Virgins honoured in Zimbabwe Aids capital

Reports from Zimbabwe say virgins from the Makoni district, which has the highest incidence of HIV/Aids in the country, have been enlisted in the fight against the disease.

The state-owned Sunday Mail newspaper says some 2,000 certified virgins from Makoni - 170km (95 miles) east of the capital, Harare - were invited to a banquet by the traditional chief, Norbert Makoni, to emphasise the value of abstinence.

The women were awarded virginity certificates at the banquet, which the chief is hoping to make an annual event.

Correspondents say HIV/Aids affects up to a quarter of Zimbabwe's adult population, killing around 2,000 people every week.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service