobile market, Google was quietly crafting ideas to jump in the contest and lock horns with it sometime in the near future. The search engine company has reportedly developed prototype cell phones that could be out within a year.
Google has been testing new softwares and mobile services to bundle it all together with its search engine and new mobile web browser, to be able to present an attractive product.
The company has approached wireless operators including T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, in its endeavor to dive deeper into the cellphone market.
"We are partnering with almost all of the carriers and manufacturers to get Google search and other Google applications onto their devices and networks," a Google spokesman said.
The major revenue source for Google in this case is most likely to be commercial advertising. The company brings in more than $40m (£20m) a day from adverts next to search queries on personal computers but believes it would get access to a fresh lot of local advertisers on mobile devices.
Although, rampant rumors of Google-phone have been floating on the internet for months, the company is dodging detailed questions. "At Google we are dedicated to providing access to the world's information, with an ultimate goal of helping users access the information they want, no matter when or where they want it," a spokesman said yesterday. "What our users and partners are telling us is that they want Google search and Google applications on mobile, and we are working hard to deliver that."
Google’s announcement of spending $4.6 billion to buy wireless spectrum in a U.S. Federal Communications Commission auction, further fueled the speculation.
The company has seen some success by integrating its search software with mobile phones in Europe but the U.S. market is rigid.
“Google's success in its venture will depend largely on the details it is still defining with its manufacturing and network partners, and whether customers are willing to trade user fees for intrusive advertising,” said Jeff Kagan, an industry analyst in Atlanta.
Google has been testing new softwares and mobile services to bundle it all together with its search engine and new mobile web browser, to be able to present an attractive product.
The company has approached wireless operators including T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, in its endeavor to dive deeper into the cellphone market.
"We are partnering with almost all of the carriers and manufacturers to get Google search and other Google applications onto their devices and networks," a Google spokesman said.
The major revenue source for Google in this case is most likely to be commercial advertising. The company brings in more than $40m (£20m) a day from adverts next to search queries on personal computers but believes it would get access to a fresh lot of local advertisers on mobile devices.
Although, rampant rumors of Google-phone have been floating on the internet for months, the company is dodging detailed questions. "At Google we are dedicated to providing access to the world's information, with an ultimate goal of helping users access the information they want, no matter when or where they want it," a spokesman said yesterday. "What our users and partners are telling us is that they want Google search and Google applications on mobile, and we are working hard to deliver that."
Google’s announcement of spending $4.6 billion to buy wireless spectrum in a U.S. Federal Communications Commission auction, further fueled the speculation.
The company has seen some success by integrating its search software with mobile phones in Europe but the U.S. market is rigid.
“Google's success in its venture will depend largely on the details it is still defining with its manufacturing and network partners, and whether customers are willing to trade user fees for intrusive advertising,” said Jeff Kagan, an industry analyst in Atlanta.
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