1. For each of the 5 countries, give the following information:  (Include special notations for all information on the Ivory Coast)
a) the continent on which it is located
b) the name of the capital city
c) the type of government
d) the chief of state (and head of government if different) [If monarch, since what date has he/she ruled? - include name of heir apparent]
e) the population

[Find the answers at the CIA World FactBook website. For each country: type of government, capital and executive branch (chief of state/head of government) can be found under the "Government" heading; population is listed under the "People" heading.  Go to worldatlas.com for a list of continents.]

2. For France:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) Secularism is defined as - the belief that religion should not be involved with the ordinary social and political activities of a country. Watch the video under "Resources" below the questions. Do you think it is a good idea for President Sarkozy and his party to conduct national debates on this topic? Explain your answer.

3. For Austria:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) Are you surprised to hear about attacks against Iraqi Christians? Explain your answer.

4. For Uganda:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) For how many years has President Museveni been in power?
c) By the time you read this, election results will have been announced. Who won the Ugandan presidential election?

5. For Germany:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) What is the government's motive for proposing the new law?

6. For Mexico:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) A total of 34,612 people have died in drug-related violence in Mexico over the past four years, since President Felipe Calderon launched his offensive against drug gangs after taking office in December 2006. President Calderon acknowledged that 2010, which saw 15,273 deaths, had been "a year of extreme violence". According to his report, half of the murders were in three northern states. The figures include the killings of gang members, police and troops, as well as innocent bystanders.
The Mexican government does not authorize U.S. law enforcement personnel to carry weapons in Mexico.
a) Should the U.S. send our law enforcement personnel into Mexico without weapons? Explain your answer.
b) How should President Obama respond to this latest attack/murder of U.S. law enforcement officers?