Almost a third of Lesotho's population is infected with HIV/Aids, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Maseru announced on Tuesday. The announcement was made during a workshop to determine how best to deal with HIV/Aids in the landlocked country.

The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, said more than 440,000 people in the southern African country of Lesotho are at risk of starving, including about 62,000 children under age five. UNICEF has said Lesotho's problem is compounded by poverty and a high level of HIV/AIDS.

A former senior official in Lesotho found guilty of taking bribes from an international consortium of construction firms has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.

The prime minister of Lesotho took up his post on Tuesday following his party's victory in an election rejected by the opposition. At an inauguration ceremony boycotted by opposition parties, Pakalitha Mosisili pledged to fight HIV/Aids, the food shortage and massive unemployment.

In stark contrast to the regions most recent presidential election in Zimbabwe, Lesotho's May 25 poll has been described as a model for southern Africa and the continent. It was announced on Tuesday that the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) had won an absolute majority, scooping 61 out of 120 parliamentary seats.