A fire in Mongolia's capital Ulan Bator has claimed the lives of four family members, local media reported Thursday, citing police.

The blaze broke out in a traditional ger, a round-shaped dwelling, in Bayanzurkh district on Wednesday night, killing a man in his 40s and his three children, aged one to 11.

An investigation is underway to find out the cause of the fire.

Housing remains a critical issue in Mongolia, particularly in Ulan Bator, where more than half of the country's 3.5 million people reside.

Over half of the capital's residents live in ger districts, where access to basic infrastructure such as running water, central heating and sewerage systems is lacking.

As a result, many rely on burning processed fuel and other flammable materials to stay warm and cook during the long and harsh winter. The city frequently experiences fires and other winter-related hazards, often linked to heating methods and fuel sources.

In a similar recent tragedy, six members of a family in the Bayangol district died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in late January. Preliminary findings suggest that they suffocated while using improved fuel for heating.

Ambassador Giovanna Piccarreta met today with the Rector of the National University of Mongolia, Prof. Ochirkhuyag Bayanjargal, to announce Italy’s contribution to the courses of Italian language and culture at the University, thanks to the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The meeting aimed at further promoting the Italian language and culture, as well as the academic collaboration between the two Countries. During the meeting, the success of existing collaborations with prestigious Italian academic institutions was highlighted. Many opportunities also exist in the scientific field, involving the respective centers of excellence.

The common goal is to facilitate academic mobility, the exchange of students and faculty, and the development of joint research projects.

Italy continues to strengthen its presence in Mongolia by investing in education, science, and culture as fundamental tools to enhance bilateral dialogue and promote sustainable and shared prosperity.

Petro Matad Limited (AIM: MATD), the AIM quoted Mongolian oil company, confirms that after completion of the certification process, the Block XX Exploitation Area which contains the Company's producing Heron oilfield, has been confirmed as State Special Purpose Land. This is the first oil exploration and production area in Mongolia to have been given this status.

The Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources recently secured the signature from the Provincial Governor on the Tripartite Agreement, the absence of which had been holding up the process, and the certificate has now been issued by the Central Land Agency. Under the Land Law, as State Special Purpose land, it will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources to secure the land access for all areas within the Block XX Exploitation Area required for operations.

Mike Buck, CEO of Petro Matad, said:

"We are very grateful to the Minister for his decisive action. Whilst we were able to get approvals for land use at the district level in 2024 and recently also for 2025, the newly confirmed categorisation of Block XX will streamline the land use process in future. We have fought hard to secure this result and we are pleased that the process is complete and the State Special Purpose certification is now in place".

It has been more than three years since the Revised Labour Law (Labour Law) came into force. For the first time, Labour Law provided detailed regulations for “roster shifts". According to Article 92.3 of the Labour Law, “For roster shift employees, the working day shall not last more than 12 hours, and overtime pay shall be calculated and paid based on Article 109.1 in accordance with Article 87. This article has created uncertainty in the application of the law and created a discrepancy between employees and employers as to how normal working hours were determined.

To clarify, the main point of contention is whether the normal working hours for roster shift employees should be calculated as 12 hours a day or 8 hours. Labour rights disputes over this issue have arisen extensively, and the Supreme Court (SC) has received and resolved several complaints. These types of disputes are usually resolved by the courts of first instance and the appellate courts, usually in favor of the employer. Instead, the SC received and resolved the complaints on the grounds that they were "bridging the gap in the application of the law" and that they were “of general importance in principle to the establishment of new legal concepts or the application of the law.“

This Legal Insight presents a brief summary of how roster shift working hours have been understood and applied in the SC resolutions.

What happened?

Between May and October 2024, the SC resolved several disputes related to roster shift working hours. The disputes focused on the issue of not considering 4 hours out of the 12-hour workday as overtime and not paying the corresponding overtime pay. The vast majority of the disputes were decided in favor of the employer, with the Court of First Instance and the Appellate Courts dismissing the claims. Instead, the SC held that the Court of First Instance and the Appellate Courts had failed to properly interpret the Labour Law and therefore had reason to rectify it and satisfy the plaintiff's claims.

Supreme Court’s analysis

Below is a brief summary of the main issues raised by the SC in satisfying the claim and resolving it in favor of the employees:

Firstly, the normal working hours for roster shift employees are 8 hours per day: Article 92.3 of the Labour Law states that the length of the workday for a roster shift employee is "not more than 12 hours," not "12 hours." In other words, the length of the normal working day for a roster shift employee shall not exceed 8 hours, and the employer may arrange for an extension of up to 4 hours as agreed with the employee, for a total of 12 hours.

