World's Third Largest Diamond Discovered in Botswana

A blue diamond, weighing over 20 carats, is seen in this undated handout picture released by Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) in Gaborone, Botswana, April 17, 2019. (Reuters)
A blue diamond, weighing over 20 carats, is seen in this undated handout picture released by Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) in Gaborone, Botswana, April 17, 2019. (Reuters)
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World's Third Largest Diamond Discovered in Botswana

A blue diamond, weighing over 20 carats, is seen in this undated handout picture released by Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) in Gaborone, Botswana, April 17, 2019. (Reuters)
A blue diamond, weighing over 20 carats, is seen in this undated handout picture released by Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) in Gaborone, Botswana, April 17, 2019. (Reuters)

A huge raw diamond with silver reflections, which appeared to be the third largest in the world, was recently found in Botswana, Canadian firm Lucara announced.

A 1,174-carat diamond has been unearthed on June 12, trumping another huge precious stone found by another company in the country last month, AFP reported.

"This is a historic discovery for us and Botswana. It ranks third among the world's largest stones," Lucara's managing director Naseem Lahri proudly told AFP during its presentation before the Gaborone government.

This latest discovery confirms Botswana's position as a world leader in the world's largest stone with six large diamonds.

President Mokgweetsi Masisi welcomed the "riveting moment" and the growing frequency of diamond discoveries in the country.

The diamond discovered on June 1, weighs 1098 carats and belongs to the state-owned diamond firm Debswana and South African company De Beers.

The biggest diamond ever discovered in the world was the 3,106-carat Cullinan, found in South Africa in 1905.



Lahore Air Pollution Hits Historic High, Forcing School Closures

An Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) is pictured on an elevated track amid smoggy conditions in Lahore on November 3, 2024. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP)
An Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) is pictured on an elevated track amid smoggy conditions in Lahore on November 3, 2024. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP)
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Lahore Air Pollution Hits Historic High, Forcing School Closures

An Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) is pictured on an elevated track amid smoggy conditions in Lahore on November 3, 2024. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP)
An Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) is pictured on an elevated track amid smoggy conditions in Lahore on November 3, 2024. (Photo by Arif ALI / AFP)

Unprecedented air pollution levels in Pakistan's second-largest city of Lahore prompted authorities to take emergency measures on Sunday, including issuing work-from-home mandates and closing primary schools.
The city held the top spot on a real-time list of the world's most polluted cities on Sunday after recording its highest ever pollution reading of 1900 near the Pakistan-India border on Saturday, based on data released by the provincial government and Swiss group IQAir, Reuters reported.
The government has shut primary schools for a week, advising parents to ensure children wear masks, said Senior Minister of Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb during a press conference, as a thick blanket of smog enveloped the city.
Citizens have been urged to stay indoors, keep doors and windows shut, and avoid unnecessary travel, she said, adding that hospitals had been given smog counters.
To reduce vehicle pollution, 50% of office employees would work from home, said Aurangzeb.
The government has also imposed a ban on three-wheelers known as rickshaws and halted construction in certain areas to reduce the pollution levels. Factories and construction sites failing to comply with these regulations could be shut down, she said.
Aurangzeb described the situation as "unexpected" and attributed the deterioration in air quality to winds carrying pollution from neighboring India.
"This cannot be solved without talks with India," she said, adding the provincial government would initiate talks with its bigger neighbor through Pakistan's foreign ministry.
The smog crisis in Lahore, similar to the situation in India's capital Delhi, tends to worsen during cooler months due to temperature inversion trapping pollution closer to the ground.