1. For each of the 3 countries, give the following information:
a) capital
b) location/the countries that share its borders:
c) the religious breakdown of the population:
d) the type of government:
e) the chief of state (and head of government if different) [If monarch or dictator, since what date has he/she ruled? – include name of heir apparent for monarch]:
f) the population:

[Find the answers at the CIA World FactBook website. For each country, answers can be found under the “Geography” “People” and “Government” headings.  Go to worldatlas.com for a list of continents.]

NOTE: Before answering the questions below, read the info under “Background” and watch the videos under “Resources.”

2. For AUSTRALIA:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) Why did a viewer complain about a children’s cartoon episode that featured a friendly spider?
c) What do you learn from this news brief about the deaths/serious injuries caused by spiders in Australia?
d) Do you think the existence of many venomous spiders in Australia justifies the viewer’s complaint? Do you think the ABC was right for banning the episode? Explain your answers.

3. For TURKEY:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) Approximately what percent of Twitter users are from Turkey?
c) Why was Twitter blocked in Turkey in March?
d) How do you think U.S. and British requests for Twitter to block specific tweets differ from the requests of the Turkish government?

4. For EGYPT:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) A spokesman for Egypt's military announced the airstrikes on state radio, marking the first time Cairo has publicly acknowledged taking military action in neighboring Libya. What did the Egyptian government say was the purpose of the airstrikes?
c) Do you think that the U.S. government should make such an announcement when we conduct airstrikes on ISIS? (Would you want them to?) Explain your answer.
d) Read the “Background” and watch the news video under “Resources.” Why are Egyptians living in Libya a major concern for the Egyptian government?