1 MONGOLIA PM FACES LIKELY CONFIDENCE VOTE AMID CORRUPTION CLAIMS WWW.AFP.COM PUBLISHED:2025/06/02      2 RIO TINTO FINDS ITS MEGA-MINE STUCK BETWEEN TWO MONGOLIAN STRONGMEN WWW.AFR.COM PUBLISHED:2025/06/02      3 SECRETARY RUBIO’S CALL WITH MONGOLIAN FOREIGN MINISTER BATTSETSEG, MAY 30, 2025 WWW.MN.USEMBASSY.GOV  PUBLISHED:2025/06/02      4 REGULAR TRAIN RIDES ON THE ULAANBAATAR-BEIJING RAILWAY ROUTE TO BE RESUMED WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2025/06/02      5 MONGOLIAN DANCE TEAMS WIN THREE GOLD MEDALS AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CHOREOGRAPHY LATIN 2025 WWW.MONTSAME.MN  PUBLISHED:2025/06/02      6 RUSSIA STARTS BUYING POTATOES FROM MONGOLIA WWW.CHARTER97.ORG PUBLISHED:2025/06/02      7 MONGOLIA BANS ONLINE GAMBLING, BETTING AND PAID LOTTERIES WWW.QAZINFORM.COM PUBLISHED:2025/06/02      8 HOW DISMANTLING THE US MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WILL UNDERMINE MONGOLIA WWW.THEDIPLOMAT.COM PUBLISHED:2025/05/30      9 ORBMINCO ADVANCES BRONZE FOX PROJECT IN KINCORA COPPER PROJECT IN MONGOLIA WWW.DISCOVERYALERT.COM.AU PUBLISHED:2025/05/30      10 MONGOLIA SOLAR ENERGY SECTOR GROWTH: 1,000 MW BY 2025 SUCCESS WWW.PVKNOWHOW.COM PUBLISHED:2025/05/30      ЕРӨНХИЙЛӨГЧ У.ХҮРЭЛСҮХ, С.БЕРДЫМУХАМЕДОВ НАР АЛБАН ЁСНЫ ХЭЛЭЛЦЭЭ ХИЙЛЭЭ WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/06/02     Н.НОМТОЙБАЯР: ДАРААГИЙН ЕРӨНХИЙ САЙД ТОДРОХ НЬ ЦАГ ХУГАЦААНЫ АСУУДАЛ БОЛСОН WWW.ITOIM.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/06/02     Л.ТӨР-ОД МҮХАҮТ-ЫН ГҮЙЦЭТГЭХ ЗАХИРЛААР Х.БАТТУЛГЫН ХҮНИЙГ ЗҮТГҮҮЛЭХ ҮҮ WWW.EGUUR.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/06/02     ЦЕГ: ЗУНЫ ЗУГАА ТОГЛОЛТЫН ҮЕЭР 10 ХУТГА ХУРААЖ, СОГТУУРСАН 22 ИРГЭНИЙГ АР ГЭРТ НЬ ХҮЛЭЭЛГЭН ӨГСӨН WWW.EGUUR.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/06/02     УУЛ УУРХАЙН ТЭЭВЭРЛЭЛТИЙГ БҮРЭН ЗОГСООЖ, ШАЛГАНА WWW.EGUUR.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/06/02     ГАДНЫ КИБЕР ХАЛДЛАГЫН 11 ХУВЬ НЬ УИХ, 70 ХУВЬ НЬ ЗАСГИЙН ГАЗАР РУУ ЧИГЛЭДЭГ WWW.ZINDAA.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/06/02     НИЙТИЙН ОРОН СУУЦНЫ 1 М.КВ-ЫН ДУНДАЖ ҮНЭ 3.6 САЯ ТӨГРӨГ БАЙНА WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/06/02     ГОВИЙН БҮСИЙН ЧИГЛЭЛД УУЛ УУРХАЙН ТЭЭВЭРЛЭЛТИЙГ БҮРЭН ЗОГСООНО WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/05/30     СОР17 УЛААНБААТАР ХОТНОО 2026 ОНЫ НАЙМДУГААР САРЫН 17-28-НД БОЛНО WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/05/30     НИЙСЛЭЛИЙН ТӨР, ЗАХИРГААНЫ БАЙГУУЛЛАГЫН АЖИЛ 07:00 ЦАГТ ЭХЭЛЖ 16:00 ЦАГТ ТАРНА WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2025/05/30    

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MBCC “Doing Business with Mongolia seminar and Christmas Receptiom” Dec 10. 2024 London UK MBCCI London UK Goodman LLC

