Botswana

A free outdoor community gymnasium has been opened in Francistown; designed to improve the well-being of the inhabitants, it will benefit at least 5.000 people

The country has suspended discussions on a passport-free travel agreement with Zimbabwe, despite positive talks last year

Plans to develop Botswana's first public-scale battery energy storage system, with a capacity of 50 MW and a storage capacity of 200 MWh, have been approved by the World Bank Group

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi announced that his government is in talks with the Zimbabwean authorities to extend the Machipanda railway to Botswana

Despite its central role in Botswana's economy, the mining sector has struggled to expand its employment base beyond 5% of the workforce

SafariBookings.com, the online marketplace for safaris in Africa, studied almost 3.600 reviews and announced that Botswana has been awarded the best safari country in Africa

37% of Botswana territory is now protected; the country has been pursuing a precise 'ecotourism' strategy to protect animals for some 20 years, and is recognized as the pioneer of sustainable tourism that serves as a model for other African countries

The Foreign Minister urged African countries to ensure that every young African has access to quality education, since 'education is the cornerstone of all development'

FAO in Botswana expressed concern that the extensive use of pesticides to manage pests, weeds and diseases could increase the risk of damaging species essential to ecosystem health

Car brands such as Haval, Cherry, Tank and JAC - all Chinese - attracted the interest of local car enthusiasts at the ninth Shell Gaborone Motor Show in the capital; Chinese cars are gaining popularity among consumers in Botswana

Herds of endangered hippos, stuck in the mud of dried-up ponds, risk death in drought-stricken Botswana, conservation authorities made known, while at local level are calling for hippos to be relocated to reserves to protect villagers

'Europeans care more about elephants than people around them, Westerners see elephants as pets', Botswana's president Mokgweetsi Masisi said amid regional tensions over poaching and controversy on potential import bans on trophy hunting

President Masisi threatened to send 20.000 elephants to Germany after criticism that Botswana issues permits to hunt pachyderms and allows to bring home trophies; thanks in part to past conservation efforts, more than 130.000 elephants live in the country