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Alexey Miroshnichenko of VEB.RF outlines the development of a Russian Green Finance Standard designed to mobilize private capital for the state's "Ecology" national project. The standard aims to create a sustainable finance market in Russia by offering incentives such as coupon subsidies and tax breaks, while aligning with international CBI and ICMA criteria to attract foreign investors. Key priorities include waste management, air pollution reduction, and the restoration of ecosystems like Lake Baikal and the Volga.

The author examines the role of the Moscow-Washington 'hotline' and related communication channels in defusing tensions after the US military response to chemical weapons use in Douma, Syria. While the author criticizes the legal basis and evidentiary grounds of the strikes, they emphasize that dialogue between the superpowers prevented a wider conflict. The text also notes the implications for Norway's security and the internal US political dynamics that influenced the limited nature of the military response.

The document examines the systemic failures of public-private partnerships (PPPs), citing the collapse of Carillion in the UK and concerns over the US 'Rebuilding Infrastructure' plan. It argues that PPPs often fail when used primarily to keep debt off public balance sheets, leading to poor project preparation and skewed risk allocation. To improve outcomes, the author suggests moving toward systemic master planning, enhancing public sector negotiation skills, and adopting procurement strategies that prioritize lifecycle value over the lowest bid. The paper emphasizes that for PPPs to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals, they must be designed with transparent, equitable contracts and a focus on sustainable development rather than just financial returns.

The manifesto argues that the European project is facing a political crisis driven by a 'top-down' approach of elites and technocrats, exacerbated by high youth unemployment and the debt crisis. To counter this, the authors propose a 'European Year of Volunteering for Everyone' to empower civil society and democratize national democracies. This initiative aims to engage citizens in transnational challenges such as climate change and environmental degradation, moving beyond periodic voting toward a proactive, bottom-up constitution for Europe.

The document analyzes the history of China's space program through three case studies: the first satellite launch in 1970, the first communications satellite in 1984, and the first human spaceflight in 2003. It argues that China's efforts were driven by the concept of 'yi xi zhi di' ('a place for one's mat'), reflecting a desire for inclusion among the world's leading spacefaring powers rather than purely military or regime-legitimacy goals. The authors highlight how political turmoil, such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, frequently disrupted technical progress, and how the program transitioned from civilian-led research to military management under the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to ensure stability.

The research introduces the first quantitative effort to document the small arms market using a dataset of AK-47 prices across 117 countries from 1986 to 2005. By applying a simultaneous equations model, the author finds that regulatory effectiveness and supply costs—specifically neighbours' military expenditure and border porousness—are the primary drivers of weapon prices. The study concludes that the collapse of the Soviet Union did not cause a supply shock as significant as commonly believed, and that regional trade dynamics, particularly in Africa, play a critical role in price determination.

The Istra region's rivers and lakes provide up to 10 percent of Moscow's drinking water, making the maintenance of environmental cleanliness vital. However, expanding human economic activity is increasing negative impacts on surface water. The document identifies the establishment of water protection zones as a basic measure for sustainable environmental management and the protection of water quality.

A conference was held in Zvenigorod, Russia, from 28-30 May 1997, to discuss public participation in environmental decision-making. The event was a collaborative effort between the State Committee for Environmental Protection of the Russian Federation, the Russian-US Environmental Law Task Force, USAID, the US EPA, and the Center for International Environmental Law, bringing together government officials, NGOs, and academics.

This document is an introductory text for Monograph 46, which compiles papers from a November 1999 conference in Pretoria, South Africa, titled "Building stability in Africa: The challenge for the next millennium." The conference was part of a larger international project, "Challenges of peacekeeping and peace support: Into the 21st century," coordinated by the National Defence College in Stockholm to explore more effective ways of managing regional conflicts and peace support operations.

Bridget Berg, a former teacher at Palouse Prairie Charter School in Moscow, Idaho, implemented a semester-long expedition titled "The 6th Mass Extinction" for 5th grade students. The project integrated standards-based learning with real-world environmental threats, leading students to research biomes and threatened species. The expedition culminated in a public performance at The Kenworthy theater, featuring voiced poems and watercolor art created from the perspective of endangered species to combat student apathy and foster leadership in conservation.