Current Time

An (Almost) Purr-fect Plan: The Fat-Cat Fraudster On A Russian Flight

When a flier's overweight cat was refused by a Russian airline, he hatched what he thought would be a purr-fect plan using a feline double.

Magnitsky's Legacy: New Tools To Support Human Rights In Russia And Beyond

Ten years ago, a little-known Russian lawyer working for a Western financial firm died in custody in Moscow. Sergei Magnitsky's name is now enshrined in human rights laws in the United States and around the world. Russian President Vladimir Putin is still fuming.

Why Russian Media Mourn East Germany

Ten years ago, Russian TV channels depicted the 1989 demolition of the Berlin Wall between the two Germanies as a triumph for freedom and democracy. But today, the rhetoric has sharply shifted. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova declared that people’s hopes for “a peaceful, prosperous, united Europe” after the Wall have not been met. Current Time’s Footage Vs. Footage program examined how Russian media match that message.

Kremlin Will Not Probe Chechen Leader's Call To Kill Online Commentators

The Kremlin says it will not investigate statements by Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the North Caucasus region of Chechnya, that advocated killing, imprisoning, and intimidating those who assault the "honor” of other users on the Internet.

Persevering In Russia's Promised Jewish Homeland

In a distant corner of Russia’s Far East, along the border with China, the world’s only official Jewish territory other than Israel has existed peacefully for the last 85 years. The Jewish Autonomous Oblast was established under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in 1934, ostensibly to provide a homeland for ethnic Jews living in the USSR.

Russian Napoleon Expert Jailed After Grisly Killing

There are calls for a probe into the management of St. Petersburg State University after a prominent professor and Napoleon expert reportedly confessed to killing a former student.

Want A Seat In Kyrgyzstan's Parliament? There Could Be A Price For That

Putin's Witnesses Documentary Shortlisted For 'European Oscar'

In Moscow And Berlin, Remembering The Berlin Wall

Thirty years ago, on November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall, the ultimate symbol of the Cold War divide, was finally pulled down, following mass protests in East Germany. Its destruction signaled a rapprochement, in general, between East and West. For this anniversary, Current Time took to the streets in Berlin and Moscow to find out what people of all generations remember about the construction of the Wall.

Chechen Leader Threatens Killing For Online 'Gossip'

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said online commentators should be tracked down and killed for assaults on honor.

A Tale Of Two Uzbek Brothers And Their Cafes

Alisher Bazhorov and his brother Yavlon both work in cafes. While Alsiher runs his own catering business in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, Javlon remains at home in Uzbekistan.

Sizing Up Eurasia's Respect For Cyber-Rights

Raising A Family In The Shadow Of Bishkek's Garbage Dump

A family of eight lives in a rickety house just meters from a landfill in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. In these adverse conditions, mother Zhazgul Raimbek Kyzy is working to make sure her kids have the opportunities to study that she never had.

Pine-Nut Fever Breaks Out In Russia's Altai Mountains

Russia's remote Altai region is not just about a tentative gas pipeline to neighboring China. People here are now heading to the mountains in thick snow to cash in on other riches that literally grow on trees: pine nuts. Russia is the world's largest supplier of pine nuts. For locals, it's a rare chance to make money, but the work is hard, cold, and dangerous.

Russia 'Biggest Obstacle' To Peace In Ukraine, Says Lithuanian Foreign Minister

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told Current Time TV that Russia was the biggest obstacle to the latest efforts aimed at defusing the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Linkevicius noted violations of the cease-fire linked to troop withdrawals agreed by Ukraine and Russia-backed separatists, and said Russia was an "active participant" in the conflict.

Russia's 'Sovereign Internet': For Cyber-Security Or Another Cyber-Crackdown?

Russia Launches Quest For 'Sovereign Internet'

Kyrgyzstan Police Embrace Chinese Face Recognition Tech

Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has opened a new police command center in the capital, Bishkek, which is using Chinese CCTV cameras with facial-recognition technology. China reportedly provided the equipment for free.

Analysts: Action Needed More Than 'Poetic Words' For Ukraine's NATO Membership

Russian Activist Reportedly Asks For Political Asylum in Ukraine, Tried In Absentia

A trial in absentia was held on October 24 in a Moscow court, which issued an arrest warrant for Sergei Gavrilov, 26, who is accused of co-founding an extremist group to overthrow the Russian government and who has reportedly asked for political asylum in Ukraine.