1 MONGOLIA DRAGGED ITS WILD HORSES BACK FROM EXTINCTION – CAN IT SAVE THE REST OF ITS WILDLIFE? WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM PUBLISHED:2024/01/13      2 FOUR KILLED BY HEAVY SNOW IN MONGOLIA WWW.XINHUANET.COM PUBLISHED:2024/01/13      3 CHINA-MADE BUSES TO HIT THE ROAD IN MONGOLIA'S CAPITAL WWW.XINHUANET.COM PUBLISHED:2024/01/13      4 MONGOLIA'S GDP EXPECTED TO GROW BY 6.2% IN 2024 - WORLD BANK WWW.AKIPRESS.COM PUBLISHED:2024/01/13      5 CHINA'S IMPORTS OF MONGOLIAN COAL SET TO RISE AS TRANSPORT IMPROVES WWW.REUTERS.COM PUBLISHED:2024/01/13      6 RUSSIA BOOSTS FUEL EXPORTS TO CENTRAL ASIA, AFGHANISTAN AND MONGOLIA IN 2023 WWW.REUTERS.COM PUBLISHED:2024/01/13      7 MONGOLIA'S INFLATION DOWN TO 7.9 PCT WWW.XINHUANET.COM PUBLISHED:2024/01/11      8 PRESIDENT OF MONGOLIA INVITED HEADS OF STATE OF TWO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/01/11      9 63.2 PERCENT OF MILK AND DAIRY PRODUCTS DOMESTICALLY SOURCED WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/01/11      10 ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS TO BE BUILT AT 25 LOCATIONS IN ULAANBAATAR WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/01/11      ИНФЛЯЦЫН ТҮВШИН 7.9 ХУВЬТАЙ ГАРЛАА WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/01/14     АЮУЛТ ҮЗЭГДЭЛ, ОСЛЫН ТОХИОЛДОЛ ӨМНӨХ ОНООС 4.3 ХУВИАР ӨСЖЭЭ WWW.EAGLE.MN  НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/01/14     ОЛОН УЛСЫН ЗАХ ЗЭЭЛЭЭС 225 САЯ АМ.ДОЛЛАРЫН БОНДЫГ АМЖИЛТТАЙ АРИЛЖААЛЛАА WWW.IKON.MN  НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/01/14     "МОНГОЛЫН ХӨРӨНГИЙН БИРЖ" ХК НЭГ ЖИЛИЙН ХУГАЦААНД 15.1 САЯ ТОНН НҮҮРСИЙГ ₮7.4 ИХ НАЯДААР АРИЛЖЖЭЭ WWW.IKON.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/01/14     ИНФЛЯЦЫГ ТОГТВОРЖУУЛАХАД ЧИГЛЭСЭН МӨНГӨНИЙ БОДЛОГО ХЭРЭГЖҮҮЛНЭ WWW.MONTSAME.MN  НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/01/14     ИРЭЭДҮЙН БЭЛЭН БАЙДЛЫН ИНДЕКСЭЭР МОНГОЛ УЛС 124 УЛСААС 75 ДУГААРТ ЭРЭМБЭЛЭГДЭВ WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/01/14     XII САРД ШИНЭ ОРОН СУУЦНЫ ҮНИЙН ӨСӨЛТИЙН ХУРД ҮЛ ЯЛИГ СААРЧ, 9.9 ХУВЬ БОЛОВ WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN  НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/01/14     БҮХ ТӨРЛИЙН ТЭЭВРЭЭР 105 САЯ ТОНН АЧАА ТЭЭВЭРЛЭЖЭЭ WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/01/14     ИНФЛЯЦ 3 САР ДАРААЛАН НЭГ ОРОНТОЙ ТООНД ХАДГАЛАГДАВ WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/01/11     ӨНГӨРСӨН ОНД НҮҮРСНИЙ ЭКСПОРТЫН 92 ХУВИЙГ АВТО ЗАМЫН ХИЛИЙН БООМТООР ГАРГАЖЭЭ WWW.MONTSAME.MN  НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/01/11    

Events

Name organizer Where
”ТОКИОГИЙН ЗАГВАРЫН ЕРТӨНЦ” ҮЗЭСГЭЛЭН ЯАРМАГ RX Japan Tokyo

NEWS

64x64

Invest Mongolia 2016 www.mongolianbusinessdatabase.com

Mongolian Business Database (MBD) is officially supporting the Frontier Conference's "Invest Mongolia 2016" forum which will be held in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia between Sep 05-06.2016.
Please review the following announcement.

