First 87 Km of Bagakhangai-Khushig Valley-Emeelt Railway Completed www.monstame.mn

Construction is underway on the 127-kilometer Bagakhangai-Khushig Valley-Emeelt railway, a major infrastructure project aimed at reducing congestion in the capital and supporting the development of satellite cities and new residential areas.

More than 1,100 people and around 700 pieces of machinery and equipment are currently involved in the project, with the first 87 kilometers of railway completed. A total of 1,279 meters of bridges have also been built by five domestic consortia.

Once fully operational, the railway will allow 34 types of explosive and hazardous cargo to be transported without passing through central Ulaanbaatar. It is also expected to ease road congestion caused by railway crossing barriers, which currently disrupt traffic for an average of 144 minutes per day. The new line is projected to reduce barrier closure times by 21 to 120 minutes, helping improve traffic flow across the capital.

The new railway network is also expected to accelerate development in the Khushig Valley area and lay the groundwork for creating a more favorable environment for living, working and doing business in Hunnu City.

Officials emphasized that major infrastructure projects, including the Bagakhangai-Khushig Valley-Emeelt railway, are essential to developing the Khushig Valley region and establishing a new transport and logistics network.

Ulaanbaatar's population has doubled over the past 20 years to approximately 1.7 million, increasing the need to develop satellite cities and new residential areas to ease urban concentration and reduce pressure on infrastructure.

Ulaanbaatar Proposes Cutting Tax Rates on Six Types of Services by 50% www.monstame.mn

The Capital City Governor’s Council discussed a draft resolution on setting municipal tax rates, proposing to reduce the tax rate on restaurants, hotels, resorts, car washes and automotive service centers to 1%, a 50% reduction.

According to the Media and Public Relations Department of the Capital City Governor’s Office, the proposal would retain the 2% tax rate on all types of tobacco and tobacco products, related accessories, and all types of alcoholic beverages.

The capital city currently levies a 2% tax on two categories of goods and six types of services.

Purevdagva Byaruuzana, Governor of the Capital City and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar, noted that at its meeting in August, the Citizens’ Representatives Khural of the capital city cancelled 103 types of permits required for businesses to operate. He said the tax reduction for six types of services was intended to support businesses and organizations amid inflation and rising prices caused by fuel shortages.

Professional Hunting Teams to Be Deployed in Bear-Risk Areas www.montsame.mn

In connection with situations endangering human life and health, Prime Minister Uchral Nyam-Osor instructed the leadership of the State Emergency Commission, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs to take prompt measures to ensure cross-sectoral integrated organization, protect public safety, and mitigate risks.
Noting that a tragic incident occurred where a brown bear entered a residential area and claimed a human life, the Prime Minister expressed deep condolences on behalf of the Government of Mongolia to the family and relatives of the deceased citizen.

"We do not have the luxury of wasting time discussing changes to laws and regulations while bears are taking human lives. Before legal amendments are enacted, we must protect our citizens within the framework of existing laws and promptly implement preventive measures," he warned.

He ordered that teams comprising police, internal troops, armed forces, rangers, and professional hunters be deployed to high-risk locations, that professional organizations operate on a 24-hour basis, and that the State Emergency Commission provide daily updates and necessary information to the public.

Relevant officials were directed to promptly organize measures to protect the life, health, and property of citizens, as well as to capture, transport, and relocate bears to suitable habitats. Furthermore, the Government allocated MNT 1 billion to expedite the customs clearance and import of bear tranquilizer guns, pharmaceuticals, reagents, and equipment. The Media and Public Relations Department of the Government reported that officials were instructed to monitor implementation and utilize technological advancements to assess the bear population.

Ancient DNA Links Attila’s Huns to the Elite of a Lost Mongolian Empire www.zmescience.com

The Huns were a nomadic people whose sudden and ferocious arrival in the late 4th century sent shockwaves through the ancient world. Known for their lightning-fast cavalry and relentless raids, they struck terror into the heart of the Roman Empire. They were led by Attila, the “Scourge of God”, who raided Roman settlements with a force that seemed almost elemental.

Their sudden appearance and rapid rise to power have long puzzled historians and archaeologists. Were they descendants of the Xiongnu, the nomadic empire that once dominated the Mongolian steppe centuries earlier? Or were they a completely different group, their origins lost to time?

