LONDON (AFP) - Gem Diamonds, a London-listed mining firm, said on Sunday it had recovered a 478 carat diamond from its mine in Lesotho: the 20th-largest rough diamond ever found.
The discovery of the gem, which the company said had the potential to become one of the largest round-cut diamonds in the world, was made on September 8 at the Letseng mine in Lesotho.
"Preliminary examination of this remarkable diamond indicates that it will yield a record-breaking polished stone of the very best colour and clarity," the company's Chief Executive Clifford Elphick said in a statement.
The diamond, which has not yet been named, has the potential to yield a 150 carat polished stone, a company spokesman said.
That would be far bigger than the 105 carat round-cut Koh-i-Noor diamond seized by Britain from India in the 19th century and now part of the Crown Jewels.
It would still only be a fraction of the size, however, of the Cullinan diamond discovered in 1905, which was 3,106 carats when recovered and yielded a teardrop shaped diamond of 530 carats: the Great Star of Africa.
The Letseng mine is owned by a mining company that is 70 percent owned by Gem Diamonds, with the remaining 30 percent held by the Lesotho government.
Gem Diamonds's share price on the London Stock Exchange was 741.50 pence at the close of trading on Friday.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The buyer of a $53.5 million penthouse apartment in New York's famed Plaza Hotel who sued, saying the apartment turned out to be "attic-like," is now being counter-sued for lying to get out of his contract.
Russian financier Andrei Vavilov sued the hotel, developers El-Ad Properties and brokers Stribling & Associates this month for breach of contract, fraud, deceptive trade practices and negligence. He demanded the return of his $10.7 million deposit and $30 million in damages.
Vavilov, who said he made the purchase based on a video, claimed that the apartment -- actually two separate penthouses built on top of the Plaza -- has small windows, low ceilings, obstructed views and ugly drainage grates.
But in a counter lawsuit filed on Wednesday in New York State Supreme Court, El-Ad Properties accused Vavilov of libel and filing a "sham" lawsuit. It is seeking $36 million in damages.
"These false and defamatory statements were made ... solely in an attempt to escape the unconditional obligation to purchase such condominium apartments," the El-Ad lawsuit said.
Vavilov and his wife, the Russian actress Maryana Tsaregradskaya, were concerned the penthouses were not large enough, it said.
Their "feigned dissatisfaction" about the condition of the apartment in fact reflected frustration that they were unable to buy additional Plaza penthouses and had been unable to combine the two penthouses, the lawsuit said.
In a statement, Vavilov's lawyer took issue with El-Ad's decision to refer to Vavilov by name, since he had not previously been publicly identified.
"It is ironic that, according to published reports, El-Ad released Mr. Vavilov's name to the press and it now sues him for libel," the statement said.
"The libel lawsuit is truly the 'sham lawsuit' in that it is factually incorrect, legally insufficient and is seemingly being used as a weapon to quell discontent, keep other unhappy buyers quiet and a publicity stunt," the statement said.
The Plaza overlooks Central Park and has inspired writers such as Kay Thompson, author of the "Eloise" stories about a 6-year-old girl who lived at the hotel, and Neil Simon, who wrote the Broadway play and hit film "Plaza Suite." It has been owned by moguls such as Conrad Hilton and Donald Trump.
After $400 million worth of renovations, the Plaza reopened
in March as a mixture of hotel rooms and condominiums. The penthouses for sale were advertised as magnificent "one of a kind" properties.
Apple has revealed that the tiny little USB power adapters that shipped with the iPhone 3G are potentially dangerous and must be recalled.
"Under certain conditions the new ultracompact Apple USB power adapter's metal prongs can break off and remain in a power outlet, creating a risk of electric shock. Users with ultracompact power adapters should immediately stop using them until they exchange them for a new, redesigned ultracompact adapter."
In the meantime, users should charge their phones via the USB cable only. Replacements can be ordered at this web address, or at your local Apple Store starting on October 10th. Hit the link for the full details [Apple]
New Delhi, September 19 Two of the suspected terrorists, who were responsible for the serial bomb blasts in the Capital last Saturday, were shot dead in an encounter in the congested Jamia Nagar area of south Delhi this afternoon.
Another suspect, who was reportedly injured, has been taken into custody and is being interrogated. However, two other accomplices of these militants managed to escape during the melee. A massive manhunt has been launched to track them.
Three policemen of the special cell of the Delhi police, including the team leader Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma and head constable Balwant Singh were also injured in an hour-long encounter. Sharma later died. He had sustained three bullet injuries in his abdomen. All the three policemen were being treated at the nearby Holy Family Hospital.
The police also claimed to have seized one AK 47, .2mm two pistols and live ammunition along with a computer and some diaries from the hideout. These are being examined by experts.
The entire Jamia Nagar area was cordoned off and house-to-house searches conducted to trace the two missing suspects who were described as armed and dangerous.
The two dead terrorists were identified as Aatif, alias Bashir, and Sajid who came from the Sarai Mir area of Azamgarh district, UP. The injured suspect who is now out of danger has been identified as Saif.
Hundreds of residents from the neighbourhood came out on the streets after the gunshots were heard around 11.30 am. The police had a tough time in keeping them at a distance.
Addressing a press conference later in the day, commissioner of police YS Dadwal claimed that it all began at around 11 am when the Special Cell team arrived in the area working on specific information that five suspects were holed in the fourth floor flat, near Batla House. When the police tried to raid the place, the suspects fired from inside, taking the policemen by surprise.
“Eight rounds were fired from the terrorists while the police party had to use 22 rounds in the encounter”, told Dadwal.
