ByShare this storyZhazgul Zuridinova hikes for fun almost every month, but trekking the narrow mountain pass to Zardaly, a remote village near Kyrgyzstan’s southwest border, still makes her anxious. The 12-kilometer trail carved through the barren rocks is unpaved and bridged by wooden planks. One misstep could send her tumbling down the steep cliffs, a fate that has befallen many locals over the years.“Zardaly is a place that no one goes to,” said Zuridinova, a 28-year-old project manager from Bishkek, the capital. “They don’t have the internet or electricity. While all the world is...…ByShare this storyZhazgul Zuridinova hikes for fun almost every month, but trekking the narrow mountain pass to Zardaly, a remote village near Kyrgyzstan’s southwest border, still makes her anxious. The 12-kilometer trail carved through the barren rocks is unpaved and bridged by wooden planks. One misstep could send her tumbling down the steep cliffs, a fate that has befallen many locals over the years.“Zardaly is a place that no one goes to,” said Zuridinova, a 28-year-old project manager from Bishkek, the capital. “They don’t have the internet or electricity. While all the world is...WW…

ByShare this storyer face colored by red neon lights, Anastasiia Kanshina grooved quietly, her phone on the table in front of her, alongside pages of notes and an unopened box holding a wireless speaker. Eight seconds later, she burst into laughter as she realized that the camera in front of her had already started rolling. “Ah, I can’t see myself [in the camera monitor],” she said in Chinese, before regaining her composure and switching to Russian. “Hello everyone! Welcome to the channel Blooming Show. My name is Nastya, and today our broadcast is in Russian. Today my broadcast is all...…ByShare this storyer face colored by red neon lights, Anastasiia Kanshina grooved quietly, her phone on the table in front of her, alongside pages of notes and an unopened box holding a wireless speaker. Eight seconds later, she burst into laughter as she realized that the camera in front of her had already started rolling. “Ah, I can’t see myself [in the camera monitor],” she said in Chinese, before regaining her composure and switching to Russian. “Hello everyone! Welcome to the channel Blooming Show. My name is Nastya, and today our broadcast is in Russian. Today my broadcast is all...WW…

By andShare this storyGu Zeyu’s financial situation hit rock bottom in March. Out of work and owed back pay, the 24-year-old was down to eating one meal a day and struggling to cover her utility bills. But even as she cut her spending to almost nothing, her costs were still overwhelming. Gu had started borrowing money through Huabei, a popular virtual credit card and microlending service operated by Ant Group, the Chinese financial technology giant, while she was in college. She later signed up for Jiebei and Baitiao, two similar services. Over the next four years, her credit limit...…By andShare this storyGu Zeyu’s financial situation hit rock bottom in March. Out of work and owed back pay, the 24-year-old was down to eating one meal a day and struggling to cover her utility bills. But even as she cut her spending to almost nothing, her costs were still overwhelming. Gu had started borrowing money through Huabei, a popular virtual credit card and microlending service operated by Ant Group, the Chinese financial technology giant, while she was in college. She later signed up for Jiebei and Baitiao, two similar services. Over the next four years, her credit limit...WW…