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How much larger will California's population be in 2020? How will the state's racial demographics change in the next 12 year? And, what kind of growth can we expect to see in the state's elderly pop

As NATO meets to consider a response to Russia's military actions in Georgia, there is renewed attention on another former Soviet republic that's also on Russia's radar: Ukraine. Some Ukrainians fear they could be next in a Russian drive to reassert control over the nations on its borders.

Three days after signing a cease-fire, Russian troops have not begun to withdraw from Georgia. They continue to blockade the main east-west links, destroy army equipment and occupy a Georgian base.

Pakistan's once-tranquil Swat Valley is now a battleground in the struggle between Taliban militants and Pakistan's army and Frontier Corps. But it will take more than the Taliban to deter Wahida Begum from doing her job as school principal.

There are reports of human rights abuses in areas of Georgia under Russian military control. Human Rights Watch says members of the South Ossetia militia have burned and looted homes in Georgian villages.

Russia said the Georgian military won't be allowed into the key town of Gori. When the Georgians tried, it almost turned into a firefight before the Georgians pulled back. Ethnic Ossetian fighters have also been active in the area, adding to the tensions.

The truce between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway territory of South Ossetia remains precarious. Russian troops are still inside the former Soviet republic. The United States is standing strong with Georgia.

Although Russia has agreed to a cease-fire in Georgia, it is likely continue to strengthen its hold over the two enclaves of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The United States has very few options in the conflict, except to condemn Russia's actions in the Caucasus.

Some observers feel the conflict with Georgia is a test run by Russia. Volodymyr Kulyk, a senior research fellow at the Institute of the Political and Ethnic Studies at the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, says Russia is trying to teach all post-Soviet states a lesson.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili's leadership during the war with Russia has sparked mixed reviews. Supporters describe his actions as courageous, while detractors say he used bad judgment, ignoring warnings when he tried to recapture the separatist enclave of South Ossetia.