Medals seized at 55th IPhO www.ubpost.mn

Mongolian students delivered a remarkable performance at the 55th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), securing a total of two silver and three bronze medals, with every participant from the national team earning a place among the medalists. This marks a significant achievement for Mongolia in one of the world’s most challenging science competitions.
Representing Mongolia, five students showcased their advanced knowledge and problem-solving skills. Among them, G.Batbayar and E.Ichinbat, both students at the high school affiliated with the National University of Mongolia (NUM), earned silver medals for their outstanding results. M.Munkh-Orgil, a student at School No. 1, G.Azjargal from Sant School, and D.Enkhtugs of Absolute Elite School were each awarded bronze medals for their commendable performances.
The team was led by Dr. G.Munkhbayar, an associate professor at the NUM Department of Physics, and faculty member M.Otgonbaatar from the same department. Their preparation was guided by head coach Dr. Ts.Gantumur, a professor at NUM, and Dr. Ya.Munkhsaikhan from the Mongolian National University of Education. Supporting the team as observers were teachers N.Oyunchimeg from School No. 1, along with B.Bulgamaa and G.Buyankhishig from the NUM-affiliated high school.
This year's success underscores the strength of Mongolia’s science education and the commitment of both students and educators to academic excellence on the global stage.

Mongolia's Anthem Closes Their Home Grand Slam www.ijf.org

Through the first two days of competition at the Steppe Arena in Mongolia’s capital city, Japan extended their lead over all other nations but theirs was not the only national team performance of note. Mongolia’s own team equipped themselves admirably on each day, placing judoka on several podia.
The final medal table: Japan at the top and Mongolia second.
Odgerel (-73 kg) and Bold’s (-63 kg) gold medals on day 2 were particularly satisfying, giving the crowd their national anthem, always amazing for a host nation. The crowning glory of their team’s performance though came in the last fight of the day. Gonchigsuren Batkhuyag threw Japan’s Daigo Kagawa to reach the final and once there he continued to compete with focus and momentum.
The last contest of the last category of the last day was won by Batkhuyag in front of his spectators and it meant the last anthem of the day belonged to Mongolia, a fitting end to a great tournament.
Gonchigsuren Batkhuyag (MGL), a champion at home.
The local organisers did a great job welcoming the judo community to Ulaanbaatar, delivering glimpses of the culture and character of this impressive nation. The land of the eternal blue sky has again shown that this is a country of judo and of friendship. Thank you to federation President Mr Khaltma Battulga for his diligence and commitment to the development of judo in Mongolia and beyond.

Mongolia replaces Singapore as FIBA 3x3 Asia host www.insidethegames.biz

The global governing body revealed that the nation will organise the 2027 continental contest, with the event scheduled to take place from 31 March to 4 April in the heart of Ulaanbaatar, a city now firmly on the map as a global 3x3 basketball hub after five years on the city-state's soil.
The announcement follows the electrifying success of the FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2025, where over 50,000 fans filled Sukhbaatar Square for an unforgettable celebration of urban basketball. The Mongolian women's national team delivered a stellar performance, reaching the final and capturing national admiration. Their achievement was honoured with a presidential reception, as President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh welcomed the team and awarded them the title of honorary athletes.
"Mongolia continues to prove itself as a world-class home for 3x3 basketball," said FIBA 3x3 Managing Director Alex Sánchez. "The energy of the crowd, the atmosphere, and the standard of play make Ulaanbaatar the perfect host for the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2027. We are thrilled to return, a decade after Mongolia made history by hosting the very first Asia Cup in 2017."
Indeed, the capital of the North Asian nation already hosted the 2017 tournament, where it emerged victorious after defeating New Zealand 19-14. And two years ago, in 2023, despite not having the pleasure of organising the same continental showdown, as Singapore took the honour of lay on five consecutive editions, the Mongolians repeated their success. This time against another Oceanic powerhouse, Australia, the queen of the cup, having been crowned five times, three more than the second, which, interestingly, is Mongolia. Only Qatar in 2013, in the first series held in Doha, has etched his name in history as titleholder apart from the already mentioned.
The upcoming edition will be the latest chapter in Mongolia's track record of staging top-tier 3x3 events. The country has hosted a string of high-profile competitions, including the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup (2019), the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup (2024), annual stops on the Women's Series, and the FIBA 3x3 World Tour. With each year, the Mongol organisers have further cemented their status as a trusted and passionate organiser of international 3x3 clashes.
Fast-paced, urban, and driven by streetball culture, 3x3 basketball has rapidly grown into the world's number one metropolitan team sport. Played on a half-court with three players per side, the format debuted at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and has since evolved into a professional global circuit for both men and women, complete with national team competitions and international championships.
The 2027 Asia Cup will not only bring together the continent's top 3x3 talent but will also continue the small country of 3.5 million inhabitants' journey as one of the sport's strongest ambassadors in Asia. With its huge fanbase and proven capacity to deliver electric events, Ulaanbaatar is once again poised to shine on the global stage.

