The expected has happened, which somehow has stirred a lot of speculation about the future of Russia. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said he would consider taking back the country's presidency during the 2012 elections.

"Naturally, I am already thinking about this issue with President Medvedev but have decided not to make much fuss about it, not to let ourselves be distracted by this problem," Putin said to French media.

Israeli officials have said they threatened war against Iran in order to try and convince China to vote in support of economic sanctions at the UN Security Council.

The New York Times broke this story: "In February, a high-level Israeli delegation traveled to Beijing to present alleged evidence of Iran’s atomic ambitions. Then they unveiled the ostensible purpose of their visit: to explain in sobering detail the economic impact to China from an Israeli strike on Iran."

The UN Security Council, on June 9, 2010, implemented new sanctions against Iran. U.S. president Obama called this fourth round of sanctions in response to Iran's nuclear program as "the toughest ever faced by Iran."

Following the operation in which nine civilians on an aid flotilla were killed by Israeli commandos, relations between Israel and Turkey have continued to take a dive. Most interestingly, The Times Online has this to say (found via Friday Lunch Club):

The Israeli attack on the humanitarian aid flotilla that resulted in the death of 9 people has strained relations within an already tense environment in the NATO alliance. The flotilla left from Turkey and all those who died were Turskish citizens, one of whom also held U.S. citizenship.

Zbigniew Brzezinski is a long time foreign policy expert and advisor to the U.S. government, former National Security Advisor to U.S. president Jimmy Carter, and is much listened to on the subject of maintaining the U.S. as the leading global power, specifically by way of being the dominant player in key geographies of Asia and Europe.

He gave a talk on foreign policy in April. The talk was held in Canada, and touched on the subject of U.S. geopolitical preeminence in the emerging multi-polar world.

On Monday, Turkey and Iran agreed to swap nuclear fuel (low enriched uranium).

"The deal forged with Turkey and Brazil appeared to be another attempt to stave off U.N. sanctions -- a doubtful endeavor judging by reactions from the United States and other Western powers," according to an article published in the Huffington Post.

Guns for hire are increasingly being used in US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, their numbers rising to shocking levels. These mercenaries are mainly paid for by the US, and their numbers often match or exceed those of foreign and local troops. 217,892 private security operate in Afghanistan and Iraq versus 192,000 US troops.

A hot war has erupted against the Houthis of northern Yemen. Saudi and Yemeni military forces have engaged with the minority rebels, marking a new and bloody phase that has now drawn at least one regional power into the five year-old conflict between the Shia Houthis and the Sunni central government.

The Study Group on Okinawan External Affairs has published an open letter regarding the burden and future of U.S. military bases on the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.