11th ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) has successfully finished on July 16. As the host country, Mongolia has given great impressions on a mere 3 million population country to world leaders including 11 head of States and 23 heads of Governments with the strong leadership of President Elbegdorj.
This is the landmark event for the diplomacy because 1.5 billion people in the world has watched the event on TV. Hence, we expect to see the spillover effects in a future.
In addition, Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) has enjoyed a surprising landslide victory on the General Election at the end of June taking 85% of the seats at the parliament. Immediately after the election, M. Enkhbold has become the Speaker of the Parliament. And, under his leadership, the opinions of the Parliament and the Cabinet will be united and the decision makings will be quicker.
Because of those two events, the sentiment of foreign investors will improve in a short term.
However, the really important issues from now on will be whether the contents of the plan of Action for the next 4 years announced by the Government will be feasible, consistent, friendly and acceptable for investors.
We particularly want to know the policies of the new leaders to revive the economy as soon as possible.
Also, we want to know the measures to make the policies consistent.
Remember that we are still waiting for the regional elections in October and the Presidential election next year. So, the pressures to expand the expenditure will be on the rise. However, we do not want to see the policies to be influenced by those sentiments.
We also want to see follow-ups of ASEM meetings in the latter half of this year.
As we host Invest Mongolia at the first week of September, we should know rough ideas of the directions of the country by then. So, this will be a great opportunities for everyone to get together.
Therefore, Frontier is pleased to invite you all to our upcoming “Invest Mongolia 2016” conference on September 5-6, 2016. This conference is one the of the largest events in Mongolia, which serves as a platform of bringing in people from the Government, key industries' players, financial institutions and global investors; where they get a chance to talk about several socio-political and economic development throughout the year. Thus, this conference will provide first-hand information you need to make your lucrative activities more fruitful.
We have successfully held the 9th Invest Mongolia on Sep 8-9, 2015 in Ulaanbaatar and the 3rd Invest Mongolia on Dec 9-10, 2015 in Tokyo with more than 1000 people attended from almost 30 countries in the world. For those of you who have not attended the conferences, please see the post conferences to learn more.

WHAT'S NEW THIS YEAR?
The assessments of the Action Plan in the next 4 years and whether the new Government will take investor friendly measures
What did Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM) mean for Mongolia and the rest of the world?
The overview of Mongolian Economy including updates on legal, accounting and other regulatory changes
The progress and its impacts of OT underground and other major projects to the economy
The launch of AIIB and its involvements to the infrastructure development in Mongolia
The Mongolian Banking Industry and the Bank Strategies
The development of the non-mining sectors including the Real Estate
The foreign Investment in Mongolia: Concerns & Opportunities
The outlook of the Bond Market and the challenges of the refinancing ahead of 2017 when massive amount of maturities will take place in the market
AN ULTIMATE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND NETWORK FROM KEY EXPERTS...
Registration is free of charge. For further inquiries, please contact at conference@frontier.mn
AN ULTIMATE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND NETWORK FROM KEY EXPERTS...
Registration here (free of charge!)
Two Day Program:
The two-day conference will consist of presentations and panel discussions. There will also be a segregated area for exhibitors.

Sponsor/Exhibit & Delegate participation
Sponsoring, presenting and exhibition opportunities are available for those wishing to gain visibility and expand their network with Mongolia’s most prominent leaders.

For conference information, please visit us at http://frontier-conference.com 
For any other inquiries, please email us at conference@frontier.mn

...


64x64

Japanese megabanks support fintech firms www3.nhk.or.jp

Leading Japanese banking groups are supporting startup firms that handle new services called fintech in the hope of taking them into their business.
 
Fintech refers to financial services employing the latest information technology to improve convenience for customers. Some analysts expect that fintech firms will eventually become a threat to banks.
 
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group is helping 5 companies that have proposed innovative technology and ideas.
 
Support measures include providing free office space and giving advice to turn ideas into business.
 
Mitsubishi UFJ officials say the startups have already come up with business ideas involving artificial intelligence and virtual currency.
 
Eiichi Kashiwagi, the head of a division supporting the companies, says creating innovative business is crucial for the survival of financial institutions.
 
He also says the banking group wants to take advantage of ideas proposed by the venture firms to improve its services.
 
Two other mega-banking groups, Mizuho Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, have held events to find promising IT companies.
...


64x64

Looming Brexit headache for Nissan’s Sunderland plant www.bbc.com

Nissan's car manufacturing plant in Sunderland is the UK's largest, producing 500,000 vehicles a year. But it could face a crunch point for investment as soon as next year, sources tell BBC Newsnight, as a result of the uncertainty following the vote to leave the European Union.
The question is how Sunderland, which employs nearly 7,000 people, stacks up against other plants in the Renault-Nissan Alliance while the details of the UK's future trading and customs arrangements with Europe remain unclear.
The Franco-Japanese group makes its plants bid against each other to win significant new production contracts, with Sunderland facing stiff competition from Renault plants in continental Europe.
Nissan has previously said that future investment in the UK will depend on a "number of important factors, including the UK's trade and tariff negotiations with the European Union" - a message reiterated by chief executive Carlos Ghosn in comments to the BBC last week.
However, sources have told Newsnight that this presents a looming issue for Sunderland.
Bidding is expected towards the end of next year or in early 2018 for the latest model of the Qashqai, Nissan's popular "crossover" vehicle. The new model would be slated for launch in 2020.
It seems unlikely that the UK will have finalised its trading arrangements with the EU within that time frame.
So under those circumstances, would Sunderland even be able to bid to build the latest Qashqai model? Or would the plant have to include potential trade tariffs into its calculations, driving up the costs of its bid?
The worry is that Sunderland could effectively be handicapped when it comes to the process of bidding for new work, referred to by one source as a "beauty competition". Uncertainty over tariffs is particularly significant, given that about 80% of Sunderland's production is exported.
Bidding is expected towards the end of next year or in early 2018 for the latest model of the Qashqai, Nissan's popular "crossover" vehicle. The new model would be slated for launch in 2020.
It seems unlikely that the UK will have finalised its trading arrangements with the EU within that time frame.
So under those circumstances, would Sunderland even be able to bid to build the latest Qashqai model? Or would the plant have to include potential trade tariffs into its calculations, driving up the costs of its bid?
The worry is that Sunderland could effectively be handicapped when it comes to the process of bidding for new work, referred to by one source as a "beauty competition". Uncertainty over tariffs is particularly significant, given that about 80% of Sunderland's production is exported.
Unite, the trade union, on Tuesday told Newsnight that the Sunderland plant was "one of the most efficient and productive in the Nissan/Renault global family".
It added: "Central to the continuing success of the UK car industry is continued access to the single market with zero tariffs - ensuring we safeguard decent jobs and investment for the future."
Nissan, whose operations support close to 40,000 UK jobs in its own facilities and through its dealerships and supply chain, said ahead of the June referendum that its preference was that the UK voted to stay within the EU. Despite that, 61% of people in Sunderland backed Brexit in the vote.
Since the referendum, the manufacturer has said it is "working closely" with the government, but warns that "it is in the interest of the businesses and people of the UK that a resolution is reached as soon as possible" in trade and tariff talks with the EU.
Those in Sunderland, eyeing the bid to build the latest Qashqai next year, would surely agree.
 
