DTN News - CHINA NEWS: China Drives Global Diamond Jewelery Sales To $79 Billion

DTN News - CHINA NEWS: China Drives Global Diamond Jewelery Sales To $79 Billion
• China's market share will increase to 20 to 25 percent in a decade and could soon surpass that of the United States
• Demand for the precious stone has reached a record high

• A dearth of new diamond finds in recent years has hurt production rates, while existing mines in Botswana, South Africa and Namibia are becoming depleted

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources CNN News
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - September 20, 2014: (HONG KONG) - China's demand for polished diamonds has exploded over the past decade rising from 3 percent of global demand in 2003 to 15 percent in 2013 when booming global sales reached an estimated US$79 billion.

Polished diamond sales in China rocketed by 14% last year alone, double the pace of growth seen in the U.S.

Overall, sales of diamond jewelry to the Chinese have been the fastest growing in the world, averaging about 21% a year over the last decade. China now accounts for 13% of global demand, up from just 3% in 2003.

The U.S. is still the world's largest diamond market but companies such as De Beers are increasingly looking to China for growth.

As disposable incomes rise, Chinese consumers are driving global markets for luxury products, including expensive watches, handbags, cars and diamonds. China now accounts for nearly one-third of global luxury purchases, according to the report.


China is still seeing much higher than average growth in diamond sales, even though some luxury segments have been hurt by a government anti-corruption campaign, and a slowing economy. Global diamond jewelry sales hit a record $79 billion last year, led by strong interest from the Chinese for the rare gem, according to a report from De Beers.

Based on the current trajectory, China's market share will increase to 20 to 25 percent in a decade and could soon surpass that of the United States, long the world's top market with 40 percent of global sales last year, De Beers' executive head of strategy and corporate affairs Bruce Cleaver said in an interview with The Straits Times Friday.

Demand for the precious stone has reached a record high, with global sales being driven by Chinese buyers switching their fancies from gold and jade to diamonds, according to an inaugural industry report by De Beers, the world's largest supplier of diamonds.

Demand from China grew 14 percent on year in 2013, the fastest rate globally, according to De Beers' Diamond Insight Report.

The bulk of demand came from married women, who accounted for two thirds of purchases and sales value.Engaged women accounted for around 20 percent of purchases and contributed to just under a quarter of sales value in China, while single women accounted for 14 percent of purchases and made up 11 percent of sales value.

The report, released at the Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Fair, said the 'spoiling route' in China buying or receiving a diamond outside of a specific occasion is thriving. Last year, 18 percent of diamond purchases were made for no particular occasion, while 24 percent were self-purchases rather than gifts.

Although China remains the largest contributor to demand in the global diamond jewelry market, its exponential rate has started to slow.

"China is the biggest engine growth for the diamonds business and has been for the past five to 10 years. The rate is slowing down but it's still a big increase. I think this year China demand will be just under 10 percent," said Philippe Mellier, CEO of De Beers Group

Meanwhile, sales in India and Japan declined 10 percent and 6 percent, respectively, in U.S. dollar terms in 2013.

Mellier pointed out that consumers are set for higher prices in the coming years as demand thrives but production tightens.

A dearth of new diamond finds in recent years has hurt production rates, while existing mines in Botswana, South Africa and Namibia are becoming depleted and the need to dig deeper has made operations less profitable.

"Unless major new discoveries are made in the coming years, supply can be expected to decline gradually from 2020," De Beers said, forecasting rocky times ahead for the $85 billion a year industry.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources CNN News
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - BOSTON MARATHON EXPLOSIONS: Deadly Attack At Boston Marathon

DTN News - BOSTON MARATHON EXPLOSIONS: Deadly Attack At Boston Marathon 
STORY HIGHLIGHTS

*NEW: An 8-year-old boy was one of two killed

*The bombs were small, with no initial sign of high-grade explosive material, an official tells CNN

*The blasts at the marathon were 50 to 100 yards apart, officials say

*Obama vows those guilty "will feel the full weight of justice"

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources CNN

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 15, 2013: Doctors are "pulling ball-bearings out of people in the emergency room," the expert said, suggesting the bombs were designed to propel shrapnel.

"Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups, will feel the full weight of justice," President Barack Obama vowed.

Boston "is a tough and resilient town," he said, adding that Americans will stand by Bostonians "every single step of the way."

'Like a huge cannon'

The terrorist attack, near the marathon's finish line, triggered widespread screaming and chaos, shattered windows and barricades and sent smoke billowing into the air at Copley Square.

The blasts were about 50 to 100 yards apart, officials said, on a stretch of the marathon course lined with spectators cheering runners through the final yards of a 26-mile, 385-yard endurance feat.