AI warning system gifted to Djibouti and Mongolia www.citynewsservice.cn

With extreme weather events on the rise, the China Meteorological Administration launched MAZU, a Joint Action for Early Warnings for All, at the opening ceremony World Artificial Intelligence Conference on Saturday.
Climate change is a critical challenge threatening the humanity and universal early warning systems and climate change adaptation have become urgent imperatives. Named after the Chinese sea goddess known for protecting sailors and coastal communities during storms, the action aims to build an early warning service network while sharing practical experience and technological achievements with global partners, according to the CMA.
"The core strength of MAZU is its ability to connect early warnings to real-world action," said Zeng Qin, director-general of the CMA's Department of International Cooperation. "It's not just about issuing alerts, but empowering people to act on them."
Also at the ceremony, the CMA donated "MAZU-Urban", a multi-hazard early warning intelligent system for urban applications, to Djibouti and Mongolia during the ceremony, marking its first international deployment.
AI warning system gifted to Djibouti and MongoliaTi Gong
A screenshot of the MAZU-Urban early warning system running on a tablet.
Designed to detect risks early and support faster responses, MAZU-Urban, unlike traditional alert systems, is built to serve a wide range of users – from national agencies and port operators to individuals.
It runs across three platforms: desktop, tablet, and mobile.
Government agencies can use the desktop version to track disasters in real time and pull up response plans tailored to local needs.
Industry users, like those in shipping and logistics, can access custom risk reports on the tablet version.
Meanwhile, the public can receive location-specific alerts, evacuation guidance, and emergency contact information straight to their phones.
The system also allows users to ask questions directly and get personalized safety advice, according to CMA.
Since its pilot launch in January, MAZU-Urban has been tested in 35 countries and regions across Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
MAZU-Urban is the first globally shared product developed by the Shanghai Meteorological Service in collaboration with other institutions, including the National Meteorological Center and the Shanghai Academy of AI for Science.
The system is expected to be adopted by more countries as a tool to improve disaster readiness at the city level.
In November 2024, China released a national action plan at COP29 aimed at boosting early warning and climate resilience in developing countries. MAZU-Urban is now part of that broader global effort.

Specialized Housing Finance Bank to Be Established www.montsame.mn

179 Patents Granted in First Half of 2025 www.montsame.mn

In the first half of 2025, 311 applications for patents on inventions and industrial designs were submitted by individuals and legal entities, 45 more than in 2024, according to the National Statistics Office of Mongolia.
A total of 179 patents were granted, including 48 for inventions and 131 for industrial designs. Compared to 2024, patents for inventions decreased by 12, while patents for industrial designs increased by 16.
By international classification, the granted patents include 16 in chemistry and metallurgy, 12 in human needs, 10 in various technological methods, construction, and mining, eight in mechanics, lighting, heating, pumps, and engines, five in physics, and one in electricity and textiles.
Additionally, 2,659 applications for trademark registration were submitted nationwide, of which 1,071 were international applications under the Madrid Agreement designating Mongolia. A total of 2,201 trademarks received protection, 52 more than in 2024, while 637 applications were refused registration.

Turning mortgage borrowers into captive market for only 2 companies www.ubpost.mn