A new study, published by a team of geneticists, archaeologists, and historians, may have finally shed light on this ancient origin story. By analyzing the DNA of 370 individuals who lived across Eurasia between the 2nd century BCE and the 6th century CE, researchers have uncovered surprising genetic ties between the Huns and the Xiongnu elite. But there was more to the Huns than a single lineage.

It’s a complex story of migration, mixing, and cultural exchange that reshaped Europe.

A Genetic Journey Across the Steppe
The team, part of the ERC Synergy Grant project HistoGenes, sequenced 35 new genomes from key sites. These included a 3rd-4th century burial in Kazakhstan and 5th-6th century graves in the Carpathian Basin. Some of these burials stood out. Known as “eastern-type,” they bore hallmarks of steppe traditions — think nomadic warriors laid to rest with their horses. The researchers, hailing from institutions like the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, zeroed in the DNA of these remains.

“DNA can tell stories of ancestries and it is therefore an important source of information when investigating origins and connections between ancient people and cultures. It must be used in light of accurate archaeological and historical frameworks otherwise it can be also misinterpreted. It was extremely challenging as the burials available are so scarce and covers such a large geographic scale and time period,” Guido Alberto Gnecchi-Ruscone, a co-first author of the study, told ZME Science.

While most individuals in the Carpathian Basin after the Huns’ arrival showed little East Asian ancestry, a small group stood out. These individuals, often associated with elite burials, carried significant genetic signatures linking them to the Xiongnu Empire.

The discovery of shared IBD (identical-by-descent) links between some Hun-period individuals in Europe and elite Xiongnu burials in Mongolia stood out immediately and was a huge surprise for the researchers.

“It was like finding a needle in a haystack! And it is even more surprising that most of these IBD links are mediated by a few individuals from the highest elite Xiongnu society. The mechanism that brought these genetic descendants into Europe is still unknown and we don’t know whether they even knew about these distant genetic lineages. Do you know who your 10th-degree relatives are or who were your relatives 300 years ago? It could be that we are observing the results of centuries of marrying practices among the elite of steppe societies that eventually “moved” the genes of these elite Xiongnu into Europe 300 years later,” Gnecchi-Ruscone told ZME Science in an email.

The fact that the population of the Hun Empire was so genetically diverse reflects a complex web of genetic interaction rather than a single mass migration. “DNA and archaeological evidence reveal a patchwork of ancestries,” said Zsófia Rácz, another co-first author.

While some individuals carried clear East Asian ancestry, most of the population in the Carpathian Basin remained predominantly European. This contrasts sharply with the later arrival of the Avars, who came to Europe in the 6th century straight after their empire in East Asia collapsed at the hands of the Turks. Unlike the Huns, the Avars maintained a strong East Asian genetic signature throughout their rule.

The Xiongnu, a powerful nomadic confederation that dominated the Mongolian steppe from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE, were among the earliest and most formidable empires of the Eurasian plains. Known for their skilled horsemanship and military prowess, they repeatedly clashed with China’s Han dynasty. Earlier Chinese states had already built defensive walls, while the Qin and Han rulers expanded and maintained frontier fortifications in response to threats from the northern steppe.

Despite their prominence, the empire dissolved around 100 CE, leaving behind a legacy of mystery and speculation about their descendants. The Huns, however, first marched into Europe at around 370 CE. This was after they crossed the Volga River and conquered the Alans, another civilization of nomadic, warring horsemen.

The genetic evidence suggests that some descendants of the Xiongnu eventually reached Europe, possibly through centuries of migration and intermarriage. But it does not establish a continuous migration of a single people from Mongolia to the Carpathian Basin.

“The ancestors of Attila’s Huns took many generations on their way westward and mixed with populations across Eurasia,” explained Walter Pohl, a co-corresponding author.

Did the Huns and Xiongnu Speak the Same Language?
Genetics may not be the only clue connecting the Huns to their distant predecessors. Linguists have also searched for traces of a shared language.

In a separate study published in June 2025, Svenja Bonmann of the University of Cologne and Simon Fries of the University of Oxford proposed that the Xiongnu and the European Huns may have spoken an early form of Arin, an extinct language belonging to the Yeniseian family, once spoken across parts of Siberia.

Their argument draws on four types of linguistic evidence: words borrowed into other languages, fragments recorded in ancient Chinese texts, Hunnic personal names, and place names along possible migration routes. Together, the researchers argue, these clues point toward a linguistic connection between the two confederations.

