Diamond abuses alleged

A leading international human rights group called on the global diamond industry's oversight body yesterday to remove Zimbabwe from its ranks because of alleged illicit trading and abuses in its diamond fields.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said its researchers had found evidence of forced labour, torture, beatings and harassment by troops in the Marange diamond field in eastern Zimbabwe.

The group wants Zimbabwe to be suspended from the Kimberley Process - the global body responsible for ending the trade in so-called "blood diamonds" that fund fighting across Africa.

Zimbabwe denies the allegations.