Mortgage loans are as essential as air and water for low- and middle-income families. For a country striving to reduce air pollution, supporting home ownership through mortgage policy should remain a top priority. However, in recent years, the mortgage system has become entangled in bureaucracy, delays at commercial banks, and what many view as punitive processes—stripping the policy of its original intent and becoming a major source of stress and frustration for citizens.
For those already burdened by the complicated process of applying for a mortgage, yet another challenge has emerged: a new regulation introducing long-term life insurance requirements. Beginning next month, borrowers will not only have to pay for property insurance and collateral-related coverage but also for a substantial new insurance premium.
Officials have stated that the insurance rate will vary depending on the loan amount, repayment period, borrower’s age, and overall health condition. However, in practice, this explanation seems inconsistent. To put it bluntly, unless a borrower dies during the repayment period—at which point their surviving family might benefit—this new insurance burden is being seen by many as little more than legalized extortion.
Currently, over 115,000 households in Mongolia are paying off mortgage loans. Yet most of them, along with prospective new borrowers, are unaware of the exact terms of the new insurance policy or how much they will be required to pay. Vague information circulating on social media has fueled concerns, with some reports claiming borrowers may have to pay an additional 25 to 30 million MNT under the new policy.
In response, the Financial Regulatory Commission (FRC) issued a statement regarding the revised regulation, emphasizing that its core mission is to protect the rights of consumers and policyholders. According to the FRC, under the previous regulation, borrowers could choose between two types of insurance—accidental death or long-term life insurance. Most people opted for the cheaper option: accidental insurance. However, this often failed to provide real protection. A study shows that eight out of 10 borrowers who lose their ability to work or pass away do so from causes unrelated to accidents, meaning their insurance offered little to no benefit.
To address this gap and provide realistic protection based on actual risk, FRC has decided to implement a new insurance system in line with international standards. The new policy offers coverage for a wide range of risks that may occur throughout a person’s life—not just sudden accidents, but also long-term health issues and other serious conditions. As a result, anyone taking out a mortgage going forward will be required to purchase long-term life and health insurance. Existing mortgage holders will also have to comply with the new regulation when they renew or extend their loan agreements.
Moreover, FRC has announced that the new regulation has been included in the first annex of the Insurance Regulation, titled “Requirements and Indicators for the Operations of Insurers and Insurance Professionals”. Under this change, mortgage borrowers will be required to obtain standard property insurance for their collateral and, additionally, long-term life and health insurance from companies that offer such products.
Specifically, under the mortgage-related rules, borrowers are already obligated to maintain both property and life insurance coverage for the duration of their loan term. The new policy replaces short-term accidental insurance with long-term life and health coverage, while keeping the rest of the framework intact.
According to the FRC, there are currently 16 registered insurance companies in Mongolia that provide collateral insurance for mortgage loans. Of these, seven companies disbursed around 931 million MNT in claims for 470 insurance policies in the past year. In comparison, compensation under just 27 accidental insurance policies totaled 1.1 billion MNT. Despite this, disputes and complaints about claim settlements—especially those related to health insurance—remain frequent and unresolved.
This is one of the reasons officials are pushing to enroll borrowers in long-term insurance plans that offer five to six times greater protection than existing policies. The advantage of this new system is clear: it provides coverage not just for accidents but also for critical illnesses such as stroke and cancer, which are among the leading causes of death in Mongolia. However, for borrowers who used to pay around 100,000 MNT annually for accident insurance, the significantly higher premiums for long-term coverage will impose a serious financial burden.
FRC, however, defends the change, arguing that the increased premiums are justified by the expanded protection and are consistent with market principles. Unlike before—when companies could freely set their own premiums for accident and property insurance—long-term insurance rates will now be based on expert actuarial calculations and may vary accordingly.
Yet, the new regulation reveals a concerning reality: only two companies in Mongolia currently hold FRC-issued licenses to offer long-term life insurance products. This means that all existing and future mortgage borrowers—numbering over 100,000—will be funneled into purchasing long-term life and health insurance from just these two companies. Understandably, many citizens are deeply dissatisfied with this arrangement. Critics argue that FRC is relying on limited data to justify sweeping changes. The commission has claimed that eight out of 10 mortgage borrowers die from causes unrelated to accidents. But this statistical generalization has drawn skepticism, with some alleging that FRC is catering to the interests of the two licensed insurers, essentially turning mortgage borrowers into lifelong customers—if not captives—of these companies.
Taking the FRC’s logic at face value, if eight out of every 10 mortgage holders die from illness rather than accidents, then roughly 92,000 of Mongolia’s 115,000 mortgage borrowers are expected to die from disease or cancer. Such an assertion not only seems alarmist but also raises ethical questions about the motivation behind the regulation. Surveys show that 25 to 45-year-olds, the age group least likely to suffer from severe illness or death, make up around 85 percent of all mortgage holders. These are the economically active and relatively healthy segments of the population. Forcing them to purchase long-term insurance coverage en masse raises concerns about the true purpose of the regulation. Many suspect that it is merely a scheme to enrich the insurance sector—particularly the two favored providers.
Mongolia’s insurance system, critics argue, has long been designed to “milk” citizens rather than protect them. Mortgage-related insurance is no exception. For instance, a 30-year-old borrower like Dorj may pay insurance premiums for life, health, and collateral coverage until he is 50. If he remains healthy and pays off his loan like everyone else, he essentially receives nothing in return—unless he falls seriously ill or dies along the way.
Despite contributing millions in premiums over the course of their mortgage, borrowers under this system may never see a single tugrug returned. This stark reality underscores the punitive nature of Mongolia’s non-accumulative insurance model—one that demands payment without offering tangible financial returns. Under the current rates, long-term life insurance premiums range from 0.2 to 0.5 percent annually. For a borrower with a 100 million MNT loan, this translates to an annual premium of approximately 300,000 to 500,000 MNT. Over the life of the loan, borrowers may end up paying an additional six to 10 million MNT in premiums alone—without any guarantee of benefit unless they fall seriously ill or die.
FRC further defends this move by claiming that the policy is aligned with international standards. Yet, reality tells a different story. In many countries, mortgage insurance serves to protect the banking system from default risk—not to impose financial strain on borrowers. Long-term life insurance is rarely mandatory. In some jurisdictions, the state or the lending bank shoulders the insurance costs to ease the burden on borrowers. Moreover, where such insurance products are offered abroad, they are typically designed to be borrower-friendly: premiums are integrated into monthly repayments, options are flexible, and policies often come with a savings component. These accumulative, choice-driven models are built to protect—not exploit—the insured. They represent stable, legally codified systems that balance risk mitigation with financial sustainability.
In stark contrast, Mongolia’s current system requires all mortgage borrowers to purchase both property and long-term life insurance, regardless of individual need or preference. The premiums are high, the policies non-accumulative, and the participation mandatory. There are no opt-outs, no alternatives—just a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach that resembles an outdated, socialist-era mechanism rather than a modern, consumer-focused insurance framework. For many, this policy shift feels less like protection and more like coercion, prompting growing concern that the system serves the interests of insurers far more than those of ordinary citizens.