The proposal remains debated. Very little of the Hunnic language survives, making it difficult to reconstruct what its speakers actually said. This seems to support the connection, and while not fully confirmed, the linguistic study offers another intriguing piece of the puzzle.

Huns of Varied Ancestry
So where does this leave us? The study challenges the idea of the Huns as a uniform horde. Instead, it reveals a dynamic interplay of cultures and genes. The eastern-type burials, with their varied ancestry, hint at a elite class tied to the steppe. Yet the broader population reflects centuries of mixing.

Johannes Krause, director of the Department of Archaeogenetics at the Max Planck Institute and a co-corresponding author, sees this as a triumph of science. “From a broader perspective, the study underscores how cutting-edge genetic research, in combination with careful exploration of the archaeological and historical context, can resolve centuries-old debates about the composition and origin of past populations,” he says.

Questions linger, of course. How did these Xiongnu descendants rise to prominence among the Huns? What drove their ancestors westward? We don’t know. But these intriguing findings highlight how the ancient world was in motion, where empires rose and fell, and where bloodlines stretched across continents like threads in a vast, ancient weave.

The findings appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Updated October 10, 2026: This article was originally published in February 2025 and was subsequently updated. It has been further revised to clarify the genetic evidence connecting some European Huns to the Xiongnu, correct historical context, and include a linguistic hypothesis concerning the languages spoken by these ancient populations.

UN talks in Mongolia expose growing drought crisis as climate impacts worsen www.thestar.com.my

Representatives from nearly 200 countries wrapped up United Nations desertification talks in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia recently, seeking ways to keep land productive as climate change heats the planet and degraded soils and landscapes lose their ability to hold water, produce food and support livelihoods.

Up to 40% of the world’s land is degraded, according to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, which organises the biennial talks.

Droughts are also emerging in areas that were not considered highly vulnerable a decade ago, said Yasmine Fouad, the convention’s executive secretary.

“Drought is coming coupled with the impact of climate change,” Yasmine said. “It’s becoming more frequent, more intense and more prolonged.”

Countries left Ulaanbaatar without resolving one of the talks’ key issues – whether to create a legally binding global drought agreement – postponing a decision until the next round of talks in Egypt in two years.

The issue had already been deferred at the previous meeting two years ago.

Healthy soils absorb and store water, helping crops, grasslands and natural ecosystems survive dry periods.

Degraded soils shed water more quickly and lose productivity, making communities more vulnerable when temperatures climb or rainfall becomes erratic, according to land experts.

“You cannot maintain healthy soil without managing your water,” Yasmine said.

“And you cannot say we have sustainable water management without ensuring that your soil and your land is OK.”

The connection between land and water is especially important for agriculture.

Joao Campari, global leader for food and agriculture at WWF International, said treating land and water as separate systems overlooks the basic conditions needed for food security.

“If you don’t have water, you don’t have agriculture. If you don’t have land, you don’t have agriculture,” he said.

The pressure on land is expected to grow as demand for food increases.

According to UN reports, with the world’s population growing, the world will need to produce 50% more food than it did in 2012 by 2050.

But expanding production by clearing grasslands, savannas or other natural areas can worsen land degradation, releasing carbon from soils and reducing the ability of landscapes to store water.

Land degradation can also worsen sand and dust storms. Yasmine said that while the storms are carried through the air, their roots are often on the ground, where unsustainable land use leaves soil exposed.

Restoring vegetation and improving land management can help keep soil in place and reduce the amount swept up by strong winds.

The 12-day conference launched a rangelands initiative bringing together US$1.2bil (RM4.83bil) across 45 projects. Yasmine said the Asian Development Bank also announced US$2bil (RM8.05bil) for efforts to combat land degradation in the Asia Pacific region.

Rangelands – including grasslands, savannas and other areas used by grazing animals and pastoral communities – cover 54% of the Earth’s land surface and support around 2 billion people, according to the UNCCD.

Campari said grasslands, savannas and rangelands are being converted to other uses at roughly four times the rate of forests.

Because they hold large amounts of carbon in their soils, their destruction can release greenhouse gases to the atmosphere even when few trees are being cut down.

“They contain twice the carbon that is in the atmosphere,” Campari said. “So when you clear these spaces to produce food, it means that all this carbon leaves the soil and enters the atmosphere.”

