Petra said the stone is one of the 20 biggest, high quality diamonds to have been found

The diamond weighs just over 100 grams and could be worth more than $20m

One of the largest, high quality diamonds discovered to date has been found at a mine in South Africa, mining group Petra Diamonds has revealed.

The 507 carat stone, which could be worth in excess of $20m (£12.5m), was found with three other large diamonds.

They were discovered at the famous Cullinan mine, where the largest diamond in history was found more than 100 years ago.

The new find is being analysed by experts to determine its true value.

A 480 carat diamond found at the end of last year fetched $18m.

"The Cullinan mine has again given the world a spectacularly beautiful and important diamond," said Petra's chief executive Johan Dippenaar.

"Initial indications are that it is of exceptional colour and clarity, which suggest extraordinary potential for its polished yield."

Petra said the stone is one of the 20 biggest, high quality diamonds to have been found.

A 168 carat stone was also discovered, alongside one of 58 carats and another of 53 carats.

The largest diamond to be discovered, named the Cullinan, was 3,106 carats. It was cut into nine separate stones, many of which are in the British Crown Jewels.

Paris was so keen to impress ‘The Hills’ star

The blonde socialite threw the surprise party for Doug Reinhardt at her Beverly Hills mansion on Saturday (17.10.09) and wore a sexy hot pink outfit and a black diamond mask as she burst out of the giant-sized sweet treat.

A source told the New York Post newspaper: “Paris went all out for her man’s birthday. No expense was spared. He had no idea about the party and was so happy.”

Paris was so keen to impress ‘The Hills’ star – who she reunited with in the summer when he whisked her away on a romantic break to Fiji - she organised for rap group Three 6 Mafia and hip-hop star Ya Boy to perform for partygoers.

Guests including Hollywood beauties Hayden Panettiere and Kristanna Loken, partied until 3am at the nightclub Paris has built in her home, while home videos of the couple were screened throughout the mansion.

Doug is not the only star to be presented with a giant cake on his birthday.

When Hollywood actress Katie Holmes turned 30 last December, her husband Tom Cruise surprised her with an enormous five-tiered sponge.

Khama, an ex-soldier and critic of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe

Botswana's Ian Khama was sworn in for another term as president on Tuesday after a landslide election victory in the world's largest diamond producer.

Khama, the son of the southern African country's founding president, took over the post last year and will serve a five-year term after the governing Botswana Democratic Party extended its parliamentary majority.

The BDP has won every election since independence from Britain in 1966.

The party won 45 of 57 constituencies, and about 54 percent of the popular vote, compared with just over 20 percent for the Botswana National Front.

Khama, 56, overcame divisions within his own party but faces a tougher task to revitalise an economy battered by a global crisis that led to a huge fall in demand for diamonds, which account for 40 percent of the economy.

The country of just 1.8 million people faces another double-digit contraction in the 2009/10 financial year.

In an inauguration speech outside parliament, Khama urged the private sector to work with the government to boost growth.

"While optimistic about our future, I remain conscious of the challenges brought on by the global financial crisis," he said, after deciding against a lavish ceremony to save costs.

"In this connection, the private sector must redouble its efforts in a spirit of partnership with government to grow the economy."

Botswana's economy is expected to rebound as demand for diamonds recovers in 2010, with investors looking for a return to the prudent financial management that made it one of Africa's gems.

Khama, an ex-soldier and critic of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, appealed to communities to help fight poverty and vowed to stick to principles of democracy and freedom.

Botswana has long been considered one of the least corrupt countries in Africa and, before the crisis, had the highest sovereign ratings on the continent.

It has won wide praise for its battle against AIDS, offering drugs and other treatment to contain an epidemic estimated to have infected one in three adults.

However, debt has soared in the downturn and concern about human rights lingers.

Botswana faced international scrutiny in 2006 when its highest court ruled it had illegally forced San Bushmen off their ancestral lands, and in 2007 the government banned 17 people, mostly foreign journalists and human rights activists from the country.

Construction on the rest of the building will begin in the spring

Someday, there will be a new Victorian-style building on Main Street.

But that day will not be soon.

Work is progressing, albeit slowly, on one of the three empty lots where part of downtown burned to the ground nearly two years ago.

"It's slow but good. I got my final plans; we redid the front elevation," said Kathleen J. Novosel, owner of the lots at 15 and 17 Main St. "I've also got a building permit to do the build-out and cap it off for the winter."

The finalized plans for 17 Main St., which were designed by Brooks Washburn, a Potsdam architect, combine elements of the building that burned down with the one originally on the lot in the 19th century. It will have large bay windows on either side of the front door and diamond-shaped panes at the top of the flat-roofed building.

"It's been jazzed up quite a bit. It's more Victorian," said Ms. Novosel, whose business, Novosel Associates, used to be on the site. "We added some elements to make it look more 'Main Street.'"

Since the January 2008 fire, her business has been operating out of a room in her home.

Though it doesn't look like much is happening on the site from the road, wood-framed walls are being attached to the foundation, which is original to the building.

"We're doing basically a retrofit; we're dealing with a 100-year-old foundation and nothing's level," she said. "Everything has to be measured and remeasured and then put in."

Once the build-out is finished, the building will be fitted with a tarp to keep moisture out during the winter. Construction on the rest of the building will begin in the spring, with a fall finish date, Ms. Novosel said.