 
...


64x64

Norway may block UK return to European Free Trade Association www.theguardian.com

Norway could block any UK attempt to rejoin the European Free Trade Association, the small club of nations that has access to the European single market without being part of the EU.
 
Senior Norwegian government members are to hold talks with David Davis, the Brexit minister, in the next few weeks.
 
Some Brexit supporters have suggested that Efta would be one way of retaining access to the single market while honouring the referendum mandate to leave the EU.
 
Norway is not a member of the EU, but it has access to the single market from its membership of the European Economic Area (EEA), which groups all EU members and three of the four Efta members: Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, but not Switzerland.
 
Norway’s European affairs minister, Elisabeth Vik Aspaker, reflecting a growing debate in the country following the Brexit vote in the UK, told the Aftenposten newspaper: “It’s not certain that it would be a good idea to let a big country into this organisation. It would shift the balance, which is not necessarily in Norway’s interests.”
 
She also confirmed that the UK could only join if there were unanimous agreement, thereby providing Norway with a veto. Aspaker said she did not know the UK’s plans.
 
EEA membership requires the four EU freedoms: free movement of persons, services, goods and capital. Norway, in need of extra labour, does not oppose free movement, though the issue of asylum seekers and refugees is controversial.
 
An EU special summit in Bratislava in September and the Conservative party conference in October may provide greater clarity on the British government’s thinking, Aspaker said.
 
One concern is that Norway, through Efta, has signed trade agreements with 38 countries, including Mexico, Canada, Colombia, Morocco, Kuwait and Qatar. If the UK joined, those trade agreements might have to be renegotiated and future trade deals would become more complex.
 
During the UK referendum campaign, Norwegian government members, including the prime minister, Erna Solberg, repeatedly urged British voters not to follow the Norway example, saying: “Do not leave the EU, you will hate it.”
 
The largely pro-EU political class in Norway argue that the high price for access to the single market is a loss of sovereignty, since the country is bound by EU decisions without having a vote on how they are taken.
 
Britain was a founding member of Efta in 1960, a free trade organisation that was an appendage to the European Economic Community, the forerunner of the EU. In 1973, Britain joined the EEC.
 
By opposing a British return to Efta, where decisions are made by consensus, Norway would in effect block the UK’s chances of accessing the single market via the EEA, since only EU and Efta members can be part of the EEA.
 
Before the summer, Aspaker set up a working party within the foreign ministry to look into how to safeguard Norway’s interests.
 
She has stressed the need to retain good cooperative bilateral relations with the UK. But there are concerns that if the UK joined Efta, it might usurp Norway’s dominance of the small club or demand changes to the terms of the agreement.
 
Norwegian Labour party (NLP) officials are due to travel to the UK Labour party conference in September for talks on future relations with the EU.
 
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, told his party at the weekend that it needs to accept the vote to leave the EU, but has suggested the possibility of Norway-style access to the single market.
 
Sources in the NLP said there was growing concern at the consequences for Norway if the UK joined Efta. A source joked that the country might lose its superpower status in Efta, were this to occur. The combined population of current Efta nations is 14 million, compared with the UK population of 55 million.
 
Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, the leader of Norway’s Centre party, has accused the government of dawdling in responding to the Brexit vote, saying it needs to be proactive in defending Norwegian interests.
 
Audun Lysbakken, the leader of Norway’s Socialist Left party, has argued that the EEA agreement should be renegotiated with the UK’s help, saying countries “outside need a better model for cooperation with the EU than the current EEA agreement”.
 
He said he was amazed that his government did not want to have an open debate about a new relationship with the EU. “Throughout the spring, the government has been adamant that the EEA is not a good model and it is not something they would recommend to the British. Now they suddenly want to leave it as it is,” Lysbakken said.
 
“The EEA has created a significant democratic deficit through importing laws over which Norway has little influence.”
 
Polls in Norway have suggested that voters are divided over whether Brexit will be good for the country or whether it will signal the beginning of the end for the EU. Nearly 70% oppose Norway seeking to join the EU.
...


