Boeing has agreed to pay $2.5bn (£1.8bn) to settle US criminal charges that it hid information from safety officials about the design of its 737 Max planes.

The US Justice Department said the firm chose "profit over candour", impeding oversight of the planes, which were involved in two deadly crashes.

About $500m will go to families of the 346 people killed in the tragedies.

Boeing said the agreement acknowledged how the firm "fell short".

Boeing chief executive David Calhoun said: "I firmly believe that entering into this resolution is the right thing for us to do - a step that appropriately acknowledges how we fell short of our values and expectations.

"This resolution is a serious reminder to all of us of how critical our obligation of transparency to regulators is, and the consequences that our company can face if any one of us falls short of those expectations."

'Fraudulent and deceptive conduct'

The Justice Department said Boeing officials had concealed information about changes to an automated flight control system, known as MCAS, which investigations have tied to the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019.

The decision meant that pilot training manuals lacked information about the system, which overrode pilot commands based on faulty data, forcing the planes to nosedive shortly after take-off.

Boeing did not co-operate with investigators for six months, the DOJ said.

"The tragic crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 exposed fraudulent and deceptive conduct by employees of one of the world's leading commercial airplane manufacturers," said Acting Assistant Attorney General David Burns.

"Boeing's employees chose the path of profit over candour by concealing material information from the FAA concerning the operation of its 737 Max airplane and engaging in an effort to cover up their deception."

Under the terms of the agreement, Boeing was charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the US, which will be dismissed after three years if the firm continues to comply with the deal.

Of the total settlement, the majority - $1.77bn, some of which has already been paid - is due to go the firm's airline customers, who were affected by the grounding of the planes following the crashes.

The firm also agreed to pay a penalty of $243.6m.

But attorneys for the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash said the deal on Thursday would not end their pending civil lawsuit against Boeing.

"The allegations in the deferred prosecution agreement are just the tip of the iceberg of Boeing's wrongdoing — a corporation that pays billions of dollars to avoid criminal liability while stonewalling and fighting the families in court," said a statement from the group of lawyers representing them.

They added that the FAA "should not have allowed the 737 Max to return to service until all of the airplane's deficiencies are addressed and it has undergone transparent and independent safety reviews."

Boeing says it has now addressed concerns about the Max, while the plane returned to service in the

The charge against Boeing was that its employees used "misleading statements, half truths and omissions" to dupe the regulator charged with maintaining the safety of US aviation.

In the circumstances, you could say the company got off relatively lightly.

It has avoided prosecution, and a large part of the settlement involves compensation to airlines - a fair amount of which it would probably have ended up paying anyway.

The company would doubtless like to use this moment to draw a line under one of the most traumatic episodes in its history.

Yet while the 737 Max is back in the air, the scrutiny of Boeing and the FAA is unlikely to stop here.

Critics, including victims' families, lawyers and politicians, insist serious questions about the aircraft remain - and they're still pushing for answers.

US President Donald Trump’s outgoing administration plans to approve a land swap on Jan. 15 that Rio Tinto and partners need to build a copper mine in Arizona, clearing a long-time hurdle for the project that is opposed by many Native Americans.

Developers will continue their effort to obtain a series of regulatory approvals, including construction permits, for the Resolution copper project after President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

The local San Carlos Apache tribe and several environmental groups have said they may sue to stop the land swap.

What is Resolution?

The underground copper deposit was discovered in 1995 in the Tonto National Forest, which abuts the reservation where the San Carlos Apache tribe lives. The tribe and other Native Americans say the mine would destroy land considered the home of religious deities and sites used for tribal ceremonies.

Rio and BHP Group Plc have spent more than $2 billion on new mine shafts and permitting applications for the project, among other costs, though they have yet to produce any copper.

The proposed mine would tunnel 7,000 feet underground and developers say it could supply a quarter of the copper consumed annually in the United States. Copper is used to make a wide range of products from wires and pipes to solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles.

What does the land swap accomplish?

Rio and BHP have sought for years to access the deposit, which sits below land that belonged to the tribe before the United States existed.

In 2014, then-President Barack Obama signed a Pentagon funding bill that approved a swap letting Rio exchange land it already owns for land above the copper reserve, with the caveat that the swap could not occur until an environmental study was published. The Trump administration plans to publish that study on Jan. 15, clearing the way for the exchange within 60 days.

Who is opposed to the land swap, and why?

Lawmakers, including US Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, introduced legislation in 2019 to reverse the land swap, but that bill gained little traction.

