Russia-Georgia War In August 2008, just as the Olympic Games in China were getting under way, war erupted between the country of Georgia and the region of South Ossetia, which are both located to the east of Turkey and just below Russia in the South Caucasus.
Officially, South Ossetia is indeed a part of Georgia, but it considers itself as a separate nation.
Georgia, which is an ally of the United States of America, began shelling the capital of south Ossetia, which is supported by Russia on the other side, in an effort to regain control of the breakaway region.
Russia responded aggressively to the attacks on its ally by launching airstrikes and sending hundreds or perhaps thousands of troops and equipment to occupy the Georgian cities of Tbilisi and Gori.
Although French president Nicolas Sarkozy brokered a peace agreement, Georgia and Russia severed all diplomatic ties, and Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia, resulting in strained relations between Russia and some Western countries.
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict The Gaza Strip is a disputed region along the Mediterranean Sea between Israel and Egypt with a population of about 1.
5 million people.
In the last days of 2008, Israel and Hamas - the controversial Palestinian group that controls the Gaza Strip - ended a 6-month truce, or period of peace.
The two groups resume their deadly attacks on each other.
After Hamas launched rockets across the border into Israel, Israel responded, bombarding Gaza with massive airstrikes, intensifying the long-term conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians.