507-carat diamond found in South Africa

September 30th, 2009 500-carat diamond found at South African mineJOHANNESBURG — Petra Diamonds Ltd. says a diamond the size of a chicken egg has been found at South Africa's Cullinan mine.

September 30th, 2009 LONDON - A diamond the size of a chicken egg and worth an estimated 12 million pounds has been found at the Cullinan mine northeast of Pretoria. One of the world's biggest-ever sparklers - a 507.55-carat whopper - was showed off by mining group Petra Diamonds' chief executive Johan Dippenaar.

September 8th, 2009 SURAT - Diamond traders in Surat are expecting good business during the upcoming National Gold and Diamond festival week in China. The Indian diamond cutting industry was one of the badly hit sectors due to the global recession.

August 11th, 2009 South African health chief: Swine flu to hit hardJOHANNESBURG — South Africa's health minister says that while swine flu has arrived late to the continent, it may hit harder here than elsewhere in the world. Aaron Motsoaledi, speaking at a regional conference on the pandemic, said Tuesday that Africa is typically "worst affected" by any communicable disease with its weak health systems and poverty.

June 17th, 2009 Diamond-rich Namibia hit by global slumpWINDHOEK, Namibia — Namibia's central bank governor said Wednesday the diamond-rich southern African nation's economy will shrink by 0.6 percent in 2009 as mining slows in the global economic crisis. Diamond production will fall by 40 percent to 800,000 carat this year, Bank of Namibia governor Tom Alweendo said.

June 16th, 2009 NOTTINGHAM - India restricted South Africa to 130 for five in the last Super Eight Group E match of the World Twenty20 at Trent Bridge here Tuesday. Brief Scores: South Africa 130/5 in 20 overs (AB de Villiers 63, Graeme Smith 26; Ravindra Jadeja 1-9).

June 2nd, 2009 Zimbabwe crisis a problem for South AfricaJOHANNESBURG — An international medical aid group says Zimbabwe's collapse has created a humanitarian crisis in neighboring South Africa. Medecins Sans Frontieres on Tuesday called on the South African government and the international community to do more to make sure that Zimbabweans fleeing to South Africa were safe and had shelter and health care.

June 2nd, 2009 Police say 61 miners found dead in South AfricaJOHANNESBURG — Police say the bodies of another 25 illegal miners have been brought up from an abandoned shaft where 36 others had been found dead over the weekend in central South Africa. Police are calling on relatives to help identify the 61 victims who died searching for gold.

May 13th, 2009 LONDON - A flawless blue diamond weighing 7.03 carats has fetched a record 10.5 million Swiss francs (6.2 million pounds) at auction, Sotheby's said. According to Sotheby's, the selling price of the rectangular-shaped blue stone is the highest price paid per carat for any gemstone at auction.

May 13th, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - Hopes of residents of Soweto, the largest township in South Africa, that they may see Indian tennis stars like Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi in action there in September may be slim. The Davis Cup tennis fight for a position in the World Group between India and South Africa may be played at the prestigious Emperors Palace here if a sponsor can be found in time, organisers said.

March 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - In a step that is set to add extra shine to bilateral ties and help the African diamond industry move up the value chain, India is planning to set up diamond cutting and polishing institutes to train Africans. 'As part of our philosophy of sharing our knowledge with others, and in pursuance of our policy to increase capacity building in Africa, my government has favorably considered the request of some African countries to set up diamond cutting and polishing institutes for training of their personnel in cutting and polishing skills,' External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here Monday.

March 19th, 2009 CHENNAI - Gold has lost much of its glitter to diamond. Though considered auspicious for a family, gold prices have shot through the roof.

March 2nd, 2009 AHMEDABAD - The downturn-hit diamond workers in Gujarat should be given financial aid at par with the concessions offered to the Tata Group for its Nano car project, a breakaway faction of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Sunday. The Mahagujarat Janata Party (MJP) - formed by some rebels of the Gujarat unit of the BJP - criticised Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his alleged apathy towards the recession-hit diamond workers in the state.

March 1st, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Saturday announced a skill enhancement training and aid package for the slowdown-hit diamond workers in the state. Under the package, unemployed diamond workers from Surat, Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar will get a stipend of Rs.100 per day during their training period.

January 18th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - Owners of diamond cutting and processing units across Gujarat Monday floated a new organisation to represent them in a more unified manner and put greater pressure on the central government to heed them. So far, the Surat Diamond Association was the representative group of diamond cutters, traders and polishers, taking up issues such as mass employment and closure of units.