In November 2006, Russian Alexander Litvinenko who is a former Federal Security Service (FSB) agent becomes ill in London while supposedly investigating the October murder of Russian investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

Just over three weeks later, Litvinenko is dead and it's determined he has been intentionally poisoned with the radioactive substance polonium-210. The ensuing investigation by the UK and other events surrounding this murder have far reaching ramifications upon world politics which lead to tensions between the UK and Russia not seen since the Cold War.

The investigation into Litvinenko's murder and the political fallout continue today.

A U.S. State Department Travel Warning issued in March 2007 says, "The threat from terrorism in many areas of the country continues to pose a significant security risk." That couldn't have been more true. Here is a review of major events beginning in 2007.

On January 20, 2010, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a senior commander of the Palestine terrorist group Hamas, is found dead in his five-star Dubai hotel room. It will soon be proven that al-Mabhouh, who was allegedly involved in arms trafficking between Iran and Hamas in Gaza, was in fact assassinated the evening of January 19. The autopsy shows he was given a fast-acting sedative before being suffocated.

Russian claims and activity begin a race for control of the Arctic North.

The following are some of the important events that have taken place regarding rising tensions with Iran, their quest for a nuclear weapons capability, their influence and possible support of efforts to destabilize Iraq, and their influence on and support of global terror groups.

Since mid-2006 North Korea has been fighting a tense political battle over its suspected nuclear weapons program with the United States, as well as the regional states of South Korea, Russia, China and Japan.

At the end of 2007 North Korea agreed to dismantle its nuclear program, and make a transparent declaration about its suspected nuclear weapons program in exchange for the U.S. removing Pyongyang from its list of state sponsors of terrorisms. Also, North Korea is to receive much needed international aid for its citizens in the form of fuel, food and medical supplies.

Progress finally began being made in mid-2008 when North Korea turned over its nuclear declaration documentation to the U.S. and blew-up the nuclear cooling tower at Yongbyon.