Kim Jong Un agrees to meet Donald Trump at DMZ, source says www.cnn.com

Seoul, South Korea (CNN)South Korean President Moon Jae-in has convinced North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to hold his upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, a source tells CNN.

Moon and Kim met at the same location in Panmunjom last Friday, a historically significant event that was televised worldwide and led to an agreement to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and formally end the Korean War.
There is a "strong possibility" the summit will be held at the site, with some events possibly scheduled on the northern side of the military demarcation line separating the two countries, according to an official with deep knowledge of North Korea's thinking on the matter.

The venue makes the most sense logistically for Kim, the source said, because media facilities and equipment are already in place, which could the allow the summit to take place "in late May."
Traveling to the northern side of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) would also provide a historic opportunity for Trump, the source said, adding that Moon may be involved in the summit in some capacity.
A spokesperson for the South Korean president appeared to endorse the venue choice when asked about the proposal, Tuesday.
"(We) think Panmunjom is quite meaningful as a place to erode the divide and establish a new milestone for peace," the spokesperson told reporters. "Wouldn't Panmunjom be the most symbolic place?"

The idea of meeting at the DMZ wasn't a complete surprise to Trump's aides, since the president has been talking about it all weekend and raised it in his Sunday phone call with Moon, a senior US official and a person familiar with the conversations told CNN.
Trump loved the images from the inter-Korean summit and the fact the entire meeting was televised, those sources said.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Trump said he was enthusiastic about the idea of holding the summit in the DMZ. "There's something I like about it, because you're there, if things work out, there's a great celebration to be had on the site, not in a third party country," he said.
Millions watched Moon's meeting with Kim last Friday, the first meeting between two leaders of North and South Korea in a decade.
Cameras followed the leaders' movements throughout the day, from Moon's departure from Seoul to the moment Kim crossed the demarcation line into the South -- and encouraged Moon to cross to the North.
The US President wants to be involved in similar scenes when he becomes the first sitting US President to meet a North Korean leader, the source said. He's keen to take part in a cross-border handshake, but also wants photos to document the moment if he decides to stand up and walk out of talks, added the source.
The Singapore option
However, concerns remain inside the administration that Trump may be too eager for a deal. Those same skeptics worry holding the meeting at the DMZ will appear conciliatory toward Kim.
As a result, US officials are still arguing for Singapore as a possible location for the talks, telling Trump it presents a more neutral option, the source told CNN.
The wealthy and glamorous city-state sits on the end of the Malay Peninsula and has often been seen as a gateway between Asia and the West.
A close ally to the United States during the Cold War and currently host to a US military presence, Singapore also has a diplomatic relationship with North Korea. It is one of only 47 countries to feature a North Korean embassy.
Additionally, Singapore has previously held other historic events -- in 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with then-Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou in Singapore, the first and only time the leaders of the two Chinas have met since they split in 1949.
But one senior official conceded the symbolism wouldn't be there, and noted there are still logistical considerations to worry about with Singapore.
Singapore also raises problems for Kim. Similar to his father before him, the North Korean leader is reluctant to travel long distances by plane, partly due to security issues -- a plane is vulnerable to attack -- but also due to practical considerations.
"(Kim's) fleet of aircraft are very old and (we're) just honestly not sure if he can physically get to where he needs to go if its further than a certain number of miles away," Jenna Gibson, director of communications at the Korea Economic Institute, told CNN.
Faced with a similar dilemma, Kim Jong Il, Kim's father and previous ruler of North Korea, opted to travel in a custom built armored train, rather than moving around the world by air.
The wild card choice
Another option previously suggested by both sides was Ulaanbaatar, the sparsely-populated capital of Mongolia to the northwest of North Korea.
It might seem like an unusual choice of location but North Korean experts maintain it makes sense to both sides for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the Mongolian government has diplomatic ties with both Pyongyang and Washington, leaving it as a neutral ground for the two leaders.
Additionally from North Korea's perspective, Ulaanbaatar is much closer to North Korea and Kim could likely travel to the summit in comfort on his father's armored train.
"Mongolia is very eager to host this summit, they have come out and said they will host it ... They want to be the Switzerland of Asia, they want to be seen as a partner that can have good ties with everybody," Gibson said.
But it also is not a perfect choice either, as it would require Trump to travel a lot further than Kim, which may be seen as a concession to North Korea from the outset.
Speaking to CNN, Jean Lee, a North Korea expert at the Wilson Center, said a number of other potential options, such as Beijing, Pynongyang and Washington, were eliminated early on due to their political implications or logistical difficulties.
"Ultimately, they need a country where both leaders have the security they need, to have a country where they can meet in common ground ... it's a small number of countries to be honest" said Lee.

