Current Time

Kazakh Police Arrest Dozens In Nur-Sultan

Police detained around 50 protesters in Nur-Sultan, the Kazakh capital, on December 16. The protest was demanding increased rights and the release of political prisoners.

Kyrgyz Court Freezes Bank Accounts Of RFE/RL, Other Media Following Investigative Report

A court in Bishkek has ruled to freeze the bank accounts of RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, locally known as Azattyk, its correspondent, and the Kyrgyz news site Kloop following their joint investigation about possible widespread corruption in the country’s customs service and massive outflows of cash.

Paris Summit: Russia-Ukraine Agreement To Keep On Talking Seen As Main Success

Analysts: At Paris Summit, Putin Holds The Risk Advantage

Kyiv Gives ICC Evidence Of 'Executions' Of Ukrainian Soldiers By Separatists In Eastern Ukraine

Evidence that Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine killed soldiers in their captivity execution-style has been forwarded to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

From Russia, For Love: Uzbeks Work Abroad To Pay For Weddings

Uzbekistan's president has warned citizens not to go into debt to pay for traditional weddings. One Uzbek man has spent 19 years working in Russia and saving for the marriages of his three children.

Ahead Of Ukraine Talks, Russian TV Promotes Fake Report About 'Donbas Deportation'

In the runup to December 9 peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Russian state media is disseminating a fake-news report that alleges that Kyiv plans to force residents from areas of the Donbas region controlled by pro-Russian separatists to migrate and undergo “re-education.”

Russian Activist Blogger Gets Suspended Sentence After Anti-Putin Videos

A popular Russian blogger has received a suspended three-year sentence for "inciting extremism on the Internet" in his calls for protests against President Vladimir Putin and his government. Yegor Zhukov was hailed as a hero by his supporters on the steps of a Moscow courthouse.

Ahead Of Ukraine Talks, Russian TV Promotes Fake Report About 'Donbas Deportation'

'Free The Nipples': Feminist Art Censored In Kyrgyzstan

It was supposed to be an art exhibit celebrating female freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan. But authorities have censored controversial exhibits and the museum's female director has resigned after receiving death threats.

Latest Historical Dispute In Prague Inflames Czechs And Russians

The mayor of a Prague district proposed building a monument to a controversial World War II military division made up of Soviet defectors. Russia objected. The mayor wrote to President Vladimir Putin to advise Russia "not to meddle." The affair is just the latest in a series of Czech-Russian disputes over the two countries' approaches to their history.

Young Russians Eager To Emigrate, But Not Always For Good

Young Russians Eager To Emigrate, But Not Always For Good

Amidst restraints on civil rights and economic prospects, young people appear increasingly willing to emigrate from Russia, according to a recent opinion poll by the Levada Center, an independent Russian pollster. . Fifty-three percent of surveyed Russians between the ages of 18 and 24 stated that they would like to move abroad – a sharp increase from 31 percent in 2017.

Rusting Beauty: An Open-Air Homage To The Collective Farm

One man's obsession with the collective farm he ran for more than a quarter of a century led to the creation of a unique open-air museum in a village in southern Russia.

Russian Doctors At Center Of Children’s Transplant Controversy Ordered Reinstated

Russian Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova has ordered the reinstatement of two pediatric surgeons whose dismissals had led to public outrage and left dozens of ailing children awaiting desperately needed kidney-transplant treatment.

Why Russia Believes Individual Journalists Can Be ‘Foreign Agents’

Russia’s parliament on November 21 passed a bill that allows the government to identify individuals as “foreign agents.” The nomenclature could apply, in particular, to journalists who work with or for media outlets already deemed “foreign agents” or who distribute these outlets’ content online. Andrei Palkin, a regional parliamentarian from the ruling United Russia Party, told Current Time that the move was needed to restrict the activities of an alleged “fifth column.”

Why Russia Believes Individual Journalists Can Be ‘Foreign Agents’

Russia’s parliament on November 21 passed a bill that allows the government to identify individuals as “foreign agents.” The nomenclature could apply, in particular, to journalists who work with or for media outlets already deemed “foreign agents” or who distribute these outlets’ content online. Andrei Palkin, a regional parliamentarian from the ruling United Russia Party, told Current Time that the move was needed to restrict the activities of an alleged “fifth column.”

Living Off Illegal 'Black Gold' In Kyrgyzstan

In southern Kyrgyzstan, entire regions live off illegal coal mining. The work is dangerous. Six miners died in an accident in October. But locals say there is no other work for the region's men.

How The Kremlin Bankrolled An Online Comedy Channel

Millions of Russians were glued to a YouTube platform that was notorious for outrageous viral videos. Then hackers revealed that it was being secretly financed by the Kremlin. This story is part of a documentary series, InterNYET, by Current Time that explores the history of the Russian web.

Vox Pop: What Changes Do Russians Want?