"It felt like a huge cannon," a witness told CNN about one of the blasts.

Photos from the scene showed people being carried away on stretchers. One man in a wheelchair had blood all over his face and legs.

The bombs shook buildings, sending people to seek shelter under tables, witnesses said.

Federal authorities are classifying the bombings as a terrorist attack, but it's not clear whether the origin was domestic or foreign, a federal law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation said.

A federal law enforcement official told CNN that both bombs were small, and initial tests showed no C-4 or other high-grade explosive material, suggesting that the packages used in the attack were crude explosive devices.

Running list of things we know

Another explosive device found

Authorities in Boston found at least one other explosive device that they were dismantling, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said.

Rep. Bill Keating of Massachusetts, meanwhile, said there were two more found.

One unexploded device was found at a hotel on Boylston Street near the bomb site and another unexploded device was found at an undisclosed location, Keating, a Democrat and member of the House Homeland Security committee, said, calling the bombing a "sophisticated, coordinated, planned attack."

Davis said a third blast at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library was believed to be related to the marathon bombings, but police later said that incident was believed to be fire-related. The library said all staff and visitors are safe.

It was unclear who may have planted the marathon bombs. There were no credible threats before the race, a state government official said.

There is no suspect in custody, but many people are being questioned, Davis said.

As authorities searched the scene, numerous suspicious packages were found, possibly because people fled the area, leaving items behind. Investigators were checking them.

All off-duty Boston police were called in.

The Marriott hotel at Copley Place was evacuated as a precaution.

The Lenox Hotel was also evacuated as a precaution, the Boston Globe reported.

Flights banned over Boston Marathon blast site

'Horrific day'

Crowds were in the area watching the runners take part in the world's oldest annual marathon.

It was also Patriot's Day, commemorating the opening battle of the Revolutionary War.

Within seconds, the festive occasion turned into devastation.

"This is a horrific day in Boston," Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said in a statement.

"My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been injured. I have been in touch with the president, Mayor (Thomas) Menino and our public safety leaders. Our focus is on making sure that the area around Copley Square is safe and secured. I am asking everyone to stay away from Copley Square and let the first responders do their jobs."

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder spoke with FBI Director Robert Mueller and U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, a Justice Department official said.

Holder has directed the full resources of the Justice Department to be deployed to ensure the matter is fully investigated, the official said.

The Federal Aviation Administration placed a flight restriction over the site of the blasts.

Other cities, including New York and Washington, tightened security as a result. Following standard protocol, the White House cleared out an area in front of the West Wing.

"If you see something, say something," Mark Boughton, mayor of Danbury, Connecticut, wrote on Twitter. "All cities will be on a heightened state of alertness per Homeland Security protocols."

Mike Baingon, who works at the Atlantic Fish Company in Boston, said an explosion took place in front of the restaurant and that he was right by the front door at the time.

The explosions occurred at about 2:45 p.m., more than two hours after the first of the race's nearly 27,000 runners had crossed the finish line, CNN Producer Matt Frucci reported.

The race was halted as was subway service into the area.

Runners east of Massachusetts Avenue were directed to Boston Common; those west of Massachusetts Avenue were directed to Kenmore Square, the state's emergency management agency said.

Troops from the Massachusetts National Guard, already at the site as part of the marathon's security and crowd-management plan, were assisting police as well.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources CNN
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - SYRIA CIVIL WAR: Syrian General Apparently Defects, Says Morale Among Troops At A Low

DTN News - SYRIA CIVIL WAR: Syrian General Apparently Defects, Says Morale Among Troops At A Low

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Laura Smith-Spark. Chelsea J. Carter and Amir Ahmed, CNN
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 17, 2013:  A top Syrian general has reportedly defected from President Bashar al-Assad's government, telling an Arabic news station in an interview that aired Saturday that morale among security forces in Syria is at a low.

The reported defection followed the United Nations announcement that one of its employees, a teacher, was killed during fighting between rebels and government forces at a refugee camp outside Damascus.

If confirmed, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Ezz al-Din Khalouf's defection is the latest in a series of such moves by high-profile government officials, raising questions about the stability of al-Assad's government two years into the civil war gripping the country.

Khalouf, head of logistics and supply for the Syrian army, told the Arabic news network Al Arabiya that many tied to al-Assad's government have lost faith, but continue to pledge their allegiance to the president.

"It is only for appearance's sake to present an image to the international community showing that the regime is the one that pulls together all segments of Syrian society under."

Khalouf told Al Arabiya he had been working with rebels to defect. He appeared in the interview with his son, a Syrian army captain, who defected with him.

