Botswana and India in diamond trade deal-report

Although government and Debswana officials remain tight-lipped over the latest development, Indian website LiveMint said an agreement was expected to be inked during the current visit of India's vice-president Hamid Ansari to Botswana which starts Saturday (tomorrow). Ansari, who is also visiting Malawi and Zambia, is expected in the country tomorrow and will sign several bilateral agreements at the office of the president before he jets out on Monday.

LiveMint, who have a reporter onboard the Vice president's special flight, said India is to sign an agreement with Botswana to buy rough diamonds for its cutting and polishing industry instead of using De Beers as a middleman.