Read the full examination and more:

Mongolia's leading mining project, Oyu Tolgoi, is set to hire 100 new employees.

The company has shared a public awareness posts on social media, providing information on the application process, onboarding, and addressing common misconceptions about working at Oyu Tolgoi.

Additionally, Oyu Tolgoi published its Q4 2024 statistics last week, highlighting key details and milestone accomplishments.

Learn more: www.facebook.com/share/p/18fxPSE6X9/

The GRÓ LRT Director, Dr. Sjöfn Vilhelmsdóttir, traveled to Mongolia from January 18 to 25 to visit partner institutions, meet with senior management, and interview candidates for the GRÓ LRT annual six-month training in Iceland. Mongolia has been a key partner country for GRÓ LRT since the programme's inception in 2007. Over the past 18 years, GRÓ LRT has welcomed fellows from ten Mongolian institutions, including academic and research institutions, government agencies, and non-profit organisations.

During her week-long stay in Mongolia, the GRÓ LRT Director visited nine institutions, including the Agency for Land Administration and Management, Geodesy and Cartography; the Institute of Geography and Geoecology; the Research Institute of Animal Husbandry; the Information and Research Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment; the National University of Mongolia; and the National Federation of Pasture User Groups of Herders. She also visited the Nature Conservancy Mongolia, GRÓ LRT’s newest partner organization, which will have its first fellows participating in the six-month training programme starting on February 28, 2025.

The GRÓ LRT Director’s visit to the Mongolian University of Life Sciences (MULS) was more extensive, covering both the Ulaanbaatar (UB) and Darkhan campuses. This visit was part of the GRÓ LRT and MULS Erasmus+ Mobility Project (2023–2026), which aims to further strengthen collaboration on teaching and training initiatives in restoration ecology. During the visit, the GRÓ LRT Director met with Professor Baasansukh Badarch, President of MULS; Mr. Sukhtulga Tserennadmid, Chief of International Relations and Partnership at MULS UB; and Dr. Mend-Amgalan Puntsagnamjil, Dean of Research and International Affairs at MULS Darkhan. A meeting was also held with key faculty members of the School of Agroecology at MULS UB. Additionally, the GRÓ LRT Director engaged with numerous former GRÓ LRT fellows who are now faculty members at MULS, both in UB and Darkhan. Shot seminars were conducted at both the UB and Darkhan campuses, where the GRÓ LRT Director gave a talk on the GRÓ LRT Programme and land restoration efforts in Iceland. This was followed by a presentation from a GRÓ LRT alumnus, who shared their experience of participating in the six-month training programme and pursuing a PhD in Iceland.

Finally, the GRÓ LRT Director took the opportunity to reconnect with former Mongolian GRÓ LRT fellows—now totaling 37, the largest national group of graduates from the GRÓ LRT six-month training programme. The Mongolian alumni played a key role in organizing and facilitating the Director’s visits to partner institutions. They participated in meetings to discuss ongoing cooperation between GRÓ LRT and respective institutions and delivered presentations on their research and experiences in the GRÓ LRT training. To conclude the visit, the GRÓ LRT Director hosted a dinner for the Mongolian alumni in Ulaanbaatar, providing an opportunity for further engagement and reflection.

During its regular session on February 5, 2025, the Cabinet of Mongolia granted the authority to sign the “Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Cross Border Railway Project” Agreement to Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources of Mongolia Tuvaan Tsevegdorj and Minister of Road and Transportation of Mongolia Delgersaikhan Borkhuu.

The draft Agreement between Mongolia and the People's Republic of China on Cooperation in Increasing the Coal Trade and the Capacity of the Tavan Tolgoi Coal Mine and Establishing the Gashuunsukhait-Gantsmod Cross-Border Railway was finalized after incorporating suggestions from Members of the State Great Khural (Parliament) of Mongolia during consultations with the relevant Standing Committee of the Parliament. Those proposals were conveyed to the Chinese side, leading to the conclusion of the Agreement.

The "Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2025,” one of the major Counter Strike 2 tournaments organized annually by ESL, is currently underway in Katowice, the Republic of Poland.

With a prize pool of one million dollars, the tournament invited Mongolia’s “The MongolZ” to the group stage based on their world ranking. On February 3, 2025, the Mongolian team defeated “Team Liquid” 2–1 in their first group match, and the next day, they secured a 2–0 win against “GamerLegion,” a Swedish team captained by Erik “ztr” Gustafsson.

With these victories, they have qualified for the tournament’s playoffs and set a new milestone by becoming the first Asian team ever to advance to the playoffs of an IEM series. On February 5, 2025, “The MongolZ” will compete for the top spot in their group against the winner of the “Team Spirit” vs. “Natus Vincere” match.