64x64

Turkey to transit Russian natural gas to Europe via Turkish Stream pipeline - Erdogan www.rt.com

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the Turkish Stream pipeline is going ahead and will be implemented swiftly. The announcement came after Tuesday's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg.
 
The Turkish Stream project was parked late last year due to the dispute between Moscow and Ankara after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane in Syria. However, with a thaw in relations the project is expected to be given another life.
 
The pipeline was announced by President Putin in December 2014 during a visit to Turkey. The project was to replace the abandoned South Stream pipeline through Bulgaria.
 
The Turkish Stream pipeline is intended to deliver gas from the Russian Black Sea coast to Turkey and on to Greece.
 
Initially, Russia’s Gazprom wanted to deliver 63 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Later the capacity was cut to 32 billion cubic meters. Turkey would take about 14 billion cubic meters, with the rest going to Europe.
 
The two sides also decided to continue with Turkey’s first nuclear power plant at Akkuyu. The agreement to build four 1,200 MW reactors at a total project cost of $20 billion was signed in May 2010. Before relations between the countries deteriorated, the first reactor was planned to be commissioned in 2022.
 
President Putin also said Russia intends to resume charter flights to Turkey, as Ankara has provided security guarantees for Russian tourists.
 
"We have considered the possibility of the resumption of charter flights. It’s a mere formality and time," said Putin.
 
The Russian President added that the number of Russian tourists visiting Turkey will soon return to pre-crisis levels, and that the sale of tour packages to Turkey resumed in June. On Tuesday, it was reported the number of Russian tourists visiting Antalya has plummeted 97 percent this year.
 
In February, Russia's Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov said Turkish exports to Russia fell by two-thirds soon after the jet incident. In November 2015, a Russian pilot died when his plane was shot down over Syria by a Turkish fighter.
 
Following the incident, Moscow introduced a package of economic measures against Ankara – a visa regime, travel ban, as well as an embargo on agricultural products and on hiring Turkish nationals. All major projects were also frozen.
...


64x64

World's 23 best cities for street food www.cnn.com

(CNN)Sidewalk vendors, push carts, holes in a wall -- even in cities with rich reputations for fine dining, some of the best meals are on the streets.

Places like Hong Kong have blurred the line between haute cuisine and quick comfort food, as humble dim sum diners win Michelin stars.
That's still the exception, but most chefs on the street aren't looking for that kind of recognition.
They're cooking for crowds who pack around their stands day after day.
Here are the 23 best cities in the world for street food, from quick snacks to moveable feasts.

Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok's Chinatown is one of the best city districts for street food.
Bangkok's Chinatown is one of the best city districts for street food.
It's impossible to avoid street food in Bangkok, where sidewalk vendors in different parts of the city operate on a fixed rotation.
Some take care of the breakfast crowd with sweet soymilk and bean curd, others dish up fragrant rice and poached chicken for lunch.
The late-night crowd offers everything from phad thai noodles to grilled satay.
Chef Van, of the French brasserie 4Garcons on Thong Lor Soi 13 in Bangkok, favors street food in Chinatown -- known locally as "Yarowat."
He recommends hoy tod nai mong, a crisp fried mussel pancake: "The chef and owner makes them one by one on the charcoal stove."
Another favorite: Kuay tiew kai soi sai nam phung: "It is noodle soup with chicken wing stew with young egg and pork intestine! I've had it since I was a kid."

Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo is home to more Michelin-starred restaurants than any city in the world, but Japanese cuisine often gets reduced to one thing: sushi.
Tokyo food lover Taro Namekawa likes to bring guests somewhere different, Teppen: Nakameguro, for grilled food.
"They are very famous for grilling extremely fresh ingredients in front of you, with special kinds of charcoal that can grill fresh ingredients with high heat quickly to trap all the goodness of them inside."
They serve sushi too, but the grilled meats and vegetables draw in young and old Japanese diners, especially workers on their way home.
"I like this place because it gives a surprise element to my foreign guests when they visit town."
It also has the benefit of being near the Meguro River, one of Tokyo's most beautiful spots for flower watching.

Honolulu, Hawaii
Rainbow shaved ice is a Hawaiian street classic.
Hawaiian food is a creative mishmash of cuisines, combining local traditions with the culinary tastes of successive waves of migrants from the mainland United States, Asia and Latin America.
The result includes an array of raw fish salads known as poke (poh-kay), as easily available as a sandwich in other cities.
Tuna and octopus are the two most typical options, prepared with flavors inspired by everything from kimchi to ceviche.
The city also has a thriving food truck culture.
The best is a bit of a drive.
On the Kamehameha Highway in Haleiwa on the North Shore, a shaded parking lot full of trucks gives a culinary tour of Hawaii.
Giovanni's Shrimp Truck covers shrimp in a sauce filled with chunks of caramelized garlic.
It's so good that it's become a cliched place to visit -- except that Giovanni's really is delicious.
Opal Thai churns out phad thai that would make a Bangkok vendor jealous, while Mike's Huli Huli Chicken schools visitors in the right way to prepare a Hawaiian classic.

