"Pink Star" diamond sells for world record $83 million - Sotheby's
GENEVA - The "Pink Star", a huge flawless pink diamond, sold for 76.3 million Swiss francs ($83.02 million) including commission fees in Geneva on Wednesday, a world record price for a gemstone at auction, Sotheby's said. | Video
Recent Lifestyle News
China pressures Muslim Uighur lawyer families on burqas, beards
BEIJING - China's far-flung western region of Xinjiang is demanding that lawyers guarantee family members don't wear burqas or grow long beards, the latest government move critics say unfairly targets the region's Muslim Uighur ethnic community.
Hydrogen phone chargers to keep Africans connected when power runs short
CAPE TOWN - African smartphone users will soon have an alternative means to get round the power shortages afflicting much of the world's poorest continent - a portable charger that relies on hydrogen fuel cells.
Los Angeles school board looks at laptops after troubled iPad rollout
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles school board, in the middle of a troubled $1 billion plan to equip each student with an iPad, has voted to try laptops at some high schools before deciding whether to give all its 650,000 pupils a tablet.
Boston unveils first bicycle helmet vending machine
BOSTON - Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has unveiled a vending machine that dispenses bicycle helmets for users of the city's bike sharing service, a street kiosk he said was the first of its kind in the country.
Prince Charles defies critics to make new plea for organic farming
LONDON - Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, has made a fresh appeal for more organic farming, insisting his approach was based on science rather that "a quirk" and dismissing those who would prefer he keeps his opinions private.
How to build a castle
The Guedelon castle is a French medieval chateau-fort being built using the techniques, materials and rules of the 13th Century. Construction will be completed in 2030.
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