Cabinet submits 2019 General Guidelines and State Budget statement to Parliament www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ At its irregular meeting on April 30, the Cabinet approved to submit draft bill on the 2019 General Guidelines on Social and Economic Development of Mongolia, the 2019 State Budget statement and the 2020-2021 State Budget assumption to the Parliament.

Heavy-duty road to establish in Tavantolgoi-Gashuunsukhait route www.ubinfo.mn

According to Bold Tsegmed, CEO of Gashuunsukhait Avto Road LLC, the establishment of a road parallel to the Tavantolgoi-Gashuunsukhait road that runs 247 kilometer is currently in discussion.

And Energy increases dividends www.ubinfo.mn

MSE-listed And Energy JSC held its shareholders’ regular meeting on April 25 and approved the Board of Directors’ review to the 2017 operational and financial statements of the company. Last year, the sales revenue of And Energy totalled MNT 944.12 million and net profit - MNT 133.75 million. The profit saw MNT 261.7 million increase, which is 38 percent higher compared to the previous year and its profitability tripled year-over-year.

BDSec’s profit reaches MNT 1.1 billion www.ubinfo.mn

MSE-listed BDSec JSC, which operates as an intermediary in the stock market, held its shareholders’ regular meeting on April 23. During the meeting, several issues, such as board selection and approval of 2018 budget were discussed.

Transparency International urges President to ‘stop undermining anti-corruption efforts nationwide’ www.theubpost.mn

Transparency International, an international non-governmental organization whose purpose is to take action to combat global corruption urged President Kh.Battulga to stop undermining anti-corruption efforts through his involvement in the Independent Authority Against Corruption (IAAC).

Japan conveying desire to hold summit with NK via Sweden and Mongolia: report www.koreaherald.com

TOKYO -- Japan has been conveying its intention to hold a summit with North Korea via Sweden and Mongolia amid reports of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's interest in holding a dialogue with Tokyo, a Japanese newspaper said Monday.

China opposes US resolution on Tibet issue www.chinadaily.com.cn

BEIJING -- China on Friday expressed opposition to a U.S. Senate resolution on the reincarnation of Dalai Lama, saying it has interfering in China's internal affairs.

T-Mobile, Sprint say $26 billion deal would give U.S. tech lead over China www.reuters.com

(Reuters) - T-Mobile US Inc (TMUS.O) and Sprint Corp (S.N) said on Sunday they had agreed to a $26 billion all-stock deal and believed they could win over skeptical regulators because the merger would create thousands of jobs and help the United States beat China to creating the next generation mobile network.

Waikato man Eion Kemp prepares for world's toughest horse race in Mongolia www.stuff.co.nz

Waikato man Eion Kemp is always up for a challenge.

And in August he'll leave his home in Matamata to compete in the world's toughest horse race, the Mongol Derby.

The 1000 kilometre derby, in Mongolia, is run across high valleys and open passes, semi-arid dunes, wetland and river crossings.

Many riders compete in the Mongol Derby to win, others just for the experience. Far left is Marie Palzer, a New Zealander who placed sixth in 2017.

Temperatures can drop to -8 degrees Celsius and soar to 50deg C in one day.