Durban, South Africa
Perhaps it's because of Durban's lovely year-round weather, or maybe it's the Indian influence, but the city is southern Africa's reigning street food champ.
Local culture and cuisine is a blend sourced from Zulu, Indian and white South Africans, who each bring a little something to the mix.
The city is known for its curries, which over the generations have adapted to South African ingredients and tastes.
Little Gujarat, on Prince Edward Street downtown, is a humble but revered institution that remains true to the classic Tea Room takeaway, says Louis Foerie, a Durbanite and tireless advocate for the city.
It's vegetarian-only, and offers the distinctly Durban bunny chow -- a hollowed out half-loaf of bread filled with curry, like an edible takeaway container.
Sunrise Chip & Ranch, better known as Johnny's Rotis, is open 24 hours a day for comforting rotis.
"It's great to soak up the munchies, said Foerie. "The ultimate Durban street food experience supported by generations."
Afro's Chicken, which sits by the beach, grills up its poulet to order and offers shaded seating with an ocean breeze.

New Orleans, Louisiana
There's a saying in Louisiana that the gas stations serve better food than some of the country's finest restaurants.
For locals, street food first conjures images of the once ubiquitous Lucky Dog cart, made famous (or more aptly, infamous) in "A Confederacy of Dunces."
That's certainly an experience, but closer to the mark is a plate lunch, served up at gas stations and convenience stores.
Debates over where to get the best plate lunch can rival the passions reserved for truly important things -- like football.
Traditionally plate lunches meant comfort food like red beans and rice, served with andouille sausage and a heavily buttered slice of French bread.
Or perhaps a muffuletta from Central Grocery, famous for the sandwiches brought in by Sicilian immigrants.
More recent waves of migration have helped entrench taqueria trucks and pho noodles just as firmly into the city's street food scene.
For visitors seeking something distinctly New Orleans, chef Gigi Patout recommends fried alligator from Acme Oyster House.
"We always said it tastes like chicken," she said.
For something sweet, she suggests the New Orleans School of Cooking for pralines.
"They're made in front of you, it makes you want to buy them."

Istanbul, Turkey
The most recognizable Turkish street food is probably simit -- like a cross between a bagel and a pretzel.
Freshly baked, dipped in molasses and crusted with sesame seeds, they entice snackers from push-carts all over Istanbul.
Istanbul's street food offerings stretch far beyond.
Because so many people from around Turkey and the region migrate here, the city's sidewalks are a walkable sampler platter.
Durum are basically kebabs turned into wraps.
They can appear on menus of fine restaurants, but just as easily on street corners.
Turkish pizza, properly called lahmacun, presents a simple but satisfying meal at all hours of the night.
Under-appreciated overseas, Turkish ice cream is ubiquitous and immensely satisfying, especially in pistachio.

Hong Kong
Dining at a dai pai dong, a no-fuss street restaurant, is an essential Hong Kong experience.
Dining at a dai pai dong, a no-fuss street restaurant, is an essential Hong Kong experience.
For a city where scouring an entire district and eating street foods -- or sou gaai (street-sweeping) in local lingo -- is considered a preferred weekend activity, it's no surprise that Michelin decided to launch its first-ever street food guide in Hong Kong.
Hop Yik Tai (121 Lam Street, Sham Shui Po) serves some of the most silky cheong fun (steamed rice rolls soaked in soy, sesame and hoisin sauce) in town.
Fei Jie's (Shop 4A, 55 Dundas Street, Mong Kok) braised turkey kidneys and pig intestines attract a line of fans every day.
Indoor corridors beneath the Tai On Building, a residential complex, come alive every evening as it's turned into a vibrant late night food market.
Shau Kei Wan Main Street East and Kowloon City are two popular sou gaai destinations.
They're home to the city's best sweet tofu custard (Kung Wo Soy Product Factory, 67 Fuk Lo Tsun Road, Kowloon City) and Cantonese egg waffle (Master Low-Key Food Shop, Shop B3, 76A Shau Kei Wan Main Street East).

Paris, France
Dining in Paris can be an experience in itself.
The haute cuisine is, of course, the subject of entire books, schools and libraries.
But the city's humblest food also inspires.
On a cold day, nothing's more welcome than the appearance of street vendors roasting chestnuts.
And crepes, oh crepes.
They can be restaurant fare, but finding one on the streets around Montparnasse is even better.
A buckwheat crepe with gruyere, ham and egg -- crispy around the edges, soft in the middle -- satisfies at any time of day.
As does a simple spread of Nutella with a sliced banana.

Mexico City, Mexico
People used to Tex-Mex north of the border often don't know what to expect when they order Mexican food in Mexico.
It's practically a different cuisine.
Even the humblest taco stand in Mexico City has fresh tortillas and grilled meats, or tlacoyos (fatter than tortillas) topped with favas, cheese and a dollop of green salsa.
In recent years interest in native Mexican cuisine has exploded, making use of indigenous ingredients and methods for flavors impossible to experience anywhere else.
Tours like Eat Mexico guide newcomers through it all, from atole drinks of rice and masa for breakfast to late-night tacos and mexcal.

Cairo, Egypt
Some Egyptian street food has become takeaway fare internationally, with falafel, shawarma and kofta evolving into part of the global urban snack experience.
In Cairo there's still a world of other dishes to sample that haven't yet made their way overseas.
Koshary mixes rice, pasta, lentils and chickpeas, topped with a vinegary-tomato sauce.
Throw some fried onions on top for good measure and it's the tasty essence of street food: warm, flavorful, cheap and filling.
For dessert, hot tea helps wash down the kunafa, crystallized honey that's better than any of Willy Wonka's confections.

