Botswana’s people get the afternoon off work to celebrate a first gold at the Olympics

GABORONE, Botswana (AP) — The country of diamonds now has a gold. The people of Botswana have been given the afternoon off work Friday through a presidential decree so that they could celebrate the nation’s first gold medal at the Olympics. Sprinter Letsile Tebogo’s win in the 200 meters Thursday night in Paris was a moment to cherish for a southern African nation of 2.4 million people that’s largely made up of desert. Botswana is maybe better known for being one of the world’s top diamond producers.