No confirmed case of 2019-nCov in Mongolia www.zgm.mn

Officials from the Ministry of Health, National Center for Communicable Disease (NCCD) and the Professional Infection Office of the Capital (PIO) confirmed that there has not been a 2019-nCov case in Mongolia, as of early January 28. A 14 year-old girl was reported dead yesterday, but according to officials, it is not yet confirmed to be a 2019-nCov infection. Suspicious cases have been detected in the provinces of Khovd and Arkhangai. Two cases of death were recorded, reportedly due to pneumonia. Moreover, fever incidents in Umnugovi, Bulgan, and Khentii were examined. Diagnostics are being used in the National Reference Laboratory since yesterday. A total of 13 cases were diagnosed in NCCD between January 9 and 27. These individuals have been in China and had fever and flu symptoms. 4 out of 13 were diagnosed with type A influenza. Chief of the Department of State Administration of Ministry of Health B. Tsogtbaatar said, "As of 10 am today, 4474 cases confirmed and the death toll climbed to 106 globally. Of these 4439 cases and all deaths were registered in China. The total of suspicious cases reached 5776. Also, he advised the public to get information from official sources including the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization, Health commission in China and Xinhua agency.

Shaariibuu: People will see if there is justice in the world www.zgm.mn

Shaariibuu Setev, who has spent more than a decade seeking closure over his daughter’s death, sat down with the ZGM Daily. He is campaigning for Malaysia to commute the accused’s sentences via a plea deal so that Australia, where one of the murderers had fled to seek asylum from the death penalty, would agree to bring them together to tell what he says could be the true story behind the murder. Last year, Malaysia’s top prosecutor said that he will look into reopening the case of his murdered daughter allegedly linked to former premier Najib Razak.

-The murder case of Ms. Altantuya Shaaribuu has been proceeding for over 14 years. Parliament Speaker of Mongolia Zandanshatar Gombojav had met with the Malaysian deputy chairman of the parliament and suggested to form a joint working group on the case. I assume you’ve done everything you could until today.

-It doesn’t matter who was the murderer but who arranged it. Since Najib was in a higher rank, it was clear that he would not condemn himself. Fortunately, the opposition party won the 2018 election of Malaysia. Probably my letter to the Malaysian people may have affected the result. Shortly after the election, I was scheduled to meet the Prime Minister of Malaysia. At the time, the President of Mongolia Battulga Khaltmaa, for the first time, sent a letter to Malaysia demanding the civilian’s life, which had a significant effect on the processes.

-How about the criminal case process?

-The case is ongoing to confirm and verify that Najib was behind the murder. Azilah Hadri, an officer who committed the murder stated on October 17, 2019, saying, “Former Prime Minister Najib and Defense Minister Moussa have given me a task.” Today, one of the officers who has committed the murder is hiding in Australia. I have heard that Najib went to Church and laid his hands on the Koran, swearing that he did not commit such a thing. Najib’s vow limit is over. He has only one way left to ask God. But even if it is a god, he will not help who is a sinner.

-How the hidden case of such a large political official was revealed?

-It is unusual. The main organizer of the case is Rosmah Mansor, Najib’s third wife. She said she would not pay our daughter’s payroll. And she commanded Baginda to “destroy” her. My daughter spoke five languages. She said smiling, “If I learn one more language, I can learn all the UN languages.” The contract for the ship purchase required a three-language translator and she worked. In Malaysia, taxis are not available for anyone who wants. My daughter knew she was taking a risky job, so she would accompany two friends when she met Baginda and Najib. Malaysians fast for one month under religious law. She was called to death on the last day of their fast and be away from sin.
More than 60 percent of the Malaysian population is Malay. Besides other nations, there are many Chinese as well. The two nations have very conflicting relations. Fortunately, the police chief happened to be a Chinese man. Baginda was the Deputy Prime Minister at the time. The police chief would not just leave the case which included high-ranking Malaysian. Baginda and Najib’s assistants and police officers were the ones who committed the crime. Serul, a dangerous man who previously killed seven people on purpose. The message he sent to Baginda was also found. It said, “I will finish my work as you asked. Let’s make sure the money. Mr. Baginda, you can sleep peacefully tonight.” There is also a message of Baginda to Najib, “What about the Mongolian girl?”

-I have heard you are planning to establish a human rights organization with your grandson, son of Altantuya. Will you share more about it?

-There is no deadline for murder cases in Malaysia. Our lawyer had said, “This case could be talked even after a hundred years.” The murderers have been living for 14 years and have had enough time. I urge Malaysia to expeditiously resolve the case without giving criminals an opportunity. The whole world has been paying attention to this case, now the world will see it from the perspective of judges and lawyers and see if there is justice in the world. Representation of the Mongolian government and the UN are essential. The settlement of this case will allow Malaysia to get back its lost reputation and win international trust. I am very sorry that a certain number of people from Mongolia came for the benefit of me. Nazarbayev and Najib are fathers of a married couple. Many Malaysian aircraft have crashed since the crash of a wedding gift plane. The Malays say, “The Mongols heavenly worship the sky. The chastisement of the sky is coming.” I was even asked my religion. In any case, we will certainly see the truth. I want only one thing from Malaysia, the word sorry. Mongolia’s government must go for it.

-How do ordinary Malaysian people feel about the case?

-I am grateful to the kind Malaysian people who have raised their voices for me, wrote in the press, made films, created books, or held rallies. On the other hand, I feel sorry for Baginda’s parents who have given birth to such a son and how the misery of the people led by a person like Najib. The horrific killers such as Najib Razak, Abdul Razak Baginda, Azilah Hadri, and Sirul Azhar Umar cannot walk innocently among people. They would do anything.

The coronavirus won’t wreck the commodities market www.mining.com

A rampaging epidemic in the country that consumes about half of the world’s metals has to be bad news for mining stocks, right?

Investors are certainly making that bet. The week started with the Bloomberg World Mining Index falling the most in nearly six months, and a six-day losing streak continued Tuesday on expectations that a slowdown in economic activity will cut China’s voracious appetite for commodities.

Australian shares of Rio Tinto Group fell as much as 5.9% when trading resumed after a public holiday Monday, on track for their biggest slide in three-and-a-half years. Those of iron-ore producer Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. slumped as much as 8.7% in early trading.

That looks overdone. In the grip of an epidemic, it can feel like the sky is falling — but most such viruses die down in a matter of months, and people shouldn’t underestimate how much industrial stimulus Beijing will inject in the economy to keep growth on-target in the aftermath.

Consider Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which swept through southern China and east Asia in the early months of 2003. Like most coronaviruses — and indeed, most infections of the nose and throat, such as influenza — it exhibited a pronounced winter seasonality, with infections beginning in November and dropping rapidly through April, before approaching zero in June.

Even Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, a coronavirus associated with parts of the world where winter weather is less extreme, showed a relatively similar pattern, with a peak in the early months of the year.

Combined with this natural decline is the fact that, despite early surveillance and response lapses, China and other countries are already employing extreme measures to halt the spread. While quarantining of the entire city of Wuhan may not be sufficient — given the disease appears to have spread unchecked until it was too late — that probably won’t be the last attempt to isolate the virus. China’s government, property developers and businesses are likely to implement further measures such as canceling public events and closing commercial and retail spaces.

If things play out this way, it’s not impossible that the epidemic could start to subside in April, just as China’s industrial machine is revving up from its normal winter slumber. Cold weather and the long shadow of the Lunar New Year holiday typically lead to very low levels of industrial activity in January and February, before picking up to full speed between March and June.

In the five years through 2018, for instance, daily pig iron production in March was about 7.4% higher on average than it was in January. Cement output ramps up even more rapidly, as warming weather makes it possible to mix concrete on building sites again: While January and February figures are often too weak to be reported by China’s statistical agency, May output over the same period averaged about 23% above the levels just two months earlier.

That cycle could be particularly pronounced this year. China’s consumers are staying home during what’s traditionally been high season for shopping, dining, seeing films or traveling. A 10% fall in services consumption could cut gross domestic product growth by about 1.2 percentage points, according to S&P Global Ratings.

That could, in theory, put a serious dent in output over the full year, which economists already expect to fall below the government’s target of “about 6%.” It might also violate a long-term pledge to double the country’s GDP by 2020, delivered on the eve of Xi Jinping’s accession to the Communist Party’s highest leadership in 2012.

Beijing is unlikely to take that sort of blow lying down. Just recall the responses to the 2003 SARS outbreak, the 2008 financial crisis, and the overzealous economic rebalancing toward consumption in 2015. As on those occasions, fixed-asset investment (particularly by state-owned companies) is likely to surge to fuel fresh industrial activity. China’s yearlong credit diet — no less serious, in its way, than the one that preceded the 2016 boom — will be loosened to inject some fresh life into a virus-hit economy.

That’s likely to further defer China’s shift to an economy more dependent on consumption and less on mounting debt and carbon emissions — but it will also be bullish, not bearish, for commodities. China’s coal imports in the 12 months through June 2017 were nearly a third higher than in the preceding year; copper rose 12%, oil by 13% and iron ore by 7.7%.

As the virus dies down, don’t be surprised to see that pattern play out one more time. What exactly is it about a country vowing to build two hospitals in a fortnight that makes investors think industrial commodities are heading for the sick bay?

(By David Fickling)

Oil prices have fallen 10% as coronavirus raises fears for global growth www.cnn.com

Mongolia evacuating its students from Wuhan amid virus outbreak www.akipress.com

The government of Mongolia at the session decided to urgently evacuate Mongolian students from the Chinese city of Wuhan, which is a center of the coronavirus today, Deputy Prime Minister Ölziisaikhany Enkhtüvshin said.

Mongolia's border with China remains open, and some restrictions have been imposed www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. In connection with the coronavirus outbreak, it was decided to impose some temporary restrictions on movement at border checkpoints between Mongolia and China, starting from 28 January 2020, the General Authority for Border Protection reports.

Enkhjin: Government should refinance its debts www.zgm.mn

Director-General at Reserve Management Financial Markets Department of the Bank of Mongolia (BoM), Enkhjin Atarbaatar talked about the current situation in the foreign exchange market of Mongolia and Fx price

Major economics challenges to deepen as debt rises www.zgm.mn

The 2020 State Budget deficit equaled 5.1 percent of the total GDP, which is almost MNT two trillion. This number may increase further due to the Government’s decision to repay pension loan amid expected repayments of foreign debts or government bonds that will expire from 2021. However, policymakers have not yet made a final conclusion to the concern, waiting for the parliamentary election results. Mongolia is scheduled to repay a total foreign debt of USD 14.4 billion in 2021-2024. Of these, government debt accounts for USD 2.9 billion. The Government needs to attract as much as MNT 800 billion to cover the pension loan repayment; Its solution to issue new bonds is increasing the potential debt amount in the future. Earlier this month, Parliament concluded its decision to issue bonds, presenting a plan to back Salkhit silver and gold deposit’s future profit. A controversy among the public continued for a certain time following the decision. Moreover, the Development Bank of Mongolia (DBM) could not guarantee the bonds, for the basic circumstances were violating the “Law on Development Bank of Mongolia”. Some economists are still against the decision, saying that the plan to issue bonds using a deposit’s unmade profit is not proper.Researcher of mineral resources law, Surakhbayar.G said, “Issuing bonds in advance when the feasibility study has not confirmed is the case which can occur only in Mongolia. It never happens in other countries around the world”.

Trade stats: Mongolia fueling China’s carbon emissions? www.news.mn

Mongolia traded with over 150 countries in 2019. The volume of trade between China and Mongolia has went up to USD 8.9 billion in 2019, accounting for 64.4 percent of the latter’s total foreign trade. This information was published on the site of the National Statistics Office of Mongolia on Sunday 26 January 2020.

Copper price losing streak now in double digits www.mining.com

The copper price fell sharply again on Monday as China, responsible for more than 50% of the world’s copper consumption, struggles to control the deadly coronavirus outbreak.