Rio said it has consulted with the San Carlos and other Arizona tribes about preserving other culturally significant locations including Apache Leap, a rock cliff where in the late 19th century Apaches jumped to their deaths to avoid capture by US troops.

Not all members of the San Carlos Apache tribe oppose the project. Some tribal members work for Rio’s team developing Resolution.

Still, some members of the tribe said that if the swap goes through, they plan to barricade themselves on the land to block development. Activists have evoked the 2016 protests by opponents of the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota.

“People don’t understand that this mine will destroy an important part of the earth,” said Wendsler Nosie, a former tribal chairman who has formed a protest camp at the mine site.

Rio faced criticism last year for destroying indigenous sites in Australia. Native Americans say the mining giant is poised to make the same mistake in Arizona.

What has Biden said about the project?

Biden, who replaces Trump as US president on Jan. 20, has not spoken publicly about the project, but promised Arizona tribal leaders in October that they would “have a seat at the table” in his administration. Biden’s transition team did not respond to a request for comment.

Biden was overwhelmingly supported by Native Americans across Arizona in November’s US election, exit polling data show. Tribal leaders are already lobbying the incoming president to block construction permits for the mine.

Biden plans to nominate US Representative Deb Haaland of New Mexico to run the Interior Department, making her the first Native American Cabinet secretary in US history.

That choice, though, will have little bearing on the Resolution project because the Tonto National Forest is controlled by the US Forest Service, which is part of the Agriculture Department. Biden plans to nominate Tom Vilsack to run that department, a post Vilsack held during Obama’s tenure.

What happens next?

While the land will soon be controlled by Rio, the company still needs federal permits, a process that both sides acknowledge could take years. Biden’s administration is expected to take its time reviewing the permit applications.

After obtaining permits, Rio would need to make a final investment decision. The company said tribal members will be able to continue to access the land for the next few decades.

(By Ernest Scheyder and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by David Gregorio)

Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- A total of 430 people lost their lives in traffic accidents across Mongolia in 2020, a decrease of around 25 percent compared to the previous year, Erdenebat Enkhbold, head of the prevention division at the country's Traffic Police Department, said Thursday.

The decrease is partially due to traffic restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Enkhbold said in a statement.

Among the killed in the road accidents, 64 were children.

Over-speeding, unpermitted overtaking and drunk driving were the main causes of the accidents, he said, urging drivers to comply with traffic rules to protect themselves and their loved ones. Enditem

With the outbreak of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Mongolia was expected to be one of the countries to experience a high increase in contagion numbers given its proximity to China. Yet, this has not been the case. Mongolia counted a surprisingly low rate of infections and barely any deadly cases. Despite all efforts, the early lockdown measures in place and the ban on international flights COVID-19 pointed the attention to other domestic quandaries, while also Mongolia’s trade partners were significantly hit. As a result, Mongolia faced a severe economic recession and experienced a set-back in many of its development goals. In the first quarter of 2020 the country witnessed an economic contraction of approximately 10 percent, in addition to a significant increase in expenditures causing a prospective drop in GDP compared to 2019. In May 2020, in the midst of lockdown, many households across Mongolia experienced wage loss, income reduction, lack of food security and a decrease in agricultural products demand, revealing the socio-economic vulnerability of the population, particularly in the industrial sectors of Cashmere and Meat production.

Mongolia’s Vision 2050

In response to the setbacks caused by the pandemic, Mongolia’s Long-Term Development Policy Vision 2050 was introduced. It aims at transforming the country into a leading regional power by 2050 by fighting poverty, creating a greener economy, improving the education system and gender equality for enhanced job access, redefining Mongolian social strategy in a more citizen-centred way. The Mongolian Parliament approved this state-of-the-art policy on 13 May 2020. It sets 9 fundamental goals (Human Development, Good Governance, Peaceful and Safe Society, Green Growth, Shared Values of the Nation, Life quality and Middle Class, Regional Development and People’s centred cities), as well as 50 specific objectives to be achieved in the medium-long term. The policy is to be carried out in three periodical phases according to the current plan for urban development, scientific and technological advancement, economic and social growth: the first phase to be implemented in 2020-2030, the second from 2031 to 2040, and the third and last one between 2041 and 2050. If Mongolia succeeds and attains all of its Vision 2050 goals, this will involve a significant transformation of the country for the next decades. To begin with, the country aims at fighting corruption, redefining governance, developing models for e-governance, mutating the country’s distribution of power, strengthening the civil society-private-public interaction, and turning up the quality of Mongolia’s democratic system and values. Mongolia’s effort to implement the policy and its aim to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals will radically change the country. For the first time, it seems possible to imagine a shift in the Mongolian dependence on raw coal, not only because of its aspiration towards facilitating green growth but also because of its aim to turn its cities, especially its capital, into eco-friendly and smart cities. Fighting the exodus from the rural areas to the cities will necessarily lead to the development of its most remote and rural areas while strengthening the middle class. This can be established with an increase in the share of the middle-income population segment, instigated by diversifying the employment sector, increasing workforce capacity and capability and ensuring a more balanced gender equality. Considering the pronounced changes expected, especially for the development of green cities, Ulaanbaatar is likely to be impacted the most by the policy.