There was no immediate reaction from the Syrian government on the reported defection, which follows the two-year anniversary of the uprising.

Rebels posted what they claim are two videos on YouTube that offer proof that they helped Khalouf and his family escape Syria through Daraa province into Jordan.

CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of the videos, but Al Arabiya reported the interview with Khalouf was conducted in Jordan.

U.N. employee killed at camp

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees confirmed Saturday that a member of its teaching staff was killed Wednesday trying to flee the fighting at the Khan Eshieh refugee camp in Syria.

Nasri Khalil Hasan was killed while trying to make his way with his wife and four children to a makeshift shelter after the camp was reportedly struck by an artillery shell, the UNRWA said in a statement.

Hasan was hit by shrapnel from a subsequent explosion, it said.

Because the hospital at the refugee camp was not open, he was taken to a hospital in the nearby city of Jdaydeh, according to the UNRWA. He died at the hospital the next day, the agency said.

Cluster bombs linked to civilian casualties

The news of Khalouf's apparent defection and the death of Hasan came the same day a human rights group accused Syrian forces of using an increasing number of cluster bombs in residential areas.

Human Rights Watch says its researchers have identified 119 locations across Syria, where at least 156 cluster bombs have been used from August to mid-February.

The result is "mounting civilian casualties," the rights group said.

Human Rights Watch said it has investigated two cluster bomb attacks in the past two weeks -- in Deir Jamal, near Aleppo, and Talbiseh, near Homs.

These attacks killed 11 civilians, including two women and five children, and injured 27 others, the rights group said.

"Syria is expanding its relentless use of cluster munitions, a banned weapon, and civilians are paying the price with their lives and limbs," said Steve Goose, director of the arms division at Human Rights Watch.

"The initial toll is only the beginning because cluster munitions often leave unexploded bomblets that kill and maim long afterward."

The Syrian government did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment.

In October, Syrian armed forces denied the possession or use of cluster bombs.

A statement released through the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said "misleading media outlets" had published "untrue news claiming the Syrian Arab Army has been using cluster bombs against terrorists."

The Syrian army "does not possess such bombs," it said, adding that the media reports were "aimed at diverting the public opinion from the practices of the armed terrorist groups against civilians."

The Human Rights Watch report is based on field investigations, analysis of video footage posted by activists and eyewitness reports, it said.

The collection of data does not include details of casualty numbers but many deaths and injuries have been documented, the group said.

"Remnants of at least 156 distinct cluster bombs have been identified so far from the video footage," the group said.

"Human Rights Watch has documented government use of cluster munitions, both air-dropped and ground-delivered, but it has seen no evidence of cluster munition use by opposition rebel groups."

Weapons are indiscriminate

Another rights group, Amnesty International, has accused the Syrian government of using cluster bombs in civilian areas.

"Civilians continue to be at the receiving end of increasingly frequent indiscriminate attacks by Syrian government forces," Amnesty said in a report Thursday.

"Internationally banned cluster munitions are being used daily against civilian residential areas in towns and villages, in utter disregard for the most fundamental principles of international humanitarian law."

The report said the "vast majority" of abuses were committed by Syrian government forces, but that rebel groups are also carrying out abuses such as kidnapping and summary executions.

Syria is not one of the 111 states worldwide that have signed up to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans their use. The United States also is not a signatory.

Cluster munitions are widely viewed as unacceptable because the bomblets spread across a wide area and make no distinction between civilians and fighters.

Death toll

CNN cannot independently verify death tolls or other accounts of violence in Syria.

Last month, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said about 70,000 people had been killed in the two-year-old conflict.

The Syrian army continued to hunt "terrorists" -- its description of rebel fighters -- in several areas on Saturday, including outside Damascus and Homs, and in Idlib province, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Laura Smith-Spark. Chelsea J. Carter and Amir Ahmed, CNN
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - OSAMA BIN LADEN NEWS: 17 Suspected of Helping Track bin Laden Get Their Jobs Back

DTN News - OSAMA BIN LADEN NEWS: 17 Suspected of Helping Track bin Laden Get Their Jobs Back

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Shaan Khan, CNN
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 14, 2013: Seventeen Pakistani women suspected of helping the CIA track down Osama bin Laden in Pakistan were given their jobs back Thursday, their lawyer told CNN.

The women appeared in the city of Peshawar's high court, where Justices Yayha Afridi and Seth Waqar Ahmed accepted their petition to have their jobs restored, Sajid Ali Awan, the women's counsel, told CNN.

"The court has also directed the Department of Health to act lawfully and take lawful measures after accepting our petition, which is the simple restoration of the employees as their termination without a shown cause notice was against the law," Awan said.

