PDAC: Canada, Australia risk falling behind in investment race, BHP boss says www.mining.com

Japan to give Mongolia $3.7 million grant aid for infrastructure www.mainichi.jp

Japan on Tuesday promised 545 million yen ($3.7 million) in grant aid to Mongolia to help improve the infrastructure of the strategically key nation sandwiched between China and Russia.
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and his Mongolian counterpart Batmunkh Battsetseg signed related documents after their talks in Tokyo, where they reaffirmed continued collaboration on the issue of Japanese abductees taken by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s.
"It has become more important for Japan and Mongolia to step up cooperation as special strategic partners for peace and prosperity," Iwaya said at the meeting. Battsetseg called boosting relations with Japan "one of the top priorities" of her nation's foreign policy.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry said 275 million yen will be provided to deliver air pollution monitors, while 270 million yen will be earmarked for equipment to develop the sewerage system.
Japan has been beefing up defense and economic ties with Mongolia, a landlocked country heavily dependent on China and Russia in terms of trade and energy, in recent years.
Japan has decided to provide the Mongolian military an air traffic control radar system worth 1.3 billion yen in the first provision under Tokyo's "official security assistance" program launched in 2023 to support like-minded states.
Mongolia, which maintains a friendly relationship with North Korea, has served as a mediator over the abduction issue. Tokyo and Pyongyang have no diplomatic ties.

The MongolZ Becomes the National Team of Mongolia www.montsame.mn

The MongolZ has officially become the National Team of Mongolia, allowing the Government of Mongolia to fully support the team and further develop esports in the country.
In recent years, The MongolZ has broken all Asian records in Counter-Strike 2 and is currently ranked 3rd in the world. The team is set to compete in the ESL Pro League Season 21 and other top-tier tournaments in Sweden, Denmark, the USA, Australia, Romania, and other countries.
Esports was introduced as a medal event in four categories at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, held in Hangzhou, China, in 2023. At the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, to be held in Japan in 2026, the program will expand to include eight esports disciplines.

UK-Mongolia Political Dialogue - Joint Statement www.gov.uk

Towards a Renewable Hydrogen Strategy for Mongolia (report) www.oecd.org

Courtesy Call on Prime Minister ISHIBA by H.E. Ms. Batmunkh BATTSETSEG, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia www.mofa.go.jp

