When you risk your life fishing in crocodile-infested waters, a stiff drink on dry land may seem like a welcome relief. But in a sleepy town in Uganda it has given rise to a culture with staggering rates of HIV. In Kasensero, near the border with Tanzania, 43% of the population live with HIV, compared with 7% nationally.

Much of the world looked on with dismay as Zimbabwe held another disputed presidential election this month, handing 89-year-old Robert Mugabe a seventh term in office. Newspapers sent their correspondents to report allegations of ballot fraud and intimidation. Television reports around the world featured the angry face of Morgan Tsvangirai as he denounced the election as a farce.