Teenagers 'running around' with condoms leads to light at the end of the tunnel: A survey by South Africa's Human Sciences Research Council has stated that South Africa is improving it's fight against Aids - thanks to teenagers' willingness to use condoms. Creating "light at the end of the tunnel," as the survey puts it, new infections amongst 18 year olds has halved over the last three years, with condom use increasing by 30%. Olive Shisana, one of the surveys authors said "the findings shows that although more young people are running around, they are doing it with a condom." South Africa has over 5.2 million people living with HIV.

China launches 'all-out attack' on human rights: The US based group Human Rights In China has accused the Chinese authorities of an "an all-out attack" on rights lawyers. Campagainers have noted the Chinese authorities using methods ranging from non-renewal of lawyers licences, detention, house arrests and harassment to pressure lawyers into dropping sensitive human rights cases. A statement in Guardian said, "as the Chinese government bears down heavy-handedly to rein in petitioning citizens, free intellectuals, rights defenders, and religious figures - it has intensified its full scale repression of rights defence layers to an unprecedented degree."

BNP gets egg on it's face: Nick Griffin, leader of the British National party, was forced to abandon a press conference outside the Houses of Parliament after he was picketed by protesters who heckled and threw eggs at him. Protesters carried banners reading "Stop the fascist BNP" chased Griffin down the street, shouting "off our streets Nazi scum."

Record spending on weapons: Worldwide spending on weapons has risen by 45% over the past decade, reaching a record £917 billion last year. A report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute found the US accounts for over half the total increase, with China and Russia tripling their military spending. Dr Sam Perlo-Freeman, head of SIPRI's military expenditure project, said "the idea of the 'war on terror' has encouraged many countries to see their problems through a highly militarised lens, using this to justify high military spending."

London Eco Village: Over 70 activists are turning squatted land in Brentford in London into an eco friendly garden. The guerrilla gardeners cleared the site of rubbish, installed a kitchen area, a compost toilet and have begun work on a herb garden. According to SchNEWS sources, the group have received an extremely positive reaction. The gardeners hope to promote sustainable living.

More plane stupidity: Five activists from Plane Stupid have sneaked into London City Airport to lock themselves to a private jet. A spokesperson from Plane Stupid said, "Because of their low passenger capacity, small jets emit between five and 10 times more carbon per passenger than commercial flights. In an age where we face potentially catastrophic climate change, this is no longer acceptable form of transport. It's time private jets were grounded for good." The five activists were arrested for criminal damage and aggravated trespass.

China to beat it's own green targets: China is planning a vast increase in its use of wind and solar power over the next decade. Zhang Xiaoqiang, vice chairman of China's national development and reform commission, told the Guardian that China would easily beat it's own targets, and is contemplating tripling  the amount of renewable energy it hopes to use.


Photo: Provided by Flickr user London Permaculture, brandireland.wordpress.com