Challenging target

An estimated US$355bil (RM1.426tril) a year is needed through 2030 to meet global land restoration commitments, but current investment is about US$77bil (RM310bil), leaving a gap of US$278bil (RM1.19tril) annually. Private finance accounts for only about 6% of global investment in land restoration, according to UN reports.

The challenge is not only raising money but making it available before drought becomes a disaster.

More than 70 countries now have national drought plans, up from three in 2013, but climate experts say plans often lack the funding needed to turn early warnings, water management, restoration and agricultural adaptation into action.

Yasmine said governments need to move from drought plans to investment plans, bringing private companies, local communities, women and young people into national platforms that can develop projects and attract financing.

A new Drought Resilience Investment Facility, announced earlier this week in Ulaanbaatar, aims to mobilise up to US$400mil (RM1.61bil) in public and private capital for projects involving water security, sustainable agriculture, nature-based solutions and land restoration.

For Esther Penunia, secretary general of the Asian Farmers Association, the inability to settle the legal question around drought should not become an excuse for delay.

“We cannot wait for COP18 for solutions,” she said. “We know we have solutions and we can do them as long as we have the necessary resources.” – AP

Singapore and Mongolia to Accept Carbon Credit Project Applications from 30 October 2026 www.indexbox.io

Singapore and Mongolia are moving from a framework agreement on carbon credits to accepting project applications, according to a speech by Minister of State for Energy, Trade and Industry Foo Cexiang at the Mongolia-Singapore Business Forum. The minister told the forum that the two countries will begin accepting applications for carbon credit projects under their Implementation Agreement from 30 October 2026. Foo said Mongolia adopted its first Climate Change Law in July, establishing a domestic legal framework for climate action that covers carbon markets and climate finance. He said this provides a foundation for the two countries to operationalise their Implementation Agreement on carbon credits cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which creates a framework for collaboration on mitigation projects that support climate goals and sustainable development. The minister also noted that Mongolia adopted its Law on Economic Freedom in July alongside reforms to its investment framework. According to Foo, those reforms strengthened investor protection, improved dispute-resolution mechanisms, streamlined regulatory requirements and expanded market access for foreign investors, including in renewable energy, data centres and artificial intelligence. Foo framed the forum around three elements he said would drive business ties: confidence, connections and conviction. On confidence, he said businesses invest when rules are clear, contracts are honoured and the operating environment remains stable enough for long-term decisions, which he described as especially important for clean energy, digital infrastructure and carbon markets. On connections, Foo said the Singapore Business Federation and the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry were signing a Memorandum of Understanding at the forum to strengthen their partnership. He said he hoped the agreement would encourage businesses represented by both federations to seek like-minded partners, and that its value must extend beyond organising forums to creating partnerships, investments and opportunities. Foo said the Singapore Business Federation led a business mission to Mongolia in June involving Singapore companies in food and beverage, professional services, education and energy, and that the mission generated business leads which participating companies are pursuing. On conviction, Foo said governments can build confidence and chambers can build connections, but neither can invest capital, develop projects commercially or sign commercial agreements, which he said businesses must do. He described the two economies as complementary, with Mongolia holding natural resources, abundant land and renewable energy potential, while Singapore brings finance, professional services, technology, project development and access to global and regional markets. Foo said carbon markets are a promising area where these strengths converge, citing Mongolia's potential for mitigation projects including renewable energy and nature-based solutions, and Singapore's ecosystem of companies that can develop, finance and commercialise such projects amid demand for high-quality carbon credits. He said he was aware of a consortium of Singapore and Mongolian companies exploring nature-based carbon projects in Mongolia, with Singapore partners contributing project development and technical expertise and Mongolian partners bringing local knowledge, networks and on-the-ground capabilities. Foo also recalled that Singapore and Mongolia established diplomatic relations 56 years ago, and that then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong became the first Singapore Prime Minister to make an Official Visit to Mongolia in 2016, when then-President Tsakhia Elbegdorj presented him with a Mongolian horse that Lee later named Bintang Temasek. Foo said the name combines the Malay word for star with the ancient name for Singapore, and that the horse remains a symbol of friendship between the two countries. He said the challenge now is to translate that friendship into tangible investments, projects and long-term partnerships, adding that governments will continue to build confidence while business communities strengthen connections and seize opportunities. 

