Current Time

‘How Can We Get Out Of The Country?’: What Afghans Want To Know After The Takeover Of Kabul

After the Taliban’s rapid August 15 takeover of both Kabul and national political power, Current Time’s freelance Afghanistan reporter Liza Karimi elaborated to Morning newscast anchor Aleksei Aleksandrov about responding to the challenges of this change.

'So Much Grief': Opening Ukraine's Soviet-Era KGB Archives

Since Ukraine opened its Soviet-era KGB archives in 2015, the public has been able to dig into the files and uncover many dark secrets of the past. But for some, the harsh revelations have been too much to handle as they learn that their relatives were secret police informants or agents.

'Undesirable' And 'Foreign': How Russia Is Muzzling The Media In An Escalating Crackdown

Recent weeks have seen a spate of police raids on independent media companies and the homes of journalists in Russia, as part of an intensifying crackdown. Kremlin-critical media face fines, arrests, and violence.

Power Perks: Ukraine Attempts To Evict Ex-Officials From Government Dachas

Power Perks: Ukraine Attempts To Evict Ex-Officials From Government Dachas

Current Time’s Yevhenia Tokar toured a few of the dachas that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy earlier this summer ordered 20 ex-state officials to vacate. One of those officials, ex-Prosecutor-General Svyatoslav Piskun, insists that he should be reimbursed for property repairs he made.

Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s 2020 Presidential Election Rivals: Where Are They Now?

'I Don't Regret Anything': Belarusian Protesters Reflect On A Year Of Political Conflict

The protests that broke out on August 9-10, 2020 over Belarus' official presidential election results launched the longest period of civil disobedience in the country's history. Current Time spoke with three Belarusians who joined the election protests at their start.

'We Have Won': Why The Family Of A Young Belarusian Prisoner Still Holds Out Hope

Mikita Litvinenka is one of thousands of Belarusians who have been imprisoned for taking part in protests over the August 9, 2020, election, widely seen in the country -- and in the West -- as rigged. In July, he was sentenced to four years in prison.

'Scary People': Alarm Builds In Lithuania Over Influx Of Illegal Migrants

'Scary People': Alarm Builds In Lithuania Over Influx Of Illegal Migrants

Reporter Marija Andrejeva traveled to the sites of two Lithuanian camps for detained illegal migrants to speak with detainees and locals about the migration crisis along Lithuania's Belarusian border.

Belarus Sent Hit Squads To Kill Lukashenka Critics, Says Man Who Found Activist's Body In Kyiv

The man who found the body of Belarusian activist Vital Shyshou in a park near his home in Kyiv says that he was briefed by Ukrainian intelligence officials that hit squads had been sent to Ukraine to "liquidate" activists in exile.

This Remote Island Is Not Quite Ready To Be A 'Window To Asia'

Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island, an outpost on the Amur River in the Far East, was disputed by Russia and China for decades, but it has now been divided almost equally between the neighbors. The Chinese call it Heixiazi Island.

EU Blasts Minsk For 'Brutal Repression' Of Olympian, Lauds Poland For Providing Visa

The European Union has sharply criticized Minsk's attempt to force a Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya to return home early from the Olympics after criticizing coaches of her national team, and welcomed EU-member Poland's decision to grant the 24-year-old athlete a humanitarian visa.

Kyrgyz Heavy Metal: Inside The Mercury Mine Of Aidarken

The huge mercury mine at Aidarken in Kyrgyzstan once supplied the entire Soviet Union. It now produces a fraction of its former output, with many of its shafts still filled with floodwaters that took it out of service from 2009 to 2019.

Amid COVID Surge, Russian Doctors Use Social Media As Information Lifeline

As medical workers in Russia struggle with a third wave of COVID-19 infections, many are reaching out to the public directly to share information. Some are using social media to report on shortages and crisis conditions, while others have a simple message to their fellow Russians: Get vaccinated.

Amid COVID Surge, Russian Doctors Use Social Media As Information Lifeline

As medical workers in Russia struggle with a third wave of COVID-19 infections, many are reaching out to the public directly to share information. Some are using social media to report on shortages and crisis conditions, while others have a simple message to their fellow Russians: Get vaccinated.

'We Have The Same Values': Tsikhanouskaya-Biden Meeting Recharges Belarus' Opposition

Will Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s surprise July 28 White House meeting with the U.S. leader make much difference for her pro-democracy campaign within Belarus?

Caucasus Crossroads: Life After War

Three short films, shot by local documentary filmmakers, examine how memories of war and its consequences impact ordinary citizens in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The reports are part of a Current Time project with the non-profit, Tbilisi-based multimedia outlet Chai Khana.

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan Rank As Standouts In Pegasus Spyware Investigation

Out of Current Time’s coverage zone, two countries, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, feature prominently in the findings of the Forbidden Stories-Amnesty International investigation into alleged surveillance by Israeli NSO Group's Pegasus spyware.

'I Had To Say Something': Horrific Child Murder Prompts Tajik Animated Film

An animated film has been made in Tajikistan reflecting on the controversial case of a 5-year-old girl who was raped and killed near Moscow. Filmmaker Lolisanam Ulugova says she was moved to create the movie after seeing the girl's father in tears.