December 1st each year is World AIDS Day, a day when people across the world take action against HIV and AIDS.

Over 36 million people are living with the HIV virus, and there are nearly 15,000 new infections every day. 95% of all AIDS cases today are in the world's poorest countries. Here, many people with HIV cannot afford the drug treatments that could help them to lead full, active lives, and slow down the development of AIDS.

World AIDS Day aims to show that YOU can make a difference in the fight against AIDS. You could organise an event at school to raise money for people who cannot afford the drug treatments or you could make a donation to an organisation that helps people with HIV/AIDS.

To find out more about World AIDS Day and how you can help, visit www.worldaidsday.org/ and www.avert.org/worldaid.htm

Cuba was ready for Hurricane Michelle
People who live on Caribbean islands like Cuba are used to hurricanes. During the hurricane season between August and November, these vicious tropical storms build up over the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricanes bring heavy rains and winds of more than 200 km per hour that can cause flooding, destruction of houses and farmland, and deaths and injuries to people.

With 215 km per hour winds, Hurricane Michelle hit the island on November 4th 2001, the worst storm to hit Cuba for over fifty years. But the people of Cuba did their best to prepare for Hurricane Michelle. During the two days before the hurricane, nearly 700,000 people and 600,000 animals were evacuated and taken to shelters in safer places. This was not easy. Many of Cuba's roads are poor, and there is a shortage of trucks, lorries and buses to move that number of people and animals. In other areas, people were advised to store candles and boiled water in order to prepare for the days after the hurricane. Once the storm had passed, electricity and water supplies would need to be cut off to repair pylons and pipes.

As the Hurricane Michelle travelled across the island, 22,400 homes were damaged, and another 2,800 were destroyed. Nevertheless, only five people died and eight were injured during the hurricane. Without the preparations beforehand, things could have been much worse.

If you want to find out more about hurricanes (how they are formed, how they get their names and other things) visit www.fema.gov/kids/hurr.htm