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Boris Johnson’s half-brother accused of false complaint in Mongolian mining dispute www.ft.com

A Mongolian businessman has accused Boris Johnson’s half-brother of pursuing a spurious fraud complaint against him in order to wrest control of a mining project.
Max Johnson, the youngest son of the UK prime minister’s father Stanley, is seeking to recover a $19m investment in the Zasag Chandmani mines on behalf of Simon Murray, the former chair of Glencore.
After allegations from Johnson, the Mongolian police have investigated ZCM’s owner Buyantogtokh Dashdeleg on suspicion of embezzlement and money laundering and sent a report to the general prosecutor.
Buyantogtokh, who is seeking asylum in the US, fiercely denies the allegations and in his first public comments on the matter said Johnson put “huge pressure” on the Mongolian government to start criminal proceedings. Although a trial has been ordered, a case has yet to be called to court.
“I cannot afford to remain silent any more,” Buyantogtokh told the Financial Times. “The Mongolian government is trying very hard to attract foreign investment . . . and it is extremely challenging for them to push back against someone like Max Johnson.”
The dispute between Johnson and Buyantogtokh comes at a sensitive time for Mongolia, which needs more foreign capital to develop its natural resources but is locked in a bitter row with Rio Tinto over a late-running $6.8bn underground copper project.
Buyantogtokh insisted he could prove the money invested by Murray’s investment vehicle GRF Paragon was appropriately spent. “There are videos of the construction progress which I can share with anyone interested to verify this,” he said, adding that if the evidence against him was so overwhelming, “one would reasonably ask why this case is still ongoing two years later?”
“This matter is 100 per cent a civil matter and I’ve tried on many occasions to resolve it with Max. I have never said that I don’t owe GRF money and I have tried to reach an amicable settlement many times with Max,” he said. Buyantogtokh fears he could be stripped of the project if he is found guilty of fraud.
A former child actor, Johnson was educated at Eton and Oxford university, where he studied Russian. He first visited Mongolia in 2006 during the Naadam festival of traditional sport. He “fell in love with the country” and made a promise “to find some career choices that would bring me back here”, Johnson told Eagle News during a visit to Mongolia in September.
“In 2016 when Murray invested in Mongolia I was obviously aware,” said Johnson, who knew Murray from his days as a metal trader in Hong Kong. “He asked me to join the project in 2018, which I did.”
Murray’s private investment group GEMS set up GRF in 2015 to invest in ZCM, owner of a high-grade copper, gold and iron project.
Between 2016 and 2018, the fund invested $19m in ZCM in return for convertible loan notes — its only asset — that it could eventually exchange for a stake in the company.
Six months after the final tranche of cash was transferred, Johnson joined the project.
In Johnson’s telling of the story it became clear to him that the $19m invested by GRF had not been spent on developing the mine. In 2019 he reported his concerns to the Mongolian police, who launched an investigation, at which point work on the mine stopped.
“We would very much like the case to be heard in court,” Johnson told Eagle News. “Obviously we will respect the decision of the Mongolian judicial system — it is an independent, impartial authority.”
Buyantogtokh says these allegations are false. Independent analysis of ZCM’s financial statements between 2015 and 2018, prepared by accountants BDO and seen by the FT, found “no evidence proving cases of abuse of power and embezzlement and/or misappropriation of funds” by Buyantogtokh.
According to Buyantogtokh, a GRF team was actively involved with the project. “Not once did they raise an issue,” he said. “They visited the mine site every few months, visited Mongolia monthly for board meetings and received detailed monthly financial and operational reports from a team of expatriates working on this project.”
He added that Johnson resorted to legal proceedings only after Buyantogtokh acquired senior secured debt in ZCM from Noble Group, the commodity trader, in 2018.
“This put GRF in a very weak position as their debt was second ranking secured. I believe confronted with this reality, Max decided to pursue criminal proceedings as he had little civil recourse.”
Johnson said: “We cannot comment at this time due to the ongoing legal process but as soon as we can, we would be happy to do so.”
However, he told the Sunday Times in September that he was facing a personal loss of £1.5m in Mongolia and was “acutely aware” of the risks of any trading on the Johnson name.
Murray did not respond to requests for comment.
Asked why he had left Mongolia in 2019, Buyantogtokh said it was for a medical procedure. He decided not to return after learning that the authorities were investigating his wife, he added.
“Confronted with powerful adversaries, I felt my only chances of fairly resolving this entire matter was to go to the US and take my family with me,” he said.
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Prime Minister holds telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart www.montsame.mn

