Auction house Sotheby's said Wednesday that rare and precious gemstones are generating a strong following in the Asian region. This as Sotheby's unveiled a 72-carat, flawless white diamond set to be hammered off for $10 million to $12 million in the upcoming Asian sale. Quek Chin announced that this D-color, white stone will be the third largest "pear-shaped" stone ever auctioned globally and the most expensive diamond ever sold at auction in Asia.

In an effort to minimize the number of paw injuries in its canine force, police officials in Germany have mandated that all 20 members start wearing shoes. The German and Belgian shepherds of Dusseldorf police are currently being trained to walk in plastic fiber shoes designed by Wilhelm Fennen. Spokesman Andre Hartwich isn't sure if the dogs like wearing the new boots, but says the canine unit would have to get used to it.

A rare colorless diamond found in the South African is set to be auctioned off in Hong Kong in late May. The 101. 27-carat gem, which was unveiled on Tuesday, is the largest colorless diamond to appear at auction in twenty years and will reportedly fetch no less than $6 million.

ilipino inventor Virgilio Malang invented a vitamin-enriched beer that has garnered awards and recognition worldwide even before it is commercially marketed. Malang's Vitamin Beer, fortified with Vitamin B Complex, became widely popular at the First International Inventors' Day Convention held recently in Bangkok, Thailand. It also won a gold medal at the European Union-sponsored Genius-Europe competition at the Budapest Fair Center in Hungary and it also won the Romanian Ministry Education and Research Cup few years ago.

A North Dakota farmer has a unique way of forecasting the weather - using pig spleens. Paul Smokov swears his method is 85 percent accurate, insisting the weathermen - with their state-of-the-art radar and other scientific equipment - "aren't any better. "