GABARONE, Oct 20, 2007 (AFP) - The world's richest diamond mine, which produces up to 15 million carats a year, celebrated its silver jubilee in Botswana on Friday amid concerns about the growing cost of diamond mining.

'When these gemstones are cut and polished, they produce eight million pieces of jewellery in a year. This means over the last 25 years Jwaneng mine's diamonds have been worn by over 100 million customers all over the world', said Gareth Penny, chief executive of De Beers, the world's biggest mining company.

GABARONE, Botswana, Oct 20, 2007 (AFP) - Botswana, a country whose president once feared could be wiped off the map by AIDS, is living proof to other African countries that the pandemic should not be regarded as a death sentence.

After embarking on a programme to provide HIV sufferers with anti-retroviral drugs on a scale never before seen in Africa, only 8.5 percent of patients have died in the last five years, according to the southern African country's national AIDS coordinating agency (NACA).

GABORONE, Oct 12, 2007 (AFP) - President of Botswana Festus Mogae hosted his counterparts from South Africa and Namibia at the opening on Friday of a new border crossing to allow for easier movement between the three countries.

The Mata-Mata Tourist Access Facility border crossing is situated in a desert area where the borders of western Botswana, northern South Africa and eastern Namibia lead to the the giant transfrontier wildlife park of Kgalagadi (formerly Kalahari).

GABORONE, Oct 8, 2007 (AFP) - Botswana President Festus Mogae will host his counterparts from South Africa and Namibia this week for the opening of a border crossing at a trans-frontier wildlife park, the government said Monday.

South Africa's Thabo Mbeki and Namibia's Hifikepunye Pohamba will be the main guests of honour at the opening of the Mata Tourist Access Facility, located within the giant Kgalagadi park, the tourism ministry said.

GABORONE, Oct 4, 2007 (AFP) - An airship used by the world's biggest diamond company to search for gemstones in the Kalahari desert has been permanently grounded after a crash in Botswana last month, the company said on Thursday.

De Beers spokesman Tom Tweedy said that a damage assessment on the Zeppelin, one of only three such airships in the world, had concluded it was effectively beyond repair following the crash in central Botswana on September 22.

GABORONE, Sept 21, 2007 (AFP) - An airship used by industry giant De Beers to search for diamonds in central Botswana has crashed deep in the Kalahari desert, the company said on Friday.

The Zeppelin, which began operating two years ago, careered out of control on Thursday afternoon after being caught up in violent winds in the Kalahari game reserve, local police commander Stephen Rebaitse told Botswana television.

Rebaitse said the pilot, who was the only person on board, had been taken to hospital but had no further details on his condition.

HARARE, Sept 8, 2007 (AFP) - The Anglican church in Zimbabwe Saturday said it will not 'stand with homosexuals' at a synod of four southern African Anglican churches in Malawi which is set to revive the issue of gay clerics.

Refering to a diocesan act, a cleric at Harare diocese told AFP that three of the four dioceses in Zimbabwe had 'unanimously agreed' to sever ties with dioceses in the Central African province which were in favour of homosexuals.

The Anglican province of Central Africa comprises Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

GABORONE, Sept 6, 2007 (AFP) - Its sleepy nature was an essential ingredient to the book but tourist bosses are hoping a film version of 'The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' will provide a shot in the arm to Botswana's laidback capital.

Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella has brought a rare bustle to Gaborone since he and his crew arrived 10 weeks ago to bring Alexander McCall Smith's best-selling novel to an even wider audience.

GABORONE, Aug 24, 2007 (AFP) - The head of the Southern African Development Community said on Friday a report on economic solutions for Zimbabwe would remain under wraps, but he believed the country still had a viable economy.

SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salamao sought to quash rumours emerging after last week's summit in Lusaka, denying he had suggested Zimbabwe's neighbours should pump money into the country's ailing economy, or that its currency be pinned to South Africa's.

GABORONE, Aug 13, 2007 (AFP) - Botswana President Festus Mogae met representatives of two Indian firms Monday who expressed interest in investing in diamond and coal mining businesses in the African country.

The representatives of the two companies -- Rosy Blue Group and Torrent -- met Mogae, Energy and Water Resources Minister Ponatshego Kedikilwe and other officials.

'We want to mine coal here and ship it to India,' he said.

LUSAKA, Aug 2, 2007 (AFP) - Zambia and Botswana have concluded bilateral agreements to construct a joint bridge at their common border, Botswanan President Festus Mogae said on Thursday in Lusaka.

Mogae, who is in Zambia to open an agricultural trade show, said a lot of progress had been made in the construction of the jointly-funded Kazungula bridge.

'The bridge will open up trade and facilitate easy movement between the two countries. The bridge will promote tourism,' Mogae said after talks with his Zambian counterpart Levy Mwanawasa.