The women were fired from their jobs after allegations that they were involved in Dr. Shakeel Afridi's fake vaccination campaign, which helped the CIA collect DNA samples from residents of bin Laden's compound in the city of Abbottabad. The samples aimed to verify the al Qaeda leader's presence there.

Awan said the secretary of health for Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province fired the health workers in February 2012. However, they pleaded not guilty, saying they were not aware of Dr. Afridi's intentions and were simply following his orders.

Dr. Afridi is serving a 33-year sentence in a Peshawar jail, accused of having links to militant elements in Khyber Agency, though many believe he has been penalized for acting as a CIA front man in the fake vaccination campaign.

Bin Laden was killed in a U.S. raid on his Abbottabad compound in May of 2011.

More from CNN Video:

Jeff Gordon pranks car salesman

Bin Laden's son-in-law pleads not guilty

Jenna Elfman doesn't get hotel sex

Guy pushes his girlfriend off a cliff

More from CNN World:

ICC drops charges against former Kenya official

Osama bin Laden's son-in-law denies terror charges

Pyongyang scraps armistice amid heightened saber rattling

Finger-pointing after Chinese baby murde

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Shaan Khan, CNN
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - U.S. FINANCIAL CRISIS: Obama, lawmakers To Resume Debt Talks

DTN News - U.S. FINANCIAL CRISIS: Obama, lawmakers To Resume Debt Talks

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Tom Cohen - BBC News

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada / WASHINGTON, USA - July 18, 2011: President Barack Obama and congressional leaders will continue to negotiate a possible deficit reduction deal this week to clear the way for congressional Republicans to back an increase in the federal debt ceiling.

While discussions continued over the weekend after the last full negotiating session Thursday, no significant progress has occurred and the chances for a comprehensive deficit deal sought by Obama in coming weeks appear remote.

Without a major deal, Congress would have to focus instead on a smaller agreement to raise the debt ceiling or face the unprecedented situation in 15 days of the government not having enough money to pay all its bills. The debt ceiling has reached its $14.3 trillion legally permitted maximum.

Senate leaders are working on a possible debt ceiling measure, based on a plan that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, unveiled last week. That plan would give Obama power to raise the borrowing limit by a total of $2.5 trillion but also require three congressional votes on the issue before the 2012 general election.

According to Senate aides from both parties, a revised version of the McConnell plan being put together with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, could come up for consideration this week, but only after legislators vote on Republican measures calling for spending cuts, caps on future spending and a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

While the GOP measures are expected to fail, the votes would satisfy a Republican desire to get Democrats on the record with their opposition to them.

Leaders from both parties say the McConnell-Reid plan is not the preferred option, but they don't rule it out if efforts to strike a broader deal fail.

"The minimum is I believe the debt will be extended," budget director Jacob Lew told the ABC program "This Week" on Sunday. "... Our efforts over the next days will be to, in addition to that, do as much as we possibly can to make the tough decisions" needed for a broader deal.

Obama warned last week that he could not guarantee older Americans will receive their Social Security checks next month if a deal is not reached. GOP leaders accused the president of resorting to scare tactics.

"This is a different situation than the United States has ever faced," Lew said of a possible default. He refused to discuss how spending might be prioritized, saying, "Once one gets into the business of trying to ask about setting priorities, it misses the fundamental question, which is that it's unacceptable for the United States to be in a place where -- whether it's a Social Security recipient or a soldier or somebody who is just owed money by the government -- can't be paid because we have not done our job."

Republicans complained that they have offered the only concrete proposals to address mounting deficits and federal debt so far, from a House budget proposal earlier this year to the "cut, cap and balance" plan pushed by conservatives that comprises spending cuts, caps on future spending as a percentage of economic production and a balanced budget amendment to the constitution.

"I'm a little frustrated that -- you've heard it in the press conference of the president, you've heard it today from the administration's spokesman -- they are never willing to be specific about the reductions in spending that they would be willing to do," conservative Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Arizona, said Sunday.

"The president always just holds out this idea that, well, if you'll raise taxes, and he is very specific about the taxes he wants to raise, then (he) might be willing to look at cuts elsewhere," Kyl said. "Well, of course, that's just not good enough. So, the point I'm trying to make is when the president says he's willing to compromise, understand why Republican leaders have been pretty reluctant to go along with this deal because we frankly don't know where the spending reductions come, but we do know where the taxes are."

Democrats said the Republican proposals won't pass, and they called for their GOP colleagues to work with them on reaching a compromise that would get the debt ceiling raised and include significant deficit reduction steps to signal markets that the United States is taking serious measures.