In the past, riders had suffered dehydration, hypothermia, broken bones and concussion.

Even the most experience horse riders can get thrown from the wild Mongolian ponies used for the race. Injuries include ...
Supplied
Even the most experience horse riders can get thrown from the wild Mongolian ponies used for the race. Injuries include broken bones and concussion.

Some were chased by wolves and packs of wild dogs.

The unmarked course changes each year and riders navigate by GPS.

Kemp was comfortable and confident around horses.

Friendships are forged between the riders in the Mongol Derby, a 1000 kilometre horse race in Mongolia.
Supplied
Friendships are forged between the riders in the Mongol Derby, a 1000 kilometre horse race in Mongolia.

The Kilgraven Lodge owner breaks in and pre-trains thoroughbred race horses but he was yet to meet the Mongolian horses used for the derby.

Described as the "ballistic missiles" of the 13th Century, these tough, revered steeds once carried the all-conquering Mongol warriors across half the world.

Endurance and speed was there niche.

Kemp had been considering the derby for five years.

Last year he "took the punt" and applied.

"I decided it was time do something for myself."

He will join 45 other riders from around the world, including three fom New Zealand.

Kemp said he could have eased into the world of extreme horse racing with shorter races.

But something easier would have been "cheating" himself.

"I am capable of more than that, and I will either make it or I won't.

"It's something different, an adventure out of my comfort zone.

"Challenging myself and what I can do."

He said people entered to win, others for the experience but all had thing in common, to face the challenge head on.

"After three days, the field breaks away," he said.

"The winners will go forward and the people there for the experience will just cruise and probably see more."

He has spent months preparing, but a 1000km race at a gallop is fairly difficult to train for.

"I have done 40km rides, but that's only one leg.

"Treks are walking or trotting, but these horses are designed for galloping for long distances."

And participants are in for a wild ride.

The horses belong to nomadic herding families and breeders along the 1000km course.

But it doesn't mean they are even tempered or broken in.

"I am told the hardest part is getting on them," said Kemp.

"I have spoken to a lot of people who have done the race.

"They say once you get going, you may not have steering but as long as you point them in the right direction, you are half way there."

About 1400 ponies were selected and trained for the annual race.

Horses must be swapped every 40km at stations where riders could also replenish food and drink or spend the night.

Participants could cover 160km a day, changing horses four-to-five times, riding up to 30 steeds throughout the race.

For the horses benefit, riders must weigh under 85kg.

They could carry an additional 5kg on the horse, including sleeping bag, medicine, clothing and shelter.

"It's damn hard to organise your gear," he said.

"You don't have a lot of room or know exactly what you will be facing day to day."

A GPS tracker ensured riders were retiring their horses every 40km and keeping the animals' heart rates down.

It also ensures riders were not on course between 8.30pm and 7am.

If riders don't find a station by 8.30pm, they either ask a Mongolian family to take them in, or sleep under the stars.

Failure to meet guidelines could incur a two-hour penalty.

A requirement of entry was fundraising $1000 for charity.

Half must go to Cool Earth, an environmental charity working in partnership with indigenous communities to protect rainforests.

The other half goes to the riders chosen charity.

For Kemp this is CatWalk SCI Trust, supporting spinal cord injury research to get people with paralysis back on their feet.

But Kemp doesn't do things by half and has arranged a charity auction during the New Zealand Bloodstock sales on May 7.

The guest speaker is Brendan Lindsay, founder of Sistema, who now owns Cambridge Stud.

Kemp said there isn't much for he can do to mentally prepare.

Despite the challenges ahead, he isn't one to quit once he has made up his mind.

"If I don't do it, I will regret it."

It's a costly experience, made possible with sponsors New Zealand Bloodstock, Prydes Feed, Livamol and Gregory Equine.

And it's not an experience he may want to repeat, so winning is his main goal.

"There is no point otherwise. I have a competitive nature, I like to do the best I can.