Around the World: Kyrgyzstan

US air base deal approved

Kyrgyzstan's lawmakers yesterday unanimously backed a deal that allows the United States to keep open its sole air base in Central Asia, reversing an earlier move to shut it.

In exchange, the United States agreed to pay $180 million to Kyrgyzstan for the use of the Manas air base, a key refueling point for US aircraft in NATO operations against Taliban insurgents.