Marrakesh, Morocco
Jemaa el-Fna square in Marrakesh comes alive at dusk when street stalls are set up.
Smells of food fill the streets of Moroccan cities, and nowhere is the quality or diversity greater than in Marrakesh.
"Marrakesh is all about street food," says Anna Koblanck, who writes a blog on African food travel.
"In the evenings, the city gathers among snake charmers and musicians at the Jemaa el-Fnaa square to taste the incredible spread of Moroccan delicacies that are on offer from the street stalls.
"You'll find everything from freshly squeezed fruit juices to snail soup and sheep heads. It's a full-on feast for all the senses, and not particularly pricey."
"My favorite Moroccan street snack is the Meloui, a kind of pancake made of folded pastry that you buy hot off the stove.
"I had one in the market in Fes that was made with a spicy onion-based filling that was simply divine. It's a very heartwarming bite, a sort of comfort street food. You see these sold everywhere in Morocco, often in the food markets.
"Moroccans have a serious sweet tooth, and you find a lot of cookies and pastries sold in the stalls in the souks. It's a pretty, colorful and very tempting spread of sugar and calories -- mountains of delicately shaped and beautifully decorated creations."

Cartagena, Colombia
Walking through Cartagena is like wandering through one postcard after another, and the abundance of street carts, food trucks and kitchen windows make the journey so much better.
Almost every plaza has someone serving arepas, sort of like cornbread, sort of like a pancake, filled with cheese or eggs -- and always butter.
Open grills fire up skewers, chorizo, and other carnivorous delights.
On the lighter side, ceviche comes in little cups drenched in a red cocktail sauce reminiscent of old hotel restaurants.
Towards the end of the day, when it's time to cool off and relax, the Plaza de Trinidad has a stand serving mango pulp and vodka.

Portland, Oregon
Portland occupies a particularly privileged spot, near the ocean and surrounded by fertile green lands that produce excellent wine and the kind of small farms that make any straight-to-the-table business a viable option.
With an abundance of fresh and local ingredients, this is a city where street food rivals the finest restaurants.
"One of my ultimate favorite cheap eats is khao man gai at Nong's," said longtime Portland resident Chika Saeki.
"For $8.75 you get a large plate of poached chicken (you can choose white, dark or both), jasmine rice, her special sauce and a side of clear soup.
"That's it. It's perfect, and hits the spot every single time.
"Another spot that I frequent is Lardo. As the name implies, all wonderful things made of pork can be found here. But given it's Portland, there's a vegetarian option as well.
"My favorite is the pork meatball bahn mi sandwich ($9). The bahn mi is made with French bread made fresh from the bakery next door and the meatballs are packed with flavor. Combined with picked vegetables and Sriracha mayo, it's my all-time favorite sandwich."

Dakar, Senegal
Early in the morning, vendors appear on street corners with freshly baked baguettes, ready to be brought home for breakfasts or enjoyed on the sidewalks with simple fillings like deliciously greasy eggs.
Or with Chocoleca, the Senegalese version of Nutella that combines chocolate and peanuts instead of hazelnuts.
It's like a jar of melted Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
For lunch, it's time for thiebou dieune, the national dish with many spellings but a singular devotion.
The thieb is rice and the dieune is fish, which can have a spicy stuffing, accompanied by veggies like carrots, potatoes or eggplant.
The dish is cooked in a broth that makes it rich and flavorful.
The intensity of the spice is usually not too heated, but the chilies on the side must be added gingerly.

Bali, Indonesia
Bali's babi guling may be the island's most iconic dish.
Bali's babi guling may be the island's most iconic dish.
Ok so this one isn't a city.
But as a destination, Bali has an almost mythic quality.
It's entranced writers for decades with its mix of spiritual retreats and surfing, stunning geography and relaxed culture.
The food is as wide-ranging as everything else on Bali.
"Traditionally the best Balinese food is ceremonial, with these days some of the best dishes served in streetside restaurants," said Bali-based Samantha Brown, co-founder of Travelfish.org, an independent guide to Southeast Asia.
"One not to be missed dish is babi guling, a Balinese take on suckling pig, where various dishes using the entire pig are served. Nothing goes to waste."
"While Ibu Oka's in Ubud is the usual recommended place to go, Warung Babi Guling in Sanur is my pick (and doesn't attract the tourist hordes)."