Bear kills man in Mongolian capital as sightings rise www.straitstimes.com

 A bear killed a man and seriously maimed a woman in their home in the outskirts of Mongolia’s capital, the authorities said on Oct 8, warning that sightings of the animals have rocketed across the country in 2026.

The man, in his 40s, and a woman in her 50s were attacked on the night of Oct 7 in their home in the Bayanzurkh district on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, the city’s environment department chief Munkhbayar M told a news briefing.

The woman, who fled after sustaining injuries and sought help from neighbours, is being treated in hospital, he said.

A team of 35 rangers is trying to locate and kill the bear.

Bear sightings have risen in Mongolia, with 24 confirmed sightings so far in 2026 in Ulaanbataar, compared with just two in 2018 and one in 2019, Munkhbayar said.

The authorities have issued bear-hunting permits across eight provinces and are seeking to procure tranquilliser dart guns to support rangers in rural areas.

Investigations are still underway to determine what has caused the rise in sightings.

1.63 kg methamphetamine discovered hidden in cargo in Mongolia www.asianews.network

On September 28, customs officials discovered 1.63 kilograms of methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice,” concealed inside clothing during an inspection of a cargo shipment consisting of 21 packages weighing a total of 961 kilograms.

The customs authorities successfully intercepted an attempt to illegally transport the narcotic substance across Mongolia’s national border.

Immediate action was taken, and the case was transferred to the relevant law enforcement agencies for further investigation and proceedings.

The Customs General Administration regularly conducts inspections and other preventive measures in cooperation with intelligence and police agencies to combat the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

The Customs General Administration urges citizens and business entities to carefully inspect the contents of all cargo and shipments, including goods transported under another person’s name or as incidental freight, to avoid inadvertently becoming involved in the illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances across the national border.

Source: Customs General Administration of Mongolia

Mongolia’s Export Revenue Reaches USD 16.6 Billion www.montsame.mn

Mongolia’s export revenue has increased, while foreign exchange reserves reached USD 8.9 billion at the end of last month, and the exchange rate remains stable.

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Development Enkhbayar Jadamba said the physical volume of mining exports has reached 100% of the annual target for copper concentrate, 95.7% for coal, 71.8% for iron ore and 65% for crude oil.

Mongolia’s export revenue has increased 3.4-fold over the past decade, reaching USD 15.7 billion last year. In the first nine months of this year, export revenue reached USD 16.6 billion, an increase of 54% from the same period last year.

Non-mining export revenue reached USD 776 million during the same period, increasing 1.1-fold year-on-year. In particular, exports of wool and cashmere products reached USD 244 million, up 73% from the same period last year, while leather and hide exports reached USD 2.3 million, an increase of 109%. Exports of meat and meat products amounted to USD 84 million, down 11% year-on-year.

At today’s Cabinet meeting, the Government ordered relevant officials to take measures to ease traffic congestion around six intersections at the Gashuunsukhait border crossing and increase the flow of export transportation; begin cross-border railway connections at the Shiveekhuren-Sekhe and Khangi-Mandal border crossings; and commission automated customs clearance systems, smart gates, and coal testing laboratories at the Bulgan and Bichigt border crossings by the end of this year.

New Kharkhorum City to Feature Green Spaces Covering 50% of Area www.montsame.mn

President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa visited Kharkhorin soum, Uvurkhangai aimag, on October 7 and joined local residents in planting trees at the “Great Khaans’ Park.” 

As part of the initial development phase for the construction of the new Kharkhorum City, establishing green infrastructure is a primary focus. Tree-planting efforts began last year with the goal of planting and growing over one million coniferous and deciduous trees and shrubs across 1,500 hectares. Currently, more than 40 private organizations and enterprises have successfully planted and nurtured 900,000 trees.

Designed to accommodate a population of 500,000 in the Orkhon Valley, a site of universal cultural heritage, the new Kharkhorum City is planned to feature green spaces covering 50% of its total area.

President Khurelsukh emphasized that the “Billions of Trees” national movement has evolved into a comprehensive initiative that extends far beyond just planting trees. It aims to mitigate desertification and land degradation, expand land restoration, increase forest cover, protect soil fertility, water resources, and biodiversity, reduce the adverse impacts of climate change, improve food security, and create new jobs.

During his working visit to rural areas, the President has actively participated in tree-planting activities in every aimag he visits as part of the nationwide “Autumn Tree Planting Campaign.”