Harsh Beauty Hides Tough Reality of Mongolia - ABC New South Wales - Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

Harsh Beauty Hides Tough Reality of Mongolia - ABC New South Wales - Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC): "Can you imagine what life would be like living on a rubbish tip ? To see families foraging through the garbage to try and eke a living is what prompted former South East locals Nigel Brown and Robyn Hepburn to help raise funds for Children of the Peak.

To do that, they have created their own slice of history in a country where horsemanship is revered. Robyn describes their recent adventure to Tim:"

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It's goodbye Lenin, hello dinosaur as fossils head to Mongolia museum

It's goodbye Lenin, hello dinosaur as fossils head to Mongolia museum: "In the building's new incarnation the centrepiece is likely to be the seven-metre long Tyrannosaurus bataar – also known as Tarbosaurus bataar, because experts dispute its taxonomy – which prompted adispute when it was put on sale by a New York auction house last May. In December, prosecutors in the US said Erik Prokopi, a fossils dealer from Florida, had agreed to surrender the nearly completeTyrannosaurus bataar and other fossils – paving the way for their return to Mongolia – after pleading guilty to smuggling dinosaur specimens into the US. They described Prokopi as  "a one-man black market in prehistoric fossils".
Bolortsetseg Minjin, the New York-based founder of the Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs, said the case had proved a turning point, raising awareness among the Mongolian public and officials. "Mongolia is known to have many different species and the preservation is unique: you find complete skeletons in the Gobi desert, which is very rare.""

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Smuggle Dinosaur Skeleton From Mongolia, Face Up To 17 Years In Prison: Gothamist

Smuggle Dinosaur Skeleton From Mongolia, Face Up To 17 Years In Prison: Gothamist: "A fossil dealer has pleaded guilty to illegally removing a dinosaur skeleton from Mongolia—where the fossils are the property of government—that he tried to auction for $1 million. Eric Prokopi, 38, had been charged with conspiracy, making false statements, and interstate transportation of stolen property. His scheme was discovered by the American Museum of Natural History's chairman of paleontology, who saw the auction listing and became very alarmed."

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Corruption Possible Cause Behind the Radioactive Licenses

Corruption Possible Cause Behind the Radioactive Licenses: "t is too much for our country. This represents the widespread corruption and bribery that are possibly ongoing in this sector. The related legal organizations must inspect what companies have obtained the Licenses. I’m quite sure that there was corruption and violations of official power in license issuances. Uranium deposits have been discovered in both Dornogovi and Sukhbaatar Provinces. We must suspend their licenses. We, Mongolians, are perfectly able to live safely without digging our soil.”
Only ten members have attended the session and Member of the Parliament M.Batchimeg was critical of other members. She stated “When budget or monetary issues are discussed, the meeting hall gets filled with members. But when it comes to discussing the National Security of Mongolia, only over ten members are present at the session. I feel so sorry for it. It is absurd that politicians mention the National Security only during election period and this topic vanishes into thin air once the elections are finished. It’s been three years since Mongolia formulated a policy to implement in the Nuclear Energy Sector."

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BIFF doco reveals Mongolia's hip-hop underground | Bendigo Advertiser

BIFF doco reveals Mongolia's hip-hop underground | Bendigo Advertiser: "It's hard to imagine the land of Genghis Khan as a hip-hop mecca.

But that's exactly what tour guide turned filmmaker Benj Binks discovered while working in the region.

“I guess I rocked up expecting herders and nomads and this ancient lifestyle, but stumbled into Ulaanbaatar, which is modern ... I heard the hip-hop and thought it was cool,” says the 33-year-old Victorian.

Friends back home couldn't believe there was an underground hip-hop scene in the Mongolian capital, so after completing a filmmaking course, Binks decided it would make a great subject for a documentary.

“For some reason I thought going back to Mongolia and shooting a documentary in winter, in a foreign language, would be easy,” he laughs."

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Short Sharp Science: Scythian skeletons tell of ancient cultural crossover

Short Sharp Science: Scythian skeletons tell of ancient cultural crossover: "It's a warriors' tomb, but we now know it says more about culture than conquest. It contains ancient Scythian skeletons discovered in the Altai mountains of Mongolia in 2005, and their DNA is part of the first hard evidence of genetic blending between Europe and Asia.

Researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, extracted mitochondrial DNA from the bones and teeth of skeletons found in the mountains. Bronze-Age skeletons, dating from the seventh to the 10th century BC, showed no sign of mixed lineages: those from the western side of the mountain range were European, and those from the eastern side were Asian. However, come the Iron Age - seventh to second centuries BC - and the coming of the Scythian culture, and the skeletons display a neat 50-50 blend of lineages."

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Getty Images: Mongolia's Biggest Foreign Investment The Oyu Tolgoi Mine

Getty Images: Mongolia's Biggest Foreign Investment The Oyu Tolgoi Mine: "KHANBOGD-SOUTH GOBI DESERT, MONGOLIA - OCTOBER 8: Enkhnaraa ,2, looks out from her home located near the OyuTolgoi mine October 8, 2012 in the south Gobi desert, Khanbogd region, Mongolia. Her father is employed at the mining site. The Oyu Tolgoi (Mongolian for Turquoise Hill) copper and gold mine is a combined open pit and underground mining project. The site, discovered in 2001, is located approximately 550 km south of the Mongolian capital, Ulan-Batar in the South Gobi Desert. Turquoise Hill Resources (Formerly Ivanhoe Mines) and Rio Tinto signed a long-term comprehensive investment agreement with the Government of Mongolia in 2009 with the deal awarding Turquoise Hill Resources, whose majority shareholder is Rio Tinto, with a controlling 66 percent interest and The Mongolian Government with a 34 percent interest in the project. Rio Tinto provided a comprehensive financing package and assumed direct management of the project under an agreement with Ivanhoe."

