1. For each of the 3 countries, provide 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 maps and a list of continents.]

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

2. For UKRAINE:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) What do you think of President Oleksandr Turchynov's attempts to prevent secessionist hopes in Russian-majority areas of Ukraine? Considering the lack of U.S., Western and/or UN assistance, is this a good strategy? Explain your answer. 
c) Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council not because of its population or economy (which are small and weak), but only because of the size of its military and nuclear arsenal. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia has voted down sanctions or any type of intervention in Syria numerous times, but has now sent troops into Ukraine.
The UN's purpose is "to develop friendly international relations based on respect for the 'principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples'." The UN and Security Council "prohibits the threat or use of force and calls on all Members to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of other States."
What steps must the UN take regarding Russian intervention in Ukraine to prove that it is not an ineffective and irrelevant organization in the world?

3. For SYRIA:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) Define Caliphate, jizya, dhimmi and ISIS as used in the report.
c) What must Syrian Christians in ISIS-controlled areas of Syria do to prevent these Islamists from harming them? What will they be permitted/prohibited by ISIS from doing in exchange for this?
d) Consider President Obama's denunciation of Uganda's recently passed law criminalizing homosexuality. Do you think the President and other Western countries will issue such a strong condemnation of persecution of Christians by Islamists? Explain your answer.
e) How do you think the Obama administration should react to a Muslim country where Christian persecution takes place?

4. For EGYPT:
a) list the who, what, where and when of the news item
b) Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Abdel-Atti, head of the Egyptian Army's Cancer Treatment and Screening center said "I defeated AIDS with the grace of my God [Allah] at the rate of 100% . And I defeated hepatitis C." How is it claimed the "Complete Cure Device" works?