Mongolians celebrate the Jubilee of Hope www.vaticannews.va

Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, shares how the central focus of Jubilee activities emphasizes formation and sharing with celebrations involving everyone.
On a day of intense cold, with temperatures plunging to 30 degrees celsius below zero, the extraordinary participation of the people warms the heart—and the soul.
On 29 December 2024, in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, the 2025 Jubilee opened with a solemn celebration that, even here in the farthest reaches of the world, could not be missed or overlooked.
The memory of that day remains vivid in the mind of Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, the Apostolic Prefect of this tiny Church community, which numbers around 1,600 baptized individuals out of a population of 3.2 million spread across a territory of more than 1.5 million square kilometers.
A grand procession
His detailed recollection, shared in an interview with Vatican News, helps reconstruct that day, which began with a grand procession that started outside the Cathedral dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, the seat of the apostolic prefecture.
"We began from the great cross that was used during the papal Mass during Pope Francis' Apostolic Visit in September 2023," he said. "After praying part of the Rosary outside, we solemnly entered the Cathedral, looking towards the other crucifix that stands above our altar, to which we directed our gaze and our prayers. It was a very intense celebration that allowed our people to feel in communion with the universal Church."
The Word of God and formation
The celebration marked a culmination in preparations by the faithful of the Ulaanbaatar Apostolic Prefecture. There have been many opportunities for formation and in-depth reflection, one of which best encapsulated the need to exercise hope, the central theme of the Holy Year.
"It was the experience of communion and animation with Gen Rosso, the international group of artists who came to visit us between the end of November and the beginning of December. Together, we prepared workshops and a concert. The common thread of these activities was the concept we called 'hoping together,' which was also the theme of the papal visit nearly two years ago."
Preparing well for the Jubilee also meant rediscovering the history of a local Church that has roots in an ancient Christianity but, in contemporary times, boasts only thirty-three years of existence.
"This too has been an exercise in hope, wanting to accept the Jubilee invitation to look to the future with eyes full of faith, never discouraged," he said.
Renewal and rebirth
During the Holy Year, the formation of the faithful will be a constant focus of activities. Information and catechesis will be made available to everyone so that the deep meaning of the grace of the Jubilee can truly be appreciated.
"In this regard, we are also thinking about a pamphlet with explanations on how to obtain an indulgence, which will highlight the true meaning of the conversion journey that we are all trying to undertake here. A renewal that must start from the continual purification of our hearts."
What Cardinal Marengo values most in this context of faith is the dimension of charity, an essential condition for receiving the Jubilee grace.
"The works of mercy, offering our struggles and sufferings to the Lord, are not insignificant. Nor are the sacrifices that everyone can make to participate in our formation meetings, like the pastoral week we will have in May," he said.
Parish pilgrimages
Although it will be difficult, almost impossible, for the faithful from Mongolia to journey to Rome on pilgrimage—not only due to the vast distance but also because of the high travel costs—the Apostolic Prefect explains that "the graces of the Jubilee reach us where we are and are manifested in initiatives that relate to everyday life: prayer, caring for others, multiplying mercy as a concrete way to exercise hope."
But beyond the pilgrimage that the faithful can make to the Ulaanbaatar Cathedral, there is another that is especially close to the Cardinal's heart: one aimed particularly at young people, which will take place in the nine parishes of the Prefecture.
"Five of them are in the capital, four are spread across the country. We realized that, in many cases, the faithful of one parish don't know the other communities well. So we thought that, when the good weather comes, we could organize mutual visits."
And since the distance between one parish and another can be hundreds of kilometers, Cardinal Marengo has thought of a "Jubilee passport," especially for young people.
"It will be a sort of identity card with personal data that can be stamped each time someone visits a parish. I believe this is a really beautiful way to thank the Lord for the gift of these communities scattered across such a vast territory."
The gaze of Mary
In Ulaanbaatar, the Jubilee is unfolding under the loving gaze of the Mother of Heaven, a title Pope Francis gave to the statue of Mary, which was miraculously found a few years ago in a northern city's landfill by a non-Catholic woman and then enshrined in the Cathedral.
"This is why the Cathedral is increasingly playing a fundamental spiritual role for the faithful, who can go before this small wooden statue and entrust their lives to the Virgin Mary."
By Federico Piana

Ban or Regulate? Mongolia’s Sports Betting Dilemma www.mongoliaweekly.org

Mongolia's government has launched a forceful campaign against online gambling and sports betting platforms, targeting the ubiquitous 1xbet. While cracking down on illegal operations and the alleged $500 million annual outflow is understandable, the move raises a fundamental question: Is prohibition the most effective long-term strategy? Or is it a costly, and ultimately futile, game of whack-a-mole?
The immediate actions – blocking websites, pressuring Meta to remove accounts, and contemplating a total ban on betting – are presented as a response to the "epidemic" of online gambling addiction and its devastating social consequences. These are genuine concerns.
The government is right to address the financial ruin and social disruption caused by problem gambling and sports betting.
However, Cabinet Secretary Nyam-Osoryn Uchral has also highlighted a critical economic dimension: the massive outflow of funds represents significant lost tax revenue.
This dual threat – social harm and economic damage – strengthens the argument for a regulated, rather than prohibited, gambling market. Experience globally demonstrates that outright bans rarely eradicate online activity. Determined users and operators find workarounds, such as VPN usage. 
The activity persists, driven underground or offshore, making it more difficult to monitor, control, and tax. 1xbet's continued presence in Mongolia, despite a previous Communications Regulatory Commission blacklist, is a stark reminder.

Golden statue of Chinggis Khaan installed in Mongolia www.akipress.com

The opening ceremony of the Chinggis Khaan's Royal Chamberand the installation of his 7-meter golden statue took place at the Chinggis Khan National Museum in Ulaanbaatar.
The sketch and modeling of the statue took two years. They were approved at the end of 2022, embodying the ideas of historians, researchers and scientists.
The details of the monument were based on the artifacts of the khans and nobility of the Mongol Empire and other periods.
President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa emphasized in his speech that Chinggis Khaan is not just a historical figure, but a source of pride for all Mongols.

China could restart import controls on coal as oversupply mounts www.bloomberg.com