On November 9, Prime Minister of Mongolia L.Oyun-Erdene held a telephone conservation with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin.
The two Prime Ministers expressed their pleasure for that the two countries are marking the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and the Russian Federation throughout the whole year. The two sides noted that during the historical period of time, the two countries have overcome biggest challenges with joint efforts and made great achievements in the development.
Furthermore, discussions were held on intensifying preparations to make the upcoming visit of the President of Mongolia to Russia more effective.
Mentioning that the issue related to the establishment of a company jointly with Rosneft company that would supply fuel for the new Chinggis Khaan International Airport was resolved, PM L.Oyun-Erdene noted the importance of consistent supply of fuel to Mongolia in accordance with the schedule. Russian side undertook to put emphasis on the issue.
He also emphasized the possibility of Russian entities’ participation in railway and energy projects to be implemented in Mongolia.
The parties agreed to hold a regular meeting of the Mongolia-Russia Intergovernmental Commission within this year to discuss and resolve the issues, touched by the Prime Ministers of the two countries. The Prime Ministers also agreed to continue to work closely and to meet in person at mutually convenient time.
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Qatar eager to invest on Mongolian mining and agricultural sectors www.news.mn

Mrs. B.Battsetseg, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Mongolia held meeting with Qatar Chamber (QC) first vice chairman Mohamed bin Ahmed bin Towar al-Kuwari.
The meeting touched on economic and trading ties between both countries and ways to enhancing them, promoting co-operation between Qatari and Mongolian companies and investment opportunities available in both sides.
The delegation briefed the Qatari side on the investment climate of Mongolia and promising sectors such as mining and agriculture.
On her part, B.Battsetseg said that Mongolia highly welcomes Qatari investments, indicating that there are multiple of opportunities in many sectors in which Qatari companies can take advantage.
She also referred the possibility of organising in the first quarter of the coming year a business forum in Qatar that brings together Mongolian and Qatari businessmen to explore co-operation horizons and investment opportunities galore in both countries.
Al-Kuwari stressed the chamber’s support and encouragement to Qatari businessmen to invest in Mongolia, noting that Qatari investors are eager to establish new investments in friendly countries.
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Putin: Russian-Mongolian ties to cement peace in Eurasia www.news.mn

Increased cooperation between Russia and Mongolia will boost peace, security and stability in the Eurasian continent, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message of greetings to Mongolian President U.Khurelsukh on the occasion of the centennial of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Putin’s message was read out at a reception held at the five-star Shangri-La Hotel in Ulaanbaatar on Friday.
“Please accept my sincere congratulations on the momentous anniversary – the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. I am confident that further enhancement of the constructive and multifaceted Russian-Mongolian cooperation fully meets the interests of our friendly nations and goes in line with the consolidation of peace, security and stability in the Eurasian continent,” it says.
Putin recalled that the agreement inked in Moscow on November 5, 1921 was the first act of international recognition of the modern Mongolian statehood and created conditions for building truly friendly, good-neighborly bilateral relations. The Russian president emphasized that the two countries’ relations are developing as a comprehensive strategic partnership.
The reception was attended by Russian Federation Council Vice Speaker Konstantin Kosachev, Russian Ambassador to Mongolia Iskander Azizov, Mongolian Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene.
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In-person schooling benefits exceed risks of Covid-19, study shows www.news.mn

On 1 September, Mongolian children have returned to the classroom after along a Covid-19 shutout. Still, masked students in blazers filed into a primary school in the capital Ulanbaatar, where classrooms were kitted out with temperature monitors, hand sanitiser and social distancing stickers.
Mongolia has taken some of the world’s toughest and most enduring measures against the Covid-19 pandemic, shutting schools and kindergartens since January 2020 and plunging children into a purgatory of remote learning with patchy access to technology. Over the past two years, Mongolian educational institutions conducted more than 30 percent of their classes in classrooms due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A study published Friday examined how children in schools can be physically present in the classroom while maintaining proper safety protocols. Since academic learning has altered dramatically since the start of the pandemic, the study, published by Science, analyzed the influence of COVID-19 on children and how it has affected classrooms.
“Children have a very low risk of severe or fatal COVID-19,” the researchers said, “but, early in the pandemic, uncertainties about their role in virus transmission led most countries to close educational settings as part of national lockdowns to control the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)”.
Furthermore, the researchers concluded that children had similar chances of infection as adults, yet they were not as likely to transmit. Further studies of schools that were able to reopen with alleviation procedures such as social distancing and masks discovered that outbreaks were minimal within their communities.
The study also states that while the shutdown of schools does reduce transmission, they would be inadequate in preventing community transmission and, “consequently, the benefits of in-person schooling outweigh the risks.”
As vaccines have now been approved for children as young as 5, and further evidence has been presented that spread can be contained, researchers are looking for ways to keep students in classrooms.
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Mongolian Empire’s capital Karakorum MAPPED for the first time www.news.mn