Mongolia welcomes nearly 350,000 foreign tourists in H1 www.xinhuanet.com

Mongolia welcomed nearly 350,000 foreign tourists in the first half of 2025, up 18 percent year-on-year, official data showed on Thursday.
During the period, almost 50 percent of foreign tourists were visitors from China, Russia and South Korea, data released by the Mongolian Tourism Organization showed.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth, the Mongolian government has decided to continue the "Years to Visit Mongolia" tourism program until 2028 to promote the development of four-season tourism in the country.
Currently, Mongolia's economy relies heavily on the export of mineral resources. Tourism promotion is considered one of the priorities for diversifying the country's economy and increasing the competitiveness of its tourism in the context of global competition.
The landlocked Asian country received a total of 727,400 foreign tourists in 2024, earning 1.6 billion U.S. dollars from the tourism sector.

Mongolia's industrial output shrinks 2.8 pct in 1st half of year www.xinhuanet.com

Mongolia's industrial output shrank by 2.8 percent in the first half of 2025, compared to the same period a year earlier, the country's National Statistics Office said Thursday.
The industrial output amounted to 18.6 trillion Mongolian tugriks (about 5.18 billion U.S. dollars) in the January-June period, according to the office.
The drop was mainly attributed to a significant decrease in the output of main mining and extractive products, it added.

Official agreement reached to open Busan port to Mongolia www.akipress.com

Head of Mongolia's consular-diplomatic mission in Busan Jadambaa Tsagaan-Uvgun held an official meeting with officials from the South Korean Port of Busan. The delegation included Port Director Song Sang-Geun, Vice Director and Head of the International Department Koo Ja-Rim, and Head of the International Logistics Department Sol In-Hae.
The Port of Busan, which began operations in 1876, is a major global hub. It is ranked the second-largest in the world for transit cargo and the sixth-largest for container traffic.
The port connects to 500 ports in over 150 countries, handling 400 million tons of cargo annually. It is considered a strategically vital transport and logistics center in Northeast Asia.
During an official meeting, Jadambaa Tsagaan-Uvgun and Song Sang-Geun, director of the Busan Port Authority, discussed strengthening trade and logistics ties. 
Noting that trade between the two nations is growing, Jadambaa Tsagaan-Uvgun highlighted that Mongolian cargo has traditionally been routed through the Port of Incheon. He stressed the urgent need to open a "second gateway" via the Port of Busan to accommodate the increasing trade volume.
Director Song Sang-Geun expressed his full support for the proposal and readiness to cooperate. He stated that the official launch of a dedicated section of the Busan Port for Mongolia would be initiated by signing a memorandum of cooperation between a relevant Mongolian organization and the Port Authority.
Both sides agreed that this new route would provide Mongolia with the most cost-effective and fastest conditions for transporting goods not only from South Korea but also from all maritime countries, including America and Europe.
The meeting concluded with a mutual understanding that this initiative is a crucial step toward elevating trade and economic relations and connecting Mongolia to the international transport network via Busan. Both parties expressed their commitment to quickly fulfill their obligations to facilitate the first shipment of goods.