Kyrgyzstan News

“We go down there because there are no jobs up here”

In the impoverished Ferghana Valley in Kyrgyzstan, illegal coal mining is a dirty, dangerous part of the underground economy.

After the huge Soviet mines in the region closed in the 1990s, jobless men and boys started their own small operations, using picks and shovels to claw coal out of the mountains. Some are as young as 11, miners say.

Today, hundreds _ perhaps thousands _ of miners earn an average they say of about $50 a week in the mines. They haul the coal out one 150-pound sack at a time, and sell them in markets for about $3 each. Read more

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“We do have a solid, very supporting donor base”

Students at College of the Desert will be in line to receive $1,000 scholarships from a $70 million donation announced Tuesday exclusively for California community colleges. via Desert Sun

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“I have always enjoyed helping people think about new things in new ways.”

Dr. Gwen Murdock, who will soon be retiring after having taught in the psychology department for over 20 years at Missouri Southern State University-Joplin, has just found out she is a 2008 Fulbright scholar. via The Joplin Independent

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April 30. KAZINFORM. The EBRD is providing an $800.000 loan to Granit Yug, a privately owned quarry in the Djalal Abad region in the south west of the Kyrgyz Republic, for the purchase of processing and ... via Kazinform

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WorksForWeb , a software development team that authored several popular classifieds products, is announcing the release of new versions of iAuto and iRealty with multi-language support. via Press Release News From 24-7 Press Re...

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NEW! UNITED KINGDOM Superb Language and Vocational College Business situated in a major city For Sale NEW! Posted: Tue 29th Apr 2008 12:27 GMT English Teacher at friendly small private school. via TEFL.com Job Postings

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“In [Kyrgyzstan], everyone needs money: government, entrepreneurs, even simple consumers”

When Natalia Semenko started her own transport company, she didn't even consider approaching a bank for startup cash. Faced with interest rates of 20 to 25 percent, she sold her house instead.

According to the World Bank, this teenage former Soviet republic is the easiest place in Central Asia to start a business. But would-be entrepreneurs face some of the least accessible financing in the world. This slows development in a country that desperately wants and needs to grow, contributing to a sense of frustration that is one of the forces behind its continuing political instability, some experts say. Read more

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“The decision to implement the programme without going through parliament is anti-constitutional and it will be easy to contest it in court”

Legislative changes allowing the Kyrgyz government to privatise the potentially lucrative energy sector without consulting parliament have raised concerns that it wants to speed ahead with sales with little ... via IWPR

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I don't think they understand the... Johan : Your country will be forever beautiful for me. via Kyrgyzstan.neweurasia.net

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Shin Sang-hoon, left, chief executive of Shinhan Bank, shakes hands with Iskenderbek Aidaraliev, first vice prime minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, at Shinhan headquarters in central Seoul yesterday after ... via JoongAng Ilbo English News

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