Port Louis, Mauritius
Food in Mauritius is a mix of African, Indian, French and Chinese.
The emphasis, understandably, is often on seafood and beaches.
Food trucks set up tables near popular spots like Grand Baie with quick Asian fare and fresh seafood.
Most bakeries also offer "gateaux napolitaines," a Mauritian pastry that is essentially a jam-filled biscuit (made with only the good stuff, butter and flour) and then covered in pink icing.
But in the capital Port Louis, people head to the sidewalks for dhal puri, Indian crepes made with ground split peas and filled with veggies, coriander and as much (or as little) chili as a human can take.
One of the best is at the corner of Sir William Newton and Remy Ollier roads, between noon and 1 p.m. Latecomers leave hungry.
When the vendor runs out, he scoots off on his moped.
Mumbai, India
The eateries on Mohammad Ali Road don't all have menus, or even signs, but the crowds show where to go and what to eat.
The fancier options like Janata have an air-conditioned room to escape the heat or the rain while tucking into colorful kebabs or delicate partridges.
Farther along are hearty biryanis, sweet mango lassis and malpua pancakes.
For a smaller snack, Anand's stall fries up golden vada pav, essentially seasoned balls of mashed potatoes jazzed up with garlic, chili and herbs.
And the caramel custard known as firni satisfies even the most jagged sweet tooth.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Perched on a plastic stool on the sidewalk, with a steaming bowl of pho, watching the chaotic traffic on the streets all around -- it's a perfect afternoon in Ho Chi Minh City.
There are other options than pho, of course, but the clear broth and warm noodles are one of the world's great comfort foods.
Banh mi sandwiches are another Vietnamese street food exported successfully around the world.
Here the baguette could be filled with a diverse selection of meats including pate, sausage and shredded pork skin.
For top-notch people watching, Pham Ngu Lao Street has a place that serves BBQ pork and rice, close to many popular sites like the Ben Tranh Market and the Ho Chi Minh Fine Arts Museum.

Miami, U.S.
Despite its name, the Cubano sandwich is a Miami signature.
Miami is home to amazing Cuban food, none more so than the humble Cubano sandwich.
Ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard, toasted like a Panini to fill the mouth with crunchy, chewy, savory goodness.
This is the sandwich Jon Favreau makes playing the title role in "The Chef." In the movie, the sandwich is so good it revitalizes his career.
Is a Cubano actually that powerful?
Yes, it is.

Rome, Italy
Italian food has traveled so widely and become intertwined with other cultures around the world that tasting the original is a revelation.
The pizza at Pizzarium, near the Vatican, aka Bonci pizza rustica, carefully concocts slow-leavened doughs from stone-ground flour that gets topped with fresh, seasonal ingredients.
They also bake breads that will convert even the staunchest low-carb acolytes.
Chef Gabriele Bonci also has a patisserie called Panificio Bonci, a perfect spot for an espresso and exploring ancient methods of bread-making with heritage grains being grown again on small farms.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Life on the beach in one of the world's most beautiful cities is exhausting.
Which is why Carioca cuisine includes treats meant for eating by the water. Empada pastries are filled with savory bits of chicken or cheese and make a great lunch.
For cooling off, Brazil's wealth of tropical fruits have been juiced and frozen into popsicles called sacoles.
Tapioca branches into new frontiers in Rio, where it's fried into a crepe that's crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle.
The savory options usually involve cheese or chicken, but it's the sweet ones filled with bananas and coated with sweetened condensed milk that shouldn't be missed.

Sydney, Australia
Street food is one of the many ways in which Australia has benefited from Asian and Middle Eastern immigration.
New flavors and new ways of eating have taken hold in the streets of Sydney.
The Sydney Fish Market remains a wonderful place to get fresh seafood, which Peter's Seafood Cafe will cook from their shop window.
Served simply but expertly, there's fish and chips as well as BBQ octopus and soft-shell crab.
But Vietnamese, Chinese and Middle Eastern food are what's really being served up across a city that embraces banh mi, noodles and babaganoush.
The global fare shows up in neighborhood dives but also in the Carriageworks Farmers Market, which offers local breads and cheeses as well as Chinese dishes by TV chef Kylie Kwong.

Beijing, China
The famous, much-craved jianbing.
Much of Beijing's street food is now available off the streets and in organized food courts, where customers buy a card that they load with cash and swipe at each vendor.
The Jiumen Snack Street, surprisingly well-hidden among the narrow paths of the hutongs around Houhai lake, hosts many of the vendors who once shouted at patrons on the sidewalk.
Now they shout at patrons in a building.
They claim to offer 200 kinds of snacks, drinks and desserts, but that could be a low count.
Many of the same dishes are on offer on Wangfujing Snack Street, a pedestrian way that includes a night market and lots of food on sticks, including unusual nibbles like scorpions and seahorses.
Both places offer foods from all over China, including spicy Sichuan dishes and steaming bowls of noodles.
Wangfujing also sells souvenirs, making it popular with both foreign and domestic tourists

...


64x64

China warns U.K.: Don't dump $23B nuclear power project www.cnn.com

China has a clear message for Britain: Dump a joint nuclear power project and you'll pay the price.
A deal for a Chinese state-owned company to help build a nuclear plant in southwest England was announced amid much fanfare during a visit by President Xi Jinping last October.
But the $23 billion Hinkley Point project is being reviewed by new British Prime Minister Theresa May, who succeeded David Cameron in the wake of the Brexit vote in June.
That's not sitting well with China.
"Right now, the China-U.K. relationship is at a crucial historical juncture," China's ambassador to Britain, Liu Xiaoming, wrote in an article for the Financial Times.
"I hope the U.K. will keep its door open to China and that the British government will continue to support Hinkley Point — and come to a decision as soon as possible so that the project can proceed smoothly," he added.

His warning comes at a delicate time for the U.K. economy. The Bank of England last week forecast lost growth and higher unemployment as it cut interest rates in response to the decision to leave the European Union.
Having thrown the future of its relationship with its biggest trading partner up in the air, Britain is looking to boost trade and investment ties with the rest of the world.
Liu pointed out in his article that Chinese companies have invested more in the U.K. over the past five years than in France, Germany and Italy combined. China also accounted for just over 3% of U.K. exports last year.

