A man has confessed to sexually abusing his daughter and keeping her hidden in a secret cellar for 24 years, according to criminal investigators in Austria. Police say they uncovered a series of underground rooms in a house in Amstetten, north-west Austria, where a woman was held captive from the age of 18 to 42.

The daughter is said to have borne seven children to her father, Josef Fritzl. Three were adopted and raised openly by their grandparents. One child died, and three others were held in the cellar with their mother.

> The abused daughter is said to be in "a bad psychological state". She and her six surviving children are said to be receiving counselling and medical treatment. Discuss what other help the family might need now. What kinds of assistance might help them rebuild their lives? What orientation processes will help them adjust to living in society?

> Neighbours and the wider community are said to be shocked at the revelations. Talk about why it is more distressing to be physically close to such horrific suffering. One policeman said there are things that you just don't want to see. He told reporters, "The fewer pictures you have in your head, the better." Discuss the trauma experienced by police, investigators and others who come into contact with such unimaginable events.
 
> Article 7 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child says that all children should be registered immediately after birth and have the right to a name, a nationality and to know and be cared for by his or her parents. Discuss how registration takes place in the UK. Do students recognise that being registered and having an identity is an important safeguard and protection? Talk about the potential consequences if some children were never registered.

Under-18s in Scotland are to be prohibited from using sunbeds and tanning booths. The ban to be introduced by the Scottish Parliament follows press reports that children as young as 10 are regularly using sunbeds. Unmanned, coin-operated tanning salons will also be outlawed.

Skin cancer has become a growing health hazard as more Britons holiday in sunshine and use sunbeds. Cancer Research UK says at least 75,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year in the UK. The number of cases has almost tripled since the early 80s. Most skin cancers are caused by damage from ultraviolet rays in sunlight.

> Do students know that exposure to sun can increase the risk of skin cancer? Discuss why people long for a suntan, even though they know a tan is itself a sign of skin damage that can lead to cancer. Do students agree with a ban on under-18s using sunbeds? Invite suggestions for other ways of looking fit and healthy.

> Check students' knowledge of health advice for this summer. Experts suggest keeping in the shade in the middle of the day, never burning, using sunscreen and covering up with a t-shirt, hat and sunglasses. Talk about situations when this advice is widely ignored. How do students think that more people might be persuaded to take it more seriously? Studies suggest that men have a higher death rate from such cancers because they are more reluctant to tell their doctor about mole changes or other skin growths. Is this ignorance or fear?

>> Advice and tips are on the Cancer Research UK website. www.cancerresearchuk.org/sunsmart/

An installation in the Syrian desert that was secretly destroyed by Israeli warplanes last September was a partially-built nuclear reactor, according to the United States. The United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), says it will "investigate the veracity" of information provided by the CIA.

Photographs and satellite imagery have been used by the US to claim that a reactor, which was not operational and had no nuclear material, was being built with the help of North Korea. The secret construction of a nuclear reactor would be a breach of Syria's obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Syria has said that the building was a military installation and had nothing to do with a reactor.

> Ask students if they feel the world is a safer place since the bombing and recent claims about it. The Israeli government has a policy of not commenting on the incident. Syria has denied that it has a nuclear reactor programme, but has not permitted IAEA inspectors to visit the site. Talk about the difficulties of gaining accurate insight and knowledge at a distance. How reliable do students regard statements from military and intelligence communities to be?

> The director general of the IAEA, Mohamed ElBaradei, has criticised the delay in producing evidence and the unilateral use of force by Israel as undermining the due process of verification. Discuss how such independent verification is at the heart of the international nuclear non-proliferation treaty operation. Talk generally about how a neutral intermediary who has the trust of both sides can help resolve conflicts. How difficult is it to establish and maintain that trust?

> Read the weapons of war briefing for teachers. www.redcross.org.uk/weaponstmb

A two-day strike over pensions at Britain's third-biggest oil refinery ended without causing fuel shortages. The strike by 1,200 workers closed the Grangemouth refinery which produces a tenth of Britain's petrol and diesel. It also led to the closure of one of the major pipelines bringing oil from the North Sea. Alternative plans to avoid possible shortages included the shipping of 65,000 tonnes of fuel from Sweden and the Netherlands.

The refinery's owner, Ineos, expects it will take up to three weeks to get production back to normal. Fuel will continue to be imported from Europe. Despite early predictions of panic buying by motorists there was little evidence of fuel shortages at petrol stations.

> Discuss why the panic buying which had been feared did not appear to take place. Do students think that motorists were reassured by the plans for alternative fuel sources? Or did they recognise that everyone benefits if no one acts selfishly? Discuss how in some situations precautionary or panic buying can cause problems where none existed.

> Talk with students about planning to reduce the negative impact of changes to normal life like strikes. Discuss other industrial action they may have experienced, such as transport, education or public services. How did students who were affected by recent school closures cope with the disruption? Did they make arrangements in advance, or just respond to events on the day? With hindsight, would they do anything differently?

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