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Tomb of the Huns found in Khuvsgul Province | Ubpost News

Tomb of the Huns found in Khuvsgul Province | Ubpost News: "By M.ZOLJARGAL
Scientists and researchers from the Institute of History of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences (IHMAS) have found tombs from the Hun people dating back to the 2nd century BC. In total, 31 Huns were buried in the tombs that were discovered at the foot of Salkhit of Rashaant Soum in Khuvsgul Province. After three years of research and excavation, the experts from IHMAS finally found the tombs of the Huns. Further detailed information about the tombs will be available to the public soon.
Below is an interview from Unuudur Newspaper with S.Ulziibayar, an expert on the research on Ancient History at the IHMAS."

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Judge Rules Tyrannosaurus Bataar Skeleton Was Not Smuggled

Judge Rules Tyrannosaurus Bataar Skeleton Was Not Smuggled: "MANHATTAN (CN) - A Tyrannosaurus Bataar skeleton will stay put, for now, because prosecutors have not proven that it was smuggled, a federal judge ruled.  

The Tyrannosaurus Bataar, also known as a Tarbosaurus, lived around 70 million years ago, in the Cretaceous period.    

In 1946, a joint Soviet-Mongolian mission discovered the species in the Gobi Desert, and a nearly complete skeleton made its way to Texas for auction two years ago, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.    

After the Dallas-based Heritage Auctions sold it in May 2000 for roughly $1.05 million, Mongolian President Elbegdorj Tsakhia quickly filed suit .     "

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New Mongolian specimen defines Ernanodon antelios - National Paeleontology | Examiner.com

New Mongolian specimen defines Ernanodon antelios - National Paeleontology | Examiner.com: "The new specimen from the Naran Bulak locality of Mongolia originally discovered by a team of Soviet paleontologists in 1979 has eliminated the mystery surrounding the 57 million year old Paleocene mammal."

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"Lost" Great Wall of China Segment Found?

"Lost" Great Wall of China Segment Found?: "A forgotten section of the Great Wall of China has been discovered deep in the Gobi Desert—and outside of China—researchers say.

With the help of Google Earth, an international expedition documented the ancient wall for roughly 100 kilometers (62 miles) in a restricted border zone in southern Mongolia in August 2011.

The defensive barrier formed part of the Great Wall system built by successive Chinese dynasties to repel Mongol invaders from the north, according to findings published in the March issue of the Chinese edition of National Geographic magazine. (The National Geographic Society is responsible for both the magazine and National Geographic News.)

(Related: "Great Wall of China Overrun, Damaged, Disneyfied.")

Preserved to a height of 9 feet (2.75 meters) in places, the desert discovery belongs to a sequence of remnant walls in Mongolia collectively known as the Wall of Genghis Khan, said expedition leader and Great Wall researcher William Lindesay."

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Haranga Resources defines maiden JORC Iron Ore Resource at Selenge, Mongolia - Proactiveinvestors (AU)

Haranga Resources defines maiden JORC Iron Ore Resource at Selenge, Mongolia - Proactiveinvestors (AU): "Haranga Resources (ASX: HAR) has defined a maiden JORC Resource for the Selenge Iron Ore Project in Mongolia.

The JORC Inferred Resource is based at the Bayantsogt prospect, one of four primary exploration targets at Selenge.

It comprises 32.8 million tonnes of iron ore at an average grade of 24.4% iron, based on a 15% iron cut off grade.

Mineralisation remains open in all directions and at depth.

The prospect includes a recently discovered high grade zone which requires further testing.

Further drilling will also be undertaken to expand the Resource and upgrade its classification."

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Does Mongolia and the History of Genghis Khan and His Descendants Represent an Apocalyptic Sign of the Last Days in the Presence of the Great Mahdi?

Does Mongolia and the History of Genghis Khan and His Descendants Represent an Apocalyptic Sign of the Last Days in the Presence of the Great Mahdi?: "As we begin, I pray Allah, dear brothers and sisters, that this will be a new experience for you and for us to see the comparisons that we discovered in these journeys between the emerging country of Mongolia, the history of Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan, his four sons and how they reached out to capture an entire empire whose land base was greater than any other empire in world history.  We shall see how that history ties into Muhammad’s history 1400 years ago; and how that history ties into our condition here in America today.  We have only one Farra-Khan.  How is his name “Khan” meaning oceanic or universal ruler and global king that is added to the lists of the kings that have descended from heaven.  What we’re going to see are these incredible comparisons between Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan, who you may know established the Yuan Dynasty in China at the place we call today The Forbidden City, and all of the secret history that was hidden away until today."

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Unhealthy insurance

Unhealthy insurance: "D.JARGALSAIKHAN
Ever since Mongolia had a transition to free-market economy, the government of Mongolia has been making amendments to the law on health insurances every four years and today’s government is rushing to make changes to this law as well. Even though the government says that a total of