Today, we're getting started in the Middle East and Northern Africa, with updates on what's been going on in several countries there. First, Iraq. The U.S. has troops there, and that nation is recovering from multiple bombing and shooting attacks that happened yesterday. Dozens of people were killed in these attacks. There were hundreds of more people injured. Officials say this wave of violence is a lot like a series of attacks that happened a year ago. 

 

Next, we move to Syria, where there are reports of ongoing violence between military forces and protesters -- like you see here -- who are speaking out against the Syrian government. Those protesters say at least 25 people were killed on Sunday. The government denies that claim. 

 

In the North African nation of Libya, there's a civil war between rebels and the government of Colonel Moammar Gadhafi. This civil war has been going on for months. The rebels say they've made some big advances, but Gadhafi has urged his supporters to continue to fight. 

 

Finally, in Egypt, former President Hosni Mubarak is on trial. He's accused of ordering military forces to kill protesters during the revolt that removed Mubarak from power earlier this year. Now, you'll notice that Mubarak is in a cage. That is standard in Egyptian criminal trials. The reason he's in a bed is because he has had serious health problems.

 

Time for the Shoutout! Which U.S. state is highlighted on this map? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it:  Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa or Nebraska? You've got three seconds -- GO! The highlighted state is Iowa, the Hawkeye State. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! 

 

Iowa's a big focus right now when it comes to the 2012 presidential election. It might be more than a year away, but the campaign season is in full swing. And someone who's celebrating an early victory: U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann. The Republican candidate won the Ames, Iowa straw poll over the weekend. What a straw poll is is a kind of unofficial vote that gives an idea of people's opinions. In this case, they're opinions about Republican presidential candidates. 

 

You can see the full results of the poll right here. Representative Bachmann coming in first. Representative Ron Paul in second. And former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty in third. You can see where some of the other candidates finished there as well. This straw poll doesn't officially decide anything. It's more like the first series in a football game: it kind of sets the tone for the campaign, but it doesn't tell you the final score. But former Governor Pawlenty's third place finish wasn't the result he wanted. He was hoping to get a boost from the straw poll. When it didn't come, he announced that he was dropping out of the race for the White House. Pawlenty's out, but Perry is in. This is Texas Governor Rick Perry. He announced on Saturday that he's joining the race, wasn't on the ballot in that straw poll because he hadn't declared his candidacy yet, but he still got more than 700 write-in votes. 

 

Each of those Republican candidates is hoping to be the one to face off against President Barack Obama in the 2012 general election. He's running for re-election. This week, he's out talking to crowds in Minnesota, Illinois and -- you guessed it -- Iowa.

 

You might have been on vacation over the Summer, but there was no break in the news. We put together an interactive quiz to test how well you kept up with the headlines or to help you catch up on them. Technology, the economy, sports, movies: all of it's there. To see how your summer news knowledge stacks up, head to CNNStudentNews.com and find the "Spotlight" section.