CURRENT TIME, CURRENTLY
A daily blog with news and features as reported by Current Time TV, the 24/7 Russian-language TV and digital network providing an independent and innovative alternative to Kremlin-controlled media.
VISUAL REPORTS
The Town Where Sentsov Is Serving His Sentence
The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District is one of the largest regions in Russia, with a significant part of the territory located beyond the Arctic Circle. Once the region was home to Gulag labor camps, the decrepit remains of which continue in some places to operate even today. Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov is serving a 20-year sentence in one of them. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Nazarbayev On Plans To Run For Reelection In 2020
Asked by a journalist at a press conference in Finland whether he plans to run for reelection in 2020, the 78-year-old Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said, “If I step down, who would ensure a good life for our children,” adding that he would be prepared to address the question next year, or in 2020. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Physics Propels Ukrainian Teacher To YouTube Fame
Pavel Viktor, a science teacher in Odesa, Ukraine, started posting his lectures on YouTube for absent students. He never expected the videos would gain millions of views beyond his classroom.
Ukrainian Filmmaking Emerges From The Shadows
For decades, Ukraine's modest film industry has been overshadowed by Russia’s, and Russian films still garner much more attention, acclaim, and money. But since 2014, Ukrainian cinema has been enjoying a moment in the spotlight, bolstered by state funding, a wave of nationalist fervor, and an energized class of passionate young filmmakers.
OTHER NEWS
U.S. Seeks To Block Russian Bid To Hold UN Vote On INF Treaty
The United States is seeking to block a move by Russia to schedule a United Nations General Assembly vote on preserving a 1987 nuclear arms treaty that U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to abandon this week.
FBI Silent On Lab Results Connected To Suspected Kara-Murza Poisoning
The FBI has refused to release laboratory results into the suspected poisoning of anti-Kremlin activist Vladimir Kara-Murza last year, frustrating his congressional supporters and deepening the mystery behind his illness.
EU Parliament Urges Tough Response To Russian ‘Blockade’ Over Azov Sea
The European Parliament has urged EU states to make clear to Russia that it will face tougher measures if it intensifies its "de facto blockade" of international shipping in the Sea of Azov, calling it a “violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
Turkey To Start Installing Russian S-400 Missile Systems In October 2019
Turkey’s defense ministry said the country will begin the installation of Russian-made S-400 antiaircraft missile systems in October 2019, and that selected personnel will be sent to Russia to receive training beginning early next year.
Rosneft Chief Sees Instability In Energy Market As Result Of U.S. Sanctions
The head of Russia's state-controlled oil giant Rosneft is warning that U.S. sanctions on Iran and Venezuela will trigger "major imbalances in the oil market," with an increase in prices and a reduction in global oil production likely.
Russian Duma Grants President Broad Rights To Confer Citizenship
Russia’s State Duma has adopted a law that grants the president the right to confer Russian citizenship on any persons, including Ukrainian citizens and persons without residency, on “humanitarian grounds.” The law’s drafters say it is aimed at Ukrainians who left their country after the revolution in 2014, and participants in Russian resettlement programs, including ethnic Russians who have resided outside the Federation, in particular. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Roskomnadzor Moves To Fine Google
The Russian media and telecom regulator Roskomnadzor has advised that Google be fined in court for an amount between $7,500 to $10,600 for failing to connect to the Federation’s information system, which lists banned and blocked websites. Russian law currently requires search engines to omit such websites from their search results. (Russian Service)
Soyuz Rocket With Military Satellite Makes Successful Launch
Russia has successfully launched an unmanned Soyuz rocket, the first such liftoff since an aborted launch of a similar rocket earlier this month.
Ahead Of Georgian Presidential Election, Sex, Lies, and Audiotape Dominate Race
Forget the economy, foreign policy, NATO membership, even the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. With Georgia's October 28 presidential election imminent, allegations of corruption, murder plots, and sex have become the last-minute focus of the campaign.
INFOGRAPHIC: Who Poisoned The Skripals?
PRESSROOM: In RFE/RL Interview, Bolton Moots Putin White House Visit