At 15 Main St., the former home of La Bottega, Ms. Novosel plans to build a retail space downstairs and an incubator for three startup businesses upstairs.

Construction on that will not begin until next year, with a 2011 finish date.

"Unfortunately, I think I tend to be a bit more optimistic as far as timing goes because I want it done now," Ms. Novosel said.

Kelly M. Greene, co-owner of Tony's Pizza and the Hair Saloon, which used to be at 13 Main St., could not be reached for comment.

Brown would get the better of him by tossing a two-hitter

The Seacoast NH MSBL 28 and over World Series was played in Rochester on Oct. 4. The top-seeded Gamer Soda Red Sox jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in Game 1 over the defending champion and second-seeded Page Pro Wireless Diamondbacks. The big hit was a run scoring single by Al Buell in a two-run first inning. Red Sox righty Dana Gilbert was cruising with a no-hitter through five innings as all looked well for the Sox. In the sixth, D-back Bob Nadeau singled and later scored to make it a 3-1 game. In the seventh, the D-Backs tied the score as Paul Brooks led off the inning by being hit by a pitched ball, Dan Reader and Mike Hannon followed with singles. Two outs later, Pat Sbrizza lined a two-run single to right scoring Brooks and Reader.

The D-Backs would score again in the eighth as Greg Brown scored on a sacrifice fly by Sun Kay Chu making the score 4-3, Diamondbacks. Don George did the rest on the hill for the D-Backs as they won 4-3.

Game 2 featured a great pitchers duel between Sox lefty Buell and D-Back righty Brown. Buell would allow just four hits, but Brown would get the better of him by tossing a two-hitter. The D-Backs scored a single run in the first as Hannon doubled and later scored on an error. Another run came in the second as D-Back third baseman Rich Beaupre scored on a ground out by Pat Bergin making it 2-0 Diamondbacks. The Red Sox scored a run in the third as Ron Crickard scored on a D-Back error. That would be all the scoring as both pitchers threw excellent games. The 2-1 victory gave the Diamondbacks the championship two games to none in the best-of-three series.

The launching of an international photo competition covering 17 years of airshows in Malta

The Malta International Airshow 2009 will be held at Malta International Airport at the weekend, marking the 17th edition of this international event which is jointly organised by Malta International Airport plc and the Malta Aviation Society

Participants are expected to arrive from France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, UK and USA to join the Armed Forces of Malta and various other participants from Malta’s aviation field. The stars of the show will be the world-famous Breitling Jet Team that flies a formation of seven L-39 advanced trainers resplendent in a blue and yellow colour scheme, which will be the grand finale of the show on both tomorrow and Sunday.

Preceding the Breitling team will be a large variety of aircraft of all sorts and sizes, from slow-moving aircraft and gliders to the British Army Tiger Parachute Team and a bright-orange F-16 from the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The show also includes a varied static display of aircraft ranging from brand-new Diamond aircraft to the huge KDC-10 aerial refuelling tanker with famous jets like the Harrier jump-jet, as well as Tornados and Alpha Jets parked on the airshow Park 4. The public will also be able to see no fewer than seven aircraft from the United States Air Force and Navy.

The new layout in the area where the airshow is held entailed a number of infrastructural changes and the car park is now detached from the airshow park, however the parking space is large enough to accommodate the expected number of vehicles entering through the airshow gate situated on the Hal Farrug Road.

The public is being encouraged to make use of a special public transport bus shuttle service that will run between Valletta City Gate and the airshow gate throughout the day. Food and drink facilities will be available on the airshow grounds. Airshow entry tickets cost e8 and children under 14 years enter free of charge. The airshow gate opens at 10am and closes at 5.30pm while the air display starts at 1.30pm each day.

Diamond Peak Ski Resort this winter will encourage its patrons to not smoke

Joining a trend set the past few years by Tahoe venues such as Northstar and Squaw Valley, Diamond Peak Ski Resort this winter will encourage its patrons to not smoke.

In a 5-0 vote Wednesday, the Incline Village General Improvement District Board of Trustees approved the installation of numerous signs at Incline's ski mountain to bear the slogan: “Our guests appreciate you not smoking at Diamond Peak — thank you.”

“We need to do more than just advertise ourselves as a family ski resort — in order for us to be a family-friendly resort, we need to be a non-smoking resort,” said trustee Chuck Weinberger. “We're already well behind the curve.”

The original proposal was for Diamond Peak staff to construct “approximately three” signs encouraging people to not smoke “in or around our lift lines.” Trustees approved staff to construct signs in high-traffic areas, such as near the entrance of lift lines.

According to Diamond Peak General Manager Ed Youmans' proposal, the option to ask — rather than demand — patrons not smoke is preferred, because the district avoids spending time adopting and enforcing policy.

“Not being allowed to smoke anywhere outdoors is not a law in any state in this country,” Youmans said Wednesday.

The approval came with the caveat that staff designate one or two areas at the mountain where people can smoke.

“We are a family-friendly resort, and, while I don't smoke myself, there are families who do smoke,” said trustee Bea Epstein.

Incline resident Don Kanare shared a similar view.

“I think it would be good to have two designated areas away from the major flow of people, away from where people congregate, where people can smoke,” he said.

District General Manager Bill Horn asked trustees if the board should consider taking similar action at all district venues, including the golf courses and beaches.

Board chair Ted Fuller recommended the item be discussed at the board's retreat, which takes place Nov. 4-5 at The Chateau.