GABARONE, Oct 20, 2007 (AFP) - The world's richest diamond mine, which produces up to 15 million carats a year, celebrated its silver jubilee in Botswana on Friday amid concerns about the growing cost of diamond mining.

'When these gemstones are cut and polished, they produce eight million pieces of jewellery in a year. This means over the last 25 years Jwaneng mine's diamonds have been worn by over 100 million customers all over the world', said Gareth Penny, chief executive of De Beers, the world's biggest mining company.

LONDON, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - Rights campaigners Global Witness called Tuesday for Venezuela to be excluded from the international diamond market, accusing it of undermining the fight against trade in so-called blood diamonds.

The group called on the European Commission to expel Venezuela for 'flagrant non-compliance' with the Kimberley Process (KP), the regulatory system designed to prevent trade in diamonds used to fund conflicts.

'Failure to do so could compromise the entire scheme,' said a statement from the group.

GABORONE, Oct 4, 2007 (AFP) - An airship used by the world's biggest diamond company to search for gemstones in the Kalahari desert has been permanently grounded after a crash in Botswana last month, the company said on Thursday.

De Beers spokesman Tom Tweedy said that a damage assessment on the Zeppelin, one of only three such airships in the world, had concluded it was effectively beyond repair following the crash in central Botswana on September 22.

GABORONE, Sept 21, 2007 (AFP) - An airship used by industry giant De Beers to search for diamonds in central Botswana has crashed deep in the Kalahari desert, the company said on Friday.

The Zeppelin, which began operating two years ago, careered out of control on Thursday afternoon after being caught up in violent winds in the Kalahari game reserve, local police commander Stephen Rebaitse told Botswana television.

Rebaitse said the pilot, who was the only person on board, had been taken to hospital but had no further details on his condition.

HARARE, Sept 18, 2007 (AFP) - Seventeen Zimbabwean police officers have been arrested on charges of corruption and trading in diamonds while guarding a mine in the country's eastern district, police said Tuesday.

Police spokesman Oliver Mandipaka said three of the suspects were found with 30 diamonds when they were arrested last Saturday.

The other 14 had on them cash ranging from 144,000 Zimbabwe dollars (4,800 US dollars) to 45.6 million Zimbabwe dollars which they could not account for.

HONG KONG, Sept 13, 2007 (AFP) - The worldwide appetite for diamonds continues to grow, led by huge demand in India and China, a director from gem giant De Beers said Thursday.

India enjoyed a 26 percent growth in the value of diamonds sold last year, while China experienced 18 percent, according to David Rudlin, director of international markets at the Diamond Trading Company, the rough diamond distribution arm of De Beers.

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 28, 2007 (AFP) - A small South Africa mining firm says it has unearthed the world's largest diamond, but industry insiders are sceptical about the find.

A photo of the diamond has been circulated on the internet, showing a massive green-tinged stone sitting on a desk next to a cellphone to illustrate its size -- which is purported to be 7000 carats.

This is double the size of the current holder of the world's largest title -- the Cullinan diamond which was found in South Africa around a century ago.

SYDNEY, Aug 23, 2007 (AFP) - Scientists have discovered what they believe are the world's oldest diamonds beneath the Australian outback in a surprise find that could force a rethink about how the Earth formed.

The diamonds are believed to date back more than four billion years, making them almost as old as the 4.5 billion year old planet, according a report from Australian and German researchers in the scientific journal Nature.

FREETOWN, Aug 19, 2007 (AFP) - As it pieces together its shattered mining sector after a 10-year civil war fuelled by so-called 'blood diamonds,' Sierra Leone is turning attention to processing its uncut gemstones.

For years, the diamond-rich west African country has mined diamonds and exported them raw, but as the industry gradually edges its way up back to pre-war levels, focus is now on 'beneficiation' as it is known in the industry.

JOHANNESBURG, July 31, 2007 (AFP) - A strike by thousands of miners employed in South Africa by the world's biggest diamond producer De Beers was called off on Tuesday after they accepted a new management pay offer, both sides said.

In a statement, the company said that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) had accepted revised pay offers of between 8.5 and 10 percent during afternoon negotiations.

JOHANNESBURG, July 31, 2007 (AFP) - Thousands of South African miners employed by the world's biggest diamond producer De Deers downed tools on Tuesday despite a last-ditch attempt to avert a strike in a dispute over pay.

A spokesman for the National Union of Mineworkers said the indefinite stoppage had begun with the start of the evening shift at 1200 GMT and work would be suspended by the 11,000 miners employed by the company in South Africa until an increased pay offer is placed on the table.

JOHANNESBURG, July 31, 2007 (AFP) - Around 11,000 South African miners working for De Beers, the world's biggest diamond company, planned to launch an indefinite strike on Tuesday in a dispute over pay, their union spokesman said.

'The strike action will go ahead as planned. It will be indefinite, beginning with those on the night shift today (Tuesday),' National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) spokesman Lesiba Seshoka told AFP.

JOHANNESBURG, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - South African miners working for De Beers, the world's biggest diamond company, have voted to go on indefinite strike from next week in a dispute over pay, their union said on Thursday.

National Union of Mineworkers chief negotiator Peter Bailey said the vote to strike from next Tuesday was taken on Wednesday night after talks with De Beers reached an impasse. Around 11,000 miners will take part in the strike.