Although the capital constitutes just 0.3 percent of the territory, it hosts 45 percent of the Mongolian population. The high concentration of human activity in the city has induced a series of problems including air and environmental pollution, unveiling an inadequate engineering infrastructure. This makes Ulaanbaatar both the perfect starting point but also the most challenging part in the implementation of Vision 2050. This would require a rethinking of the infrastructure, services provided, drastically reduce the pollution levels and traffic jams in the city, as well as to improve citizens’ participation, working and living conditions. It will also be imperative to improve transportation within the city and from the city. As it stands, Ulaanbaatar will need to be decentralised in order to speed development in satellite cities and in the surrounding rural areas to boost their development with education and work opportunities, creating the right business environment to foster sustainability in the agricultural and tourism sectors. This is what the policy aims at doing in order to transform its capital and its surroundings into eco-friendly, people-centred and smart cities.

The Vision’s goals seem challenging and ambitious, but Mongolia is not alone in this, and its appealing policy has attracted the interests of the international community. In November 2020 the country received a USD 23.1 million Green Climate Fund Grant from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to support its Green Recovery and resilient growth, enhancing the connection between the climate-related part of Vision 2050 and the livestock sector, which will benefit (if well-managed) 26,000 households (130,000 people) directly and 160,000 households (800,000 people) more indirectly. Vision 2050 is not only an opportunity for Mongolia but also for its international partners, as the country is following its path to become a green democracy.

Cooperation with the EU

The EU and Mongolia have already a number of existing and well-functioning projects and agreements in place. They share many values and the EU should seize the launch of this Vision for 2050 as an opportunity to strengthen its partnership and relations with Mongolia by enhancing cooperation in trade and economic relations, post-pandemic recovery, green development, digitalisation and gender equality, as well as other fields. In the past few years, the two partners have already established cooperation in technical and vocational education and training, addressing youth unemployment and ensuring modern vocational training. In the field of employment, the EU and Mongolia are jointly supporting small businesses and creating sustainable skilled jobs, stimulating the inception of a more diversified and vibrant economy in Mongolia. Special attention is being given to youth and the inclusion of women in developing rural areas, in an attempt to put a halt to the exodus towards the cities. Mongolia is part of the EU-funded Economic Governance for Equitable Growth (EG4EG) project to boost sustainable growth for all, including the most vulnerable.

For the EU, Mongolia can act as a valuable partner in the region. On 27 November 2020 for instance, the EU and Mongolia discussed their bilateral relations in development cooperation. Both partners confirmed their willingness to cooperate in several spheres to boost development. Particular spheres of interest are employment and related necessary reforms, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and public finance management, especially contextualised in the sector of Budget Support operations, as well as strengthening donor and sector coordination mechanisms in Mongolia. But it is Environment which is seen as the most interesting partnership sphere, as the EU and Mongolia will continue pursuing sectoral policy dialogues with the relevant Ministries. The main goal is to identify blending operations in the areas of climate change and green energy, imperative to improve Mongolia’s business environment and sectoral regulatory framework. Mongolia’s Vision 2050 offers a unique opportunity for the EU to advance its relations with and expand its existing engagement in Mongolia, contributing to its sustainable future. Now it is up to the EU to act and meet up to its commitment.

Author: Alessandra Tamponi, Junior Researcher EIAS

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. ‘Mongolian Archaeology’ annual meeting of the Association of the Mongolian Archaeologists was held on December 29 via teleconferencing.

A total of 23 archaeological studies covering various periods from the Stone Age to the XVII century and entire territory of Mongolia were presented during the online event and best archaeological discoveries for 2020 were selected. Despite the limited international cooperation due to COVID-19 pandemic, Mongolian archaeologists successfully performed a number of archaeological excavations and explorations on their own in 2020.

Excavation and research works of an old city, which is considered to be remains of Luut (Luncheng), the capital of Khunnu Empire (Xiongnu Empire), discovered on the territory of Ulziit soum of Arkhangai aimag was named as the best archaeological discovery in 2020. Significant archaeological findings have been discovered thanks to a long-time research and excavation conducted by an archaeological research team led by Instructor at Ulaanbaatar State University, Associate Professor T.Iderkhangai. Excavations found the remains of a structure that was decorated with an ancient chinese characters inscription stating, “Son of Heaven” which is the first evidence found within the region to suggest the site is the Dragon City of Luncheng, of the Khunnu Empire.

The Association of Mongolian Archaeologists awarded the second place 2020 research project of the year to Dr. Enkhtur (Institute of Archaeology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences) and his team for their archaeological salvage work in Arkhangai aimag. Cash prize of MNT 5 million to the select best works was sponsored by Member of Parliament L.Enkh-Amgalan.

Mongolian University of Science and Technology’s Professor Bat-Erdene's photograph was awarded with distinction at the annual conference. His photo displays numerous types of Bronze Age burials and ritual complexes in a stark, arid landscape.

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. “Thirteen new cases of COVID-19 have been detected in Mongolia, all in Ulaanbaatar, after involving 12,200 people in PCR testing nationwide yesterday, January 6,” reported A.Ambaselmaa, Head of Surveillance Department of the National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD, today.

“Of the newly confirmed cases, ten cases are related to infections at Achtan Elite private hospital, two are contacts of the previously confirmed cases at the Bayanzurkh district hospital, and one case is a person working in the Golomt bank branch in Bayanzurkh district,” said A. Ambaselmaa. She also recommended people, who received services at the Golomt Bank next to Cinema Factory in Bayanzurkh district since December 28, 2020, be tested at their respective testing units.

Today, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Mongolia has reached 1362, with 889 recoveries. Currently, 462 people are undergoing treatment at hospitals.

U.S.Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence Heino Klinckand Mongolia Ministry of Defence State Secretary D.Gankhuyag have held a virtual meeting to conduct the 17th annual U.S.-Mongolia Bilateral Consultative Council. Because of the time difference, the meeting took place onJan.5 (Washington, D.C.) and Jan.6 (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia).

Mongolian Minister of Defence G.Saikhanbayar provided the closing remarks.

The officials reaffirmed their commitment to the U.S.-Mongolia bilateral relationship and agreed to advance defence cooperation on matters of common interest to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.

DASD Klinck thanked State Secretary Gankhuyag for Mongolia’s commitment to international peace and stability, including Mongolia’s continued contributions to coalition efforts in Afghanistan and United Nations Peacekeeping Operations.

DASD Klinck also discussed current regional security issues and ties between Mongolia and the United States under the third-neighbour framework.

Officials committed to enhance defence cooperation and collaboration to address current security challenges and to advance common interests.

Erdene Resource Development (TSX:ERD) announced on Wednesday a new gold discovery 3.5 km north of its Bayan Khundii project in Mongolia.

According to the company, drilling highlights include hole AAD-58 that returned 45 metres of 5.97 g/t gold beginning at 10 metres down-hole, including 1 metre of 82.5 g/t gold within 8 metres of 27.1 g/t gold.

The Bayan Khundii gold resource includes 521,000 ounces of 3.16 g/t gold measured and indicated and 103,000 ounces of inferred resources at 3.68 g/t gold.

A significant exploration program is planned for Q1 2021, Erdene said in a press release.

“The Dark Horse prospect has been established as the most significant zone of gold mineralization since our discovery of the Bayan Khundii gold deposit,” said Peter Akerley, Erdene’s President and CEO.

The phase II Dark Horse drill program was completed in early December 2020 with an additional 3,085 metres drilled in 14 holes. In total, Erdene drilled 4,660 metres in 25 holes in 2020.

Bayan Khundii deposit is located in southwestern Mongolia, within the Khundii Gold District, approximately 16 kilometres south of the Altan Nar deposit. A Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for the deposit suggests an average annual gold production of 61,000 ounces, and 45,300 ounces of gold and 205,000

ounces of silver.

Midday Wednesday, Erdene’s stock was up 8% on the TSE. The company has a C$124 million market capitalization.

On January 4, 2021, a working meeting between Nikolay Kosov, Chairperson of the IIB Management Board, and Mr. Dulamsurengiin Davaa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the Russian Federation, took place in the Bank’s Moscow Branch.

During the meeting, head of IIB spoke about institution’s main activities, presented information on current and prospective projects implemented in Mongolia, and shared strategic plans of IIB in the market.

Nikolay Kosov emphasized that currently the volume of the IIB loan and investment portfolio allocated in the interests of Mongolian projects is approaching EUR 80 million. In total, since the beginning of the Bank's relaunch in 2012, the accumulated volume of IIB's investments in Mongolia has exceeded EUR 242 million.

IIB provides support to such key sectors of the national economy as mining and textile industry, financial sector, metallurgy, agriculture. Support for SMEs, executed in close cooperation with the country's leading financial institutions, is also a strategic priority of IIB's work. In addition, the current pipeline includes a number of new investment initiatives for a total volume of more than EUR 110 million.

The head of the diplomatic mission of Mongolia in the Russian Federation highly appreciated the IIB’s efforts aimed at supporting the country's economy and developing its trade and economic ties with other member states of the Bank. Mr. Davaa noted that the countries government is fully satisfied with the impressive results of the current activities of the institution and intends to continue providing comprehensive assistance in the implementation of its ambitious strategy and additional capitalization programme.

Special attention on the agenda was given to the issues of the Bank's support of initiatives in the field of sustainable development of Mongolia and IIB's charity activities, traditionally aimed at significant environmental initiatives. Noting the importance of projects that already received the financial support of the Bank, in particular, the conservation of rare species of animals and the restoration of peat bogs in the Tuul River basin, carried out in close partnership with the Academy of Sciences of Mongolia, the parties agreed to continue their cooperation in this field.

Also during the meeting, the head of the IIB Moscow Branch, Grigory Gruzinov was awarded the honorary title "The Best Financial Officer" on behalf of the Mongolian Financial Regulation Commission for his significant contribution to the development of the national system of combating money laundering. Within the framework of the Technical Assistance Fund for IIB Member States, the Bank in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance of Slovakia, provided support to the Financial Regulatory Commission of Mongolia in improving the country's anti-money laundering legislation. Mongolia's successes in combating money laundering have been recognized by leading international organizations in this area.

As 2020 meant a slowdown in coal production and use, experts and governments were confident that the industry would pick up again as pandemic restrictions eased.

However, going into 2021, it seems coal is not set to make a comeback. Pre-2020, South and Southeast Asia looked to become the biggest coal-demand region in the world, with several countries investing heavily in extraction and coal plants. But as the implications of Covid-19 took a toll on the industry around the world, the anticipated bright future of coal in Asia is looking increasingly uncertain.

According to a report published by Global Energy Monitor (GEM), large emerging Asian economies Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam cancelled as much as 45GW of coal power during 2020. While coal appeared the obvious answer for short-term energy supply across Asia, the experience of the energy sector in 2020 has made many look towards renewables for the future of energy.

In Vietnam, the draft Power Development Plan outlined plans to cancel seven coal plants and postpone six more until the 2030s, which may never be developed. These account for approximately half of the country’s planned coal development.

In December in Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that no more coal plants would be constructed in the country. The cancellation of coal plants was also announced in The Philippines in November.

Many of these cancellations come in response to a lack of funding in the sector. Public pressure on banks to move away from fossil fuels towards renewables has driven many institutions to withdraw funding from coal production.

For example, in December the Malaysian bank CIMB announced its exit strategy to phase out coal financing, having invested $2.6 billion in coal over the last decade. It was the first major bank in an emerging economy to state such plans.

CIMB aims to support the objectives of the Paris Agreement by phasing out coal financing by 2040. Tim Buckley from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) explained, “This admirable move is expected to be the catalyst for a range of CIMB peers across [South-East Asia] to better align their lending practices with the technology driven energy system disruption that is accelerating as 2020 unfolds.”

Similarly, the AES Corporation announced the sale of its interest in the 1,242 MW Mong Duong 2 coal-fired power plant in Vietnam last week, expected to take place at the end of 2021. AES CEO Andrés Gluski stated, “we look forward to contributing to the country's transition to a more sustainable energy future.” He made clear the company’s intention to invest in renewables moving forward, continuing to invest in energy in Vietnam and other areas of Asia.

While many suggested a ‘renaissance’ of the coal industry throughout 2020, this is looking evermore doubtful. Several big funds are moving away from coal, including Australia’s biggest super fund, AustralianSuper, and Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global; which has a tight cap on its coal investments.

In addition to a reduction in financing from major funders, energy companies are themselves hinting at a movement away from coal. Glenmore, the western world’s biggest coal producer, stated plans for a “managed decline of its coal business” and net-zero emissions by 2050 in its annual investor update. This suggests a gradual but eventual shift away from coal.

Generally, despite optimism for a coal comeback throughout 2020, the realities of 2021 suggest otherwise. Pressure to invest more heavily in renewables and the lack of economic incentive to develop the coal industry further means that the coal era may be coming to an end.

This article was originally published on Oilprice.com