Spotlight: Trending Topics

StreetVoices: What Putin Should Tell Russia's Political Elite

On January 15, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual address to parliament about the state of Russia and changes for the future. What would ordinary Russians have said in his place? Ahead of Putin’s speech, Current Time talked with voters in four Russian cities.

Post-Speech, Russians Skeptical That Putin Will Improve 'Quality Of Life'

From “correcting” Russia’s constitution and expanding parliament’s powers to increasing child-welfare payments and modernizing primary health care, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual speech to parliament on January 15 came with a lot of proposals for change. To get a sense of how his statements are playing with ordinary Russians, Current Time spoke with voters in the cities of Kazan and St. Petersburg.

Russian Media Blames Trump, Not Iran, For Ukrainian Plane Crash

How Russian TV Covered Iran's Shoot-Down Of A Ukrainian Airliner

Russia's pro-Kremlin TV channels mocked Western politicians for saying Iran shot down a Ukrainian airliner until Iran admitted that it had done so. The prevailing editorial line then became one of blaming the tragedy on the United States for escalating tensions by assassinating Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani.

Russian Court Arrests Activist For YouTube Show Mocking Putin, Close Associates

A court in the Russian republic of Tatarstan has arrested a local civil rights activist on suspicion of promoting terrorism after he mocked President Vladimir Putin and two of his close associates in a YouTube video.

Putin's Promises: Has Russia Achieved The President's Goals For 2020?

In 2008, Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out his development strategy for the distant future: the year 2020. With that year upon us, we look at how closely Russia has adhered to Putin's vision for a wealthier, freer country.

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

Analysts: At Paris Summit, Putin Holds The Risk Advantage

Imported Medicine For Russia's Epileptics Still A Banned Narcotic

Parents Of Russia's Epileptics Still Risk Prosecution For Frisium Purchase

This June, police detained Yelena Bogolyubova for seven hours after she picked up a package of medicine for her terminally ill 10-year-old son. Russia had banned the medication, the anti-epileptic drug Frisium, as a narcotic. Amidst an uproar, the government promised changes, but the problem still remains: Russian epileptics cannot always get the medicine they need.

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.