The Hinkley Point B nuclear power plant in southwest England. In October, the UK government struck a deal with France's EDF and China's CGN to build a new plant in the area.
Under the deal announced in October, China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) would have a 33.5% stake in the power plant. France's EDF (ECIFY) will hold the rest.
The bigger prize for China, though, is a related deal to build another nuclear power plant some 60 miles northeast of London, using its own reactor technology. It would have 66.5% of that venture.
May hasn't given much away about her reasons for delaying the decision on Hinkley Point.
But the deal was controversial from the start, with critics warning that giving China access to vital infrastructure could compromise national security. The plan has also come under fire for guaranteeing an electricity price way above market levels.

British media point to an article written by Nick Timothy, one of May's top advisers, warning about China's role in Hinkley Point.
"No amount of trade and investment should justify allowing a hostile state easy access to the country's critical national infrastructure," he wrote when the deal was announced.
That's in stark contrast to Cameron's declaration last year of a "golden era" in China-U.K. relations. His government aggressively courted investment from China.
Many countries, including China, ban foreign investment in huge energy projects. They worry that giving other countries access to such infrastructure could backfire if relations take a turn for the worse.
But China's state news agency Xinhua advised the U.K against taking such an approach in an article last week.
"For a kingdom striving to pull itself out of the Brexit aftermath, openness is the key way out," it said.

...


64x64

Another change of heart may breathe life into South Stream www.rt.com

Bulgaria has apparently changed its mind again on the energy project to deliver Russian natural gas to Southern Europe. According to Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov, Moscow and Sofia could restart the South Stream negotiations.

The Prime Minister said the two countries will create working groups to restore energy cooperation. Among other projects on the table is the Belene nuclear power plant, suspended in 2009.

Brussels opposed the South Stream pipeline, claiming the project violated the European Union's Third Energy Package. The ruling stipulates that the same company, in this case Russia's Gazprom, is forbidden to both provide and transport gas. The pipeline was intended to transport gas from Russia under the Black Sea to Bulgaria, then to Serbia and Western Europe.

In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow is still interested in the project, but Gazprom could not proceed due to EU roadblocks.

“How could we spend €9 billion just to have all this metal sink into the sea, without having secured the right to enter Bulgarian territory? But of course, as soon as we realized what was happening, we shut down any further work. We did not abandon the project, we were stopped from implementing it,” said Putin.

After Gazprom cancelled South Stream in December 2014, the company planned to reroute the pipeline through Turkey. The Turkish Stream project was also shelved late last year due to the conflict between Moscow and Ankara after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane in Syria. However, with the thaw in relations between the countries, the project may be given another life.

The renewed activity from Bulgaria is linked to €550 million in compensation to Russia for the cancelled Belene nuclear power plant.

In 2006, Bulgaria contracted Russia's Rosatom to build two 1,000 megawatt reactors at Belene on the Danube River. The project was abandoned after failing to attract €10 billion in investments.

"The arbitration ruling in its essence says that [Bulgarian state energy firm] NEK and Atomstroyexport should sit together and decide whether they will build that reactor, whether they will sell it and be done with it," said PM Borisov after the court decision.

...


64x64

OT gold production to increase contrary to copper output www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Minister of Mining and Heavy industry Ts.Dashdorj received the leaders of Oyu Tolgoi LLC on August 9, for presentation of the current state of developments of the Oyu Tolgoi Project.

OT was represented at the meeting by Director of Board G.Batsukh and former CEO Andrew Woodley, as well as the Country Director for Mongolia of Rio Tinto S.Munkhsukh and others.

They stated that the company keeps safety and national procurement principles as priorities, and informed that 93 percent of staff are Mongolian citizens, as of the end of the second quarter of 2016. The company prefers to cooperate with Mongolian suppliers, owned by Mongolians for at least 51 percent.

To the Minister’s question on the production performance, the OT leaders stated that copper production is likely to reach 204 thousand tons, slightly lower that the estimation of 208 thousand tons, by the end of this year, while the gold production is expected to go up due to the possibility to extract high grade ores from the second phase of ground mine.

Present were also, the Vice Minister Kh.Badamsuren, A.Undraa MP and the heads of departments and divisions of the Ministry.

...


64x64

Police Raid IKEA's Russian Headquarters www.themoscowtimes.com

Russian police have raided the Russian headquarters of Swedish furniture company IKEA, local media reported Tuesday.

IKEA, which is currently based in Khimki, northern Moscow, has been involved in a number of long-term legal battles with the Russian government and local business.

A spokesperson for the company said that the searches were an attempt to blackmail the retail behemoth.

“The searches are taking place in relation to the legal dispute over the land. They’re searching for documents from 1993 over land rights. We are providing what is being asked for,” Semyon Shevchenko, a lawyer for IKEA Russia, told the RIA Novosti news agency.

“IKEA has been in Russia for over 20 years and is one of the largest investors in Russia’s economy. We do not plan to give into blackmail, even under such pressure,” he said.

Officers from Moscow region’s economic crimes unit searched IKEA’s offices in April after the regional branch of Russia’s Interior Ministry initiated a criminal case against the retailer on charges of fraud.

The Khimki Collective Agricultural Enterprise (KSPhP) took IKEA to court in 2012, claiming that IKEA had the obtained the offices from them fraudulently during the previous year.

...