This article examines the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime artery connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, which holds critical importance for global energy supplies. Based on analysis of geographical characteristics, economic statistics, and current events from February-March 2026, the article reconstructs the comprehensive significance of the strait and the consequences of its blockade. Particular attention is devoted to the geopolitical context of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the coalition led by the United States and Israel, as well as the potential impact on global oil, gas, and related product markets.

This article examines the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime artery connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, which holds critical importance for global energy supplies. Based on analysis of geographical characteristics, economic statistics, and current events from February-March 2026, the article reconstructs the comprehensive significance of the strait and the consequences of its blockade. Particular attention is devoted to the geopolitical context of the ongoing conflict between Iran and the US-Israel led coalition, as well as the potential impact on global oil, gas, and related product markets.

This article examines the phenomenon of United States involvement in operations to eliminate foreign leaders, which has gained renewed attention in connection with the dramatic events of 2025–2026—the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli strike. Based on analysis of historical documents, expert assessments, and international legal norms, the evolution of US approaches to using coercive methods for regime change is reconstructed. Particular attention is devoted to the contradiction between the official ban on political assassinations and the persistent practice of their application under new legal justifications.

This article examines the phenomenon of the United States' involvement in operations to eliminate foreign leaders, which has taken on new resonance in light of the high-profile events of 2025–2026—the kidnapping of Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro and the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as a result of an American-Israeli strike. Based on an analysis of historical documents, expert assessments, and international-law norms, the evolution of U.S. approaches to the use of force for regime change is reconstructed. Special attention is paid to the contradiction between the official prohibition on political assassinations and the continuing practice of their use under new legal justifications.

This article examines the complex question of whether Russia could successfully capture Latvia, a NATO member state since 2004. Based on analysis of current intelligence assessments, military simulations, and geopolitical dynamics as of February 2026, the article reconstructs the multifaceted nature of the threat, ranging from hybrid warfare to conventional invasion scenarios. Particular attention is devoted to the balance between Russian capabilities, NATO's defensive commitments, and the specific vulnerabilities of the Baltic region. The consensus among Western intelligence agencies indicates that while Russia poses significant hybrid and cyber threats, a conventional military invasion capable of capturing Latvia faces formidable obstacles, primarily Latvia's NATO membership and the alliance's collective defense guarantee under Article 5.

This article presents a comprehensive biography of Sir Isaac Newton, one of the most influential scientists in human history whose work fundamentally transformed humanity's understanding of the physical universe. Based on analysis of historical documents, scientific treatises, and biographical accounts, this article reconstructs Newton's trajectory from a solitary Cambridge scholar to President of the Royal Society and Master of the Mint. Particular attention is devoted to his groundbreaking contributions to physics, mathematics, optics, and astronomy, as well as his lesser-known pursuits in alchemy, theology, and chronology. The complex personality of Newton—secretive, intensely focused, and intellectually relentless—emerges as inseparable from the revolutionary ideas that laid the foundation for classical mechanics and dominated scientific thought for three centuries.

This article examines freestyle skiing as a dynamic winter sport that combines traditional skiing techniques with aerial acrobatics and high-speed maneuvers. Based on analysis of Olympic history, disciplinary specifications, and competitive developments, the article reconstructs the evolution of freestyle skiing from its countercultural origins in the 1960s to its current status as one of the most spectacular disciplines of the Winter Olympics. Particular attention is devoted to the seven distinct disciplines comprising the sport, their scoring methodologies, the technological evolution of equipment, and the star athletes who have shaped the sport's development. The upcoming Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games, featuring the debut of dual moguls and the addition of a fifteenth medal event, serve as the focal point for examining contemporary freestyle skiing.

This article examines the question of the number of human casualties associated with the use of the Kalashnikov assault rifle throughout its history. Based on an analysis of available statistical estimates, historical evidence, and expert conclusions, a range of plausible figures is reconstructed, and the methodological difficulties of such tallies are examined. Special attention is given to comparing various sources, annual lethality figures, and the Kalashnikov's place among other weapons according to the criterion of lethality.

Aesthetics of Monasticism

Aesthetics of ski jumping

Speed of solving mathematical problems by a primary school student

Statistics and work efficiency

The theme of justice in the theology of Christmas

Evenings at a Country Cottage Near Dikanka as a mystical Christmas thriller