Five young British women have died in a coach crash in Ecuador. They were gap year students, travelling to a volunteer project in the fishing village of Puerto López. They had already spent two weeks at a Spanish language school in Quito as part of a 15-week trip Inca and Amazon adventure trip.

Local police said a lorry crashed into the side of the bus. Other passengers on the bus, including 12 tourists also on the gap year adventure, were injured in the accident. Most have returned home, unable to continue with the trip.

> Invite immediate reactions to the tragedy. Do students regard it as a random accident that could have happened anywhere? Will it change the way they look at gap year travel? Discuss the reasons for the higher rate of road accidents in less-developed countries. Talk generally about assessing risk. Do students know roads locally that they regard as particularly dangerous? Discuss how difficult it is to weigh up the risks in an unfamiliar place such as a foreign country. Who would students rely on for advice?

> Talk about the families of those who died and those who survived the crash. How might they cope with their devastating loss and trauma? Discuss how families, friends and communities help each other. Discuss responses to grief by referring to another tragic news story, of the death of TV presenter Mark Speight following the sudden death of his fiancée. What services do students think should be available to vulnerable people during a personal crisis?

>> A scripted assembly and briefing for teachers explore the sensitive and often-avoided subject of bereavement.

>> Read the road safety briefing for a look at road safety in less-developed countries plus photos.

Massive food price increases could reverse recent reductions in poverty worldwide, according to the president of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick. He has warned that the doubling of food prices over the last three years could push 100 million people in low-income countries deeper into poverty.

Violent protests, some resulting in deaths, have been linked to the soaring cost of food staples such as rice, wheat, beans and cooking oil. Such incidents have occurred in some of the poorest countries of Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, where basic food prices have risen beyond the reach of local people. Rising prices have been blamed on increased world demand, poor harvests in some areas, and an increase in the growing of crops for bio-fuels.

> Talk about how a rise in food prices affects people differently. Many people in the UK will notice an increase in their food bills. Some may have to cut back on other spending. But Robert Zoellick points out that the world's poor may spend as much as 75 per cent of their income on food. Discuss the consequences for such families if prices double.

> Most of the world's hungry do not lack food because they have been directly hit by natural disasters or crop failures. They just do not have enough money to afford the food on sale in their local markets. Discuss the implications of this. If land that was used for crops is now used for bio-fuels, does that mean resources are being switched to fuel security for the developed world and away from food security for the poor? Invite students' reactions. Which do they think is the greater priority?

The high court has ruled that the Serious Fraud Office was wrong to drop a major investigation into allegations of corruption in arms deals. Lawyers, accountants and police had been investigating alleged bribes paid by BAE Systems relating to military aircraft contracts with Saudi Arabia worth £43 billion.

The inquiry was dropped in December 2006 amid fears that it could damage national security. The then Prime Minister Tony Blair told the Attorney General and the SFO that there was a real and immediate risk of a collapse in security, intelligence and diplomatic cooperation between the UK and Saudi Arabia. This month, two high court judges ruled that the director of the Serious Fraud Office gave in too easily to threats from the Saudi government to withdraw cooperation.

> "No-one, whether within this country or outside, is entitled to interfere with the course of our justice", said Lord Justice Moses. Discuss why the court takes attempts to force the dropping of legal cases so seriously. If threats succeeded, how would it damage the justice system? Invite students to think about an ordinary criminal case. If friends of the accused made threats to the prosecutor, who then dropped the case, what would that mean for democracy and justice? How might it affect the security of the community?

> The judges said they found no evidence whatever that any consideration was given as to how to persuade the Saudis to withdraw the threat, let alone any attempt made to resist the threat. Do students see a similarity between this and advice not to give in to bullies? Talk about how difficult it can be to resist threats.

Children's choice of musical instruments is largely determined by their sex, according to researchers who looked at instruments played by nearly half a million children. They found that most harps, flutes, fifes, piccolos, clarinets, oboes and violins were played by girls. Boys were far more likely to play the electric guitar, bass guitar, tuba, trombone or drums.

The research report, published in the International Journal of Music Education, suggests that if students choose an instrument not thought suitable for their sex, they risk losing popularity or being bullied.

> Discuss influences on the choice of musical instrument. Do schools and teachers have a big say? Is there peer pressure, encouraging some choices and warning against others? Talk about current attitudes. Do students think that a girl playing electric guitar would be thought of as a tomboy? If a boy played a flute, would he be getting in touch with his feminine side? Discuss tastes in music – do the sexes differ in what they like to listen to?

> Analysts note that boys tend to play instruments that are large, noisy and easy to learn. Girls have those that are quieter, easier to carry and harder to play. Do students think this says something about roles in society? Do boys always expect to do less work than girls and still get the biggest equipment? The researchers suggest setting up single-sex bands and orchestras to tackle the problem. Talk about whether this would work. What other solutions can students suggest?

News think! is one of a number of free educational services produced by the British Red Cross. You can find more resources at www.redcross.org.uk/education

Have you used these topics to raise discussions or plan classroom work? Let us know your experiences or thoughts by emailing us at reducation@redcross.org.uk