Largest ruby ever put up for auction, made from a 101-carat rough ruby found in Mozambican mine, was sold in New York for record sum of just under $35 million; the country is world's leading producer of this stone, controlling 40% of world trade

Protests against the outcome of the 8 October presidential elections are suspended for 5 days to allow humanitarian workers and international bodies to assess the situation in the country, upon call of opposition leader Venancio Mondlane

Over 1.500 inmates have escaped from a Maputo prison after breaking through a wall, taking advantage of anti-government protests that have been going on for two months and have spread further since Frelimo's victory was confirmed

At least 110 people have died in post-election demonstrations in Mozambique since 21 October, and the current phase of protests, which began on 4 December, has already claimed 34 lives, according to a report by the NGO Plataforma Eleitoral Decide

As the nation grapples with weeks of unrest after disputed elections, the governments of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Norway and Switzerland have jointly condemned the increase in violence against civilians in Mozambique