"This notion that we somehow have to change the Constitution to do what we were elected to do is just plain wrong," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, said on the NBC program "Meet the Press."

"Bottom line is, those who want to push a balanced budget amendment are saying, 'I can't promise you that I won't steal again, but I will vote for the Ten Commandments.' "

Obama evoked compromises of the past in calling Saturday for a commitment to shared sacrifice to break the current impasse on the debt ceiling.

"Let's be honest. Neither party in this town is blameless," the president said in his weekly address. "Both have talked this problem to death without doing enough about it. That's what drives people nuts about Washington."

Obama reiterated his call for higher taxes on the wealthy and reforms to politically popular entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security. He cited budget deals forged by President Ronald Reagan and then-Democratic House Speaker Tip O'Neill as well as President Bill Clinton and former Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich, crediting them with making sacrifices that benefited the common good.

"We are all part of the same country. We are all in this together," Obama said.

Republicans, meanwhile, renewed their call for an amendment to require a balanced budget.

"The only reason this administration doesn't want a constitutional amendment is because they want to keep spending the American people's money," Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah said in the GOP response Saturday. "And the only reason congressional Democrats would refuse to pass it, is because they know the people of this country would rise up and quickly ratify it."

Lew said Sunday that the kind of constitutional change sought by Republicans would be "quite draconian" by imposing strict spending limits rather than simply requiring a balance between revenue and spending.

He called for Republicans to compromise in their opposition to any kind of tax increase, saying, "We need a partner to work with.

"We need to get the job done now," Lew added, noting that credit rating agencies were warning of a downgrade for the United States. "The whole world is watching."

The tense negotiations between top Democrats and Republicans, reflecting core ideological principles on taxes and the size of government, have become a race against the clock. If Washington lacks the money to pay its bills, interest rates could skyrocket and the value of the dollar could decline, among other things.

The seriousness of the situation was reinforced Thursday when a major credit rating agency, Standard and Poor's, said it was placing the United States' sovereign rating on "CreditWatch with negative implications." Moody's Investors Services -- another major rating agency -- said Wednesday that it would put the sterling bond rating of the United States on review for possible downgrade.

Hatch argued that Obama refuses to reform entitlement programs and is pushing "job-killing tax hikes." The six-term senator had his own view of previous deals struck between the two parties.

"We've been down this road before," he said. "In 1990, Congress and the president struck a deficit reduction deal that combined spending cuts with tax increases. Unfortunately, while the tax hikes remained, the spending restraint did not, and our debt has marched higher."

House Republicans show no sign of accepting higher taxes on the rich as part of a so-called "balanced" approach to debt reduction. GOP leaders, who consider tax hikes detrimental to the economy, blasted the president Friday morning for failing to produce what they consider to be a legitimate spending cut plan.

No formal negotiating sessions took place over the weekend. On Saturday, internal discussions continued at the White House a day after a meeting involving Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Chief of Staff Bill Daley, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and House Minority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, said a Democratic source familiar with the debt negotiations and a Republican aide, both on condition of not being identified.

Obama has made it clear he still favors a package that generates savings of approximately $4 trillion over roughly the next decade.

Fallback plans that take major entitlement reform and tax hikes off the table may include between $1.5 trillion and $1.7 trillion in savings previously agreed to in talks led by Vice President Joe Biden.

Administration officials have also discussed extending and possibly expanding the payroll tax cut -- a nod to sagging employment figures -- as well as extending unemployment insurance, according to a Democratic official familiar with the talks.

One of the issues at the heart of the current debate is Obama's call for more tax revenue by allowing tax cuts from the Bush presidency to expire at the end of 2012 for families making more than $250,000. His plan would keep the lower tax rates for Americans who earn less.

Obama noted earlier this week he is not looking to raise any taxes until 2013 or later. In exchange, the president said, he wants to ensure that the current progressive nature of the tax code is maintained, with higher-income Americans assessed higher tax rates.

But resistance to higher taxes is now a bedrock principle for most Republicans, enforced by conservative crusaders such as political activist Grover Norquist. Norquist's group, Americans for Tax Reform, has sponsored a high-profile pledge to oppose any tax increase.

The pledge has been signed by more than 230 House members and 40 senators, almost all of them Republicans.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• *Congress to vote on Republican measures first, aides say
• *Sen. Kyl says Republicans need specifics from Obama to make a deal
• *White House budget director refuses to discuss spending priorities under default
• *The United States must raise its $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by August 2 or risk a default

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Tom Cohen - BBC News

*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News

Contact:

dtnnews@ymail.com

©

COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS