On the sideline of the conference, Minister D.Sumiyabazar held a meeting with Australian Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Senator Matt Canavan on October 31.

During the meeting, Mr.Sumiyabazar expressed his satisfaction with the present state of Mongolia-Australia relations and cooperation that have expanded in many sectors such as politics, education, mining, economy, agriculture and defense and reached ‘extended partnership level’. He also informed that over 50 Australian invested mining companies are currently operating in Mongolia.

In response, Mr. Matt Canavan thanked for audience and said he hopes that the bilateral cooperation will expand more in the future.

According to the NAMEM, snow and blizzard are expected in areas of Western aimags, in western parts of central aimag on November 1; in areas of western and central aimags on November 2; in eastern half of the country on November 3 and in areas of western aimags on November 4.

Wind will get stronger in areas of Western aimags and in northern parts of Central aimags on November 1; in most of the country on November 2; in gobi and steppe areas on November 3, reaching 16-18m/s. Dust storm will occur.

In the depression of Darkhad; in mountainous areas of Altai, Khangai, Khuvsgul and Khentei; in Khurenbelchir; in the head of Zavkhan river; in the basins of Ider, Tes, Tuul and Terelj rivers, the nighttime temperature will be ranging from -17 to -22 degrees Celsius whereas the daytime temperature will be -7 to -12 degrees Celsius.

Southern part of gobi region will get up at +2 degrees and the temperature will increase till +7 degrees Celsius during the daytime, while the nighttime temperature will be 0 to -5 degrees Celsius.

The nighttime temperature will be -8 to -13 degrees while the daytime temperature will be -3 to -8 degrees Celsius in other areas.

President Khaltmaa Battulga, who has only has limited power to introduce and veto legislation, made the suggestion in a television interview Monday. He earlier submitted a proposal to open discussions to dissolve the parliament, citing inaction by the government after it sought a bailout from the International Monetary Fund last year.

Asked in an interview with Mongolia’s C1 Television what he’d do after asking the parliament to disband, Battulga said: “Hunger strike?”

“This is the the stage we’re at,” said the president, who also suggested a sit-in. “I’ve tried different means by sending proposals, and we’ve discussed the matter.”

A spokeswoman for the president declined to comment on the seriousness of his remarks.

Battulga’s actions were largely seen as a political stunt ahead of planned parliamentary elections in 2020, in which his opposition Democratic Party will look to pick up more seats. The ruling Mongolian People’s Party controls 85 percent of seats in the 76-member legislature, and a motion to dissolve parliament needs at least a two-thirds majority.

The president is seeking to gain more power for his office within Mongolia’s political system, according to Dale Choi, a market analyst and head of Altan Bumba Financial Group.

“All of these shows are to gain popularity with the electorate, to gain support among voters,” he said.

Mongolia’s statistics office estimated that the economy grew 6.3 percent in the first half of 2018 as the market for Mongolia’s mineral exports improved. That compares with 5.1 percent last year.

Battulga rose to fame as a self-made millionaire who engaged in competitive martial arts. He is known as a political firebrand, openly criticizing the influence of establishment leaders he calls oligarchs as well as Mongolia’s top trade partner, China.

Mongolia has a history with hunger strikes, which were used during protests in 1990 that led to a peaceful transition from Soviet socialism to democracy and a market economy.
By Terrence Edwards

What's more, he said that Mongolia, "with a vulnerable economy which is directly dependent on external factors," needs to pay special attention to fighting money laundering and terrorist financing.

Khurelsukh made the remarks at the opening ceremony of an international scientific conference on fighting money laundering, according to the government's press office.

According to data from Mongolia's National Police Agency, 26 cases of money laundering were recorded in the first half of this year, while only seven cases of this kind were reported last year in Mongolia.

Most of the money laundering cases in Mongolia are linked to fraud, embezzlement, bribery, tax evasion and drug trafficking, the agency said.

In a directive sent to all schools last week, the education ministry said parents had complained in the past about their children trying to collect money and asking for Halloween costumes.

Stressing that Halloween was not an officially recognised holiday, it ordered all schools to put a stop to organised celebrations this year.

Halloween has become increasingly popular in the capital Ulaanbaatar.

"Our school has specialised classes in the English language, and that's why we celebrated Halloween in many different ways," said G Erdenechimeg, a social worker at the 23rd School in Ulaanbaatar, which focuses on foreign languages.

"Generally, it's all about the children's attitude," she added. "Some may get into their roles too deeply or misuse (Halloween) and have a negative social effect. For this reason, it has been decided not to celebrate."

Mongolia has undergone a rapid transformation since its Moscow-backed Communist regime collapsed in 1990, with a succession of governments trying to modernise the economy and open up to foreign investment.

In a bid to offset the impact of giant neighbours Russia and China, Mongolia has also courted "third neighbours" like the United States and Japan, leading to growing cultural ties.

But the rapid pace of change has stoked concerns that its nomadic and Buddhist culture is being left behind.

Halloween celebrations are still expected to continue in Ulaanbaatar, home to nearly half of Mongolia's population of 3 million.

"I haven't seen the decision have any impact or affect our sales so far," said D Purev, owner of the Party Shop, which stocks Halloween-related goods in Ulaanbaatar.

(Reporting by Suvdantsetseg Tsagaanbaatar; Writing by David Stanway; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: Reuters/na

The meeting was attended by representatives from AmCham member organizations and individuals from local and international businesses. The panelists included Mr. J.Delgersaikhan, economist and lecturer at the University of Finance and Economics; Mr. Ch.Ganhuyag, CEO at Ard Financial Group; and Mr. Jean-Pascal N. Nganou, senior economist and acting country manager at the World Bank. The panel discussion was led and moderated by AmCham Financial Services Committee Chair Mr. Erik Versavel, country representative of the ING Bank office in Mongolia. The panelists shared their perspectives and exchanged ideas with the meeting’s attendees about the future of Mongolia’s financial and economic outlook.

Ard Financial Group’s Mr. Ch.Ganhuyag stressed the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors, stating, “The private sector needs to become more proactive. The local and central governments need to establish channels to consult with researchers and the private sector, where our voices are heard in decision-making process.”

Mr. J.Delgersaikhan, economist and lecturer at the University of Finance and Economics, addressed Mongolia’s 2019 outlook, saying, “On one hand, the 2019 prospective is positive, since the budget deficit is projected to be lower than previous years’. However, the governance side of the IMF’s extended fund facility program’s implementation must improve in order to improve budgetary policies for the future and address the lack of debt management.”

The World Bank’s Mr. Jean-Pascal N. Nganou shared his thoughts as a member of the international community, and said, “The outlook for 2019 seems generally positive, but there are two types of risks to watch out for: domestic uncertainty, due largely to politics, and external pressure from demand. In order to navigate the uncertainties, Mongolia must stick to the reform program and ensure its close implementation.”

Source: amcham.mn

The 33-year-old Mongolian who came off with a perfect 15-0 record in September’s Autumn tournament, now has his sights set on a record-extending 42nd career title. Although he has only one championship to his name this year, Hakuho is an eight-time winner in Fukuoka and is the defending champion.

If Hakuho manages another title with a 15-0 record at the tournament starting on 11 November, it will be the first time he has gone 15-0 in two straight tournaments in over five years.

However, there are concerns over his fitness after he underwent endoscopic surgery on his right knee earlier this month.

The annual "Horses of Mongolian Steppe" festival will be held for the fifth year in eastern Khentii province starting Friday.

Co-organized by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Governor's Office of Khentii Province, the festival will feature multiple activities, including horse racing and lasso competitions.

Mongolia ranks among the top worldwide in terms of horse population.

According to the National Statistical Office of Mongolia, there were over 66.2 million livestock animals in Mongolia as of the end of 2017, of which almost six percent were horses.

However, the Mongolian herdsmen prefer to ride motorcycles and cars to look for livestock animals instead of riding horses, which makes the preservation of the horse-riding culture a necessity.