Archaeologists have mapped Karakorum, the capital of the Mongolian Empire using advanced geophysical methods.
Karakorum, also called Kharkhorin was founded around AD 1218–20, when Genghis Khan established a town of yurts at Karakorum to rally his troops during his campaigns against the Khwarezm Empire.
Karakorum developed into a city during the reign of Ugudei Khan (the third son of Genghis Khan and second Great Khan of the Mongol Empire). Under Ugudei and his successors, Karakorum became the traditional capital of the Mongols and an important centre of diverse religious microcosm and mercantile trade along the Silk Road.
In a new study published in the journal Antiquity by an international team of researchers, archaeologists applied advanced geophysics methods to reveal the layout of Karakorum’s roads, districts, and internal structures.
The team surveyed an area of 465ha over 52 days with a ‘SQUID’ (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device), that measures the topography of the surface and magnetic fields of the ground beneath.
By combining this data with previous surveys, aerial photography, and historical records, the team was able to create a detailed map of Karakorum that shows the inner layout, and the extent of the city beyond the actual walled area, as well as the social organisation of the city’s population.
The team also mapped the city walls, revealing three of the four main gates documented in the historic record. Outside of these walls, they found the city extended over 3km along some of the approaching roads – far greater than other research and historical records indicated.
Further, the study found that the centre of the city had much denser deposits, suggesting these were the areas of the city occupied for the longest period. However, the team ultimately found the biggest single feature of Karakorum was nothing. 40% of the area within the wall appears to have been left empty.
“The most exciting facet of our work for me was to see the progress of data acquisition during the field season.” said said Professor Bemmann, lead author of the study, “It was astonishing to witness the growing extent of the map day by day, and with that the digital reconstruction of Karakorum”.
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Preparations being carried out for direct flights between Mongolia and the U.S. www.montsame.mn

On November 4, a meeting took place at the Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia (MCAA) to exchange information in the framework of the preparations being carried out to launch direct flights between Mongolia and the United States.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia is currently carrying out preparatory works to establish the corresponding agreement for creating the necessary regulations for flights between Mongolia and the U.S., and to be involved in the IASA (International Aviation Safety Assessment) audit inspection to be conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Furthermore, MIAT Mongolian Airlines is ensuring preparations to conduct direct flights to the U.S.
During the meeting, MIAT representatives introduced the progress and implementation of the works being carried out by the company, a comparative study on using the Boeing 787 aircraft for long distance flights, profits, and the latest updates on other operations. The MCAA Aviation Safety Oversight and Regulation Department also introduced the works being implemented to meet the requirements for the IASA program, and noted the necessity to make changes to some of the corresponding legislation and regulations in Mongolia.
As certain matters such as organizational structure, finances, capacity of personnel are considered crucial in the inspection, authorities of the two organizations also exchanged views on ways to cooperate in the future.
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Mongolia logs 941 new COVID-19 cases, 12 more deaths www.xinhuanet.com

Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's COVID-19 tally rose to 369,541 after 941 new locally transmitted infections were reported across the country over the past 24 hours, the country's health ministry said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the country's death toll increased to 1,756 after 12 more COVID-19 patients aged over 40 died in the past day, the ministry said.
So far, 65.8 percent of Mongolia's population has received two COVID-19 vaccine doses, with over 454,100 Mongolians aged over 18 having received a booster shot.
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CU exports 10,000 dalgona to Mongolia and Malaysia www.koreaherald.com

Convenience store chain CU is exporting 10,000 dalgona, the traditional Korean sugar candy from “Squid Game,” to Mongolia and Malaysia, said its operator BGF Retail.
Dalgona, an old-fashioned Korean candy made with using sugar and baking soda, has become an overnight sensation after the success of the Netflix show.
A total of 10,000 dalgona will be shipped to Mongolia and Malaysia, 5,000 to each country, BGF said. The product will feature four different shapes -- umbrella, star, heart, and triangle -- will be sold at a price of 2 dollars each.
The export comes at the request of local partner companies who want to target local customers who find it hard to make dalgona on their own, BGF added.
CU has also been exporting assorted “Pepero Day” edition products to Malaysia since September.
Pepero Day, which falls on Nov.11, is a day when friends and lovers exchange Pepero, chocolate-covered thin cookie sticks.
A squid shaped corndog launched in CU Malaysia was the best-selling instant food in October, and Korean steamed buns with red bean filling being sold in CU Mongolia since September sold double the amount of Mongolia’s traditional dumplings sold last month, the firm said.
“CU in Mongolia and Malaysia are becoming a platform for the Korean wave. As South Korea’s No.1 convenience store, we will continue to expand our market overseas proactively to support Korean wave industries by exporting K-contents” BGF Retail said.
By Hong Yoo (yoohong@heraldcorp.com)
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Faster than disaster: beating the white death in Mongolia www.redcross.org.uk

Increasingly, Mongolian herders endure some of the toughest winters on earth and risk losing everything. But a new Red Cross system may make all the difference.
It’s hard to imagine what -60F really feels like.
But every few years, that’s reality in Mongolia. Swathes of the country are at the mercy of the dzud: a pitiless weather phenomenon, which brings an arid summer followed by a biting, brutal winter.
Known locally as the ‘white death’, dzuds are a double blow for the 40 per cent of Mongolians who rely on raising livestock. First, the grass and wheat that their cattle depend on dry up in the summer drought. Herders cannot collect and store enough hay and food for their animals, leaving them weak and vulnerable.
Then in winter, where average night-time temperatures plummet to -40 to -60F (-40 to -51C), livestock are unable to feed through the frozen snow and freeze or starve. Herders can only despair as their precious animals pile up dead across the packed snow. Some animals die as they stand.
The herders rely on sheep, cattle, yaks, camels, horses and goats for their income. When these animals die, families run out of food, lose their livelihoods and use up their savings to survive. Many are forced to leave the countryside and move to the slums of industrial cities where there may – or may not – find paid work.
In desperation, many Mongolian herders, such as Bayankhand, carry their weakest animals into the yurt or ‘ger’ they share with their family. It can feel crowded over the long winter months.
In previous years, Bayankhand lost 400 of her 700 cows, sheep and goats early on in the dzud. She says:
If the animals get weak and die in front of my eyes, it's very, very hard. I feel so sorry for them. I tried to save them but I couldn't.
She tried everything to keep the rest of the herd alive and brought the weakest animals, like the calf in the picture above, into her ger.
This year, Mongolia fell prey to another dzud. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 402,300 animals had died by February 2021 - and that’s nothing compared to 2010, where freak weather saw up to 11 million animals perish.
Dzuds are unique to Mongolia and used to happen around twice a decade. Mongolians are certainly no strangers to harsh weather. But it does seem that dzuds are getting more frequent.
According to the UN, dzuds are now happening every year in some parts of the country. Climate change is a major factor along with overgrazing and problems managing the land.
Heavy rain, extreme temperatures and baking summers have turned vast areas of the grassland (steppes) to desert.
But there is hope.
Striking before the dzud
While the Red Cross has supported communities affected by the extreme weather for some time now, it’s been at the height of the dzud, when animals were already dying.
As aid is more effective when delivered early, we have found a way to take preventive action before the dzud hits.
Working with the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring, the Red Cross set up a new early action system.
Called forecast-based financing (FbF), it was activated for the first time ever in Mongolia in the winter of 2019-20 and again early in 2021.
FbF is a way of getting humanitarian funding to communities before a disaster strikes. The system combines weather forecasts and other data to trigger the release of funding ahead of extreme weather events. The overall goal is to prevent natural hazards from becoming disasters and reduce human suffering.
If it looks like an extreme event – such as a dzud – is likely to strike, FbF activates an early action protocol.
This trigger releases funding for a series of preventive actions, and the Mongolian Red Cross can then spring into action and protect herder communities and their animals before it’s too late.
Based on the 2020/21 winter’s dzud risk map by the National Met Agency and calculations from the IFRC Climate Centre, more than 60 per cent of Mongolia was at risk of a dzud. Five provinces had a very high risk of 20 per cent or more of their land area being affected. The early action protocol was triggered.
The Mongolian Red Cross was then able to provide help worth more than CHF 245,000 to more than 7,000 vulnerable people across 19 provinces in time to get ready for the harsh winter.
This included lifesaving cash grants to buy animal fodder or any other essential household items like warm clothes, medicine or food. Red Cross staff and volunteers also provided livestock nutrition kits to save animals’ lives.
So far, this early support looks like it’s working. Studies found that early action assistance doubled the chances of herder families saving their most valuable animals – their horses. Also, fewer newborn goats and sheep died. People’s most important belongings were saved and less people fell into debt and poverty.
It’s hoped that long term, not only will FbF bring hope and relief, but also dignity to the many who still live this traditional way of life.
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