Page 50 - Current Time News Today

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a news network originally set up as a C.I.A. operation early in the Cold War, is experiencing a renaissance and making a case for its independence.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the Kyrgyz Ministry of Culture's decision to ask a court to close the local branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), called Radio Azattyk, whose websites have been blocked since October. This would pose a major new obstacle to press freedom, which is already under growing pressure in Kyrgyzstan, says RSF, calling on the authorities to put an end to the judicial harassment of Azattyk and to stop stifling independent media.

Francesco spoke with Alina Živanović, the digital strategy manager responsible for social media at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. RFE/RL is a US government-funded non-profit organisation that covers news in 23 countries and 27 languages. Alina works with their newsrooms on distributing on social media platforms in every country where RFE/RL is active, managing accounts on various platforms, and establishing and sharing production and distribution best practices. 

Google’s Search function isn’t limited to just finding websites. You can use the same search box to perform calculations, find flight information, and even tune your guitar. Here are a few less-known features of Google Search that you should be using.

A growing number of Russian military units are defying orders, refusing to fight in the war against Ukraine, complaining about poor training, a lack of basic equipment, and what many say are senseless -- or suicidal -- orders.

Attacks on RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service, Kazakhstan oil exports, human rights in Turkmenistan, Kyrgyz-Tajik ties, elections in Turkmenistan, and more.

Current Time correspondent Andriy Kuzakov spent a day with a Ukrainian air reconnaissance unit along the front line between Bakhmut and Soledar, where brutal fighting continues to rage. Ukrainian military officials reported that Russian forces launched more than 70 attacks on January 16 around Bakhmut. Some 15 settlements were shelled, including Soledar, a town that Russian forces have claimed to control.

Despite a few Ukrainian holdouts, Russia appears to have taken control of the eastern town of Soledar -- but at what cost? 

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has opened new offices in Vilnius, Lithuania, and Rīga, Latvia.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has opened a new bureau in the Latvian capital, Riga, as part of its efforts to counter Russian disinformation and censorship.