The paper considers changes of the “Economic Strategies” opportunistic index (OIES) in January-February 2014. The contribution of supply and demand indices into OIES is estimated. Industrial production analysis is performed.

Oil prices forecast for the period from May 2014 to December 2015, prepared by the Institute of Energy Strategy in collaboration with the Institute for Economic Strategies based on neural model taking into account the experience of the world oil market functioning during the last decades.

Geopolitics — one of the areas of human existence, where it is especially evident how the history has quickened its pace. The last decade of the last century and the first decade of the present one have accommodated two major geopolitical shifts, each of which has led to a radical change in the pattern of the world. Doctor of historical sciences, professor Karen N. Brutents, who has decades of experience in senior positions in the sphere of international politics, in his conversation with Alexander Ageev reflects on the fates of the unipolar world, emerged as a consequence of the USSR collapse, and of American hegemony. An attempt to perpetuate such world order failed and American hegemony began to decline. What is ahead? “The world, — says Karen N. Brutents, — is on the brink of great geopolitical revolution, which is preceded or accompanied by a revolution in the minds”.

The article represents an appeal of a famous scientist-ecologist, the first minister for nature conservation of the Soviet Union Fyodor T. Morgun for nature conservancy, which sounded already in 2000 from the pages of edition “Peasant — Soul of the World”. The author believes that for successful solution of environmental problems on the whole planet only 7-8 % of industrialized countries’ budget is required. “That is what the governments of leading world countries need to think hard and to take appropriate steps instead of continuing the race of total mutual destruction weapons production”. These words today, 14 years later, become of particular relevance.

The main objective of the round table “Radical improvement of public health — an essential condition of the Russian society and economy modernization” is deeper understanding of the health systems impact on the state of population health and critical analysis of the latest evidence on effective strategies for improving health systems functioning with regard to increasing demands to ensure their sustainability and the principle of solidarity.

Review of the monograph of the Russian orientalist Eldar Osmanovich Kasayev “Qatar in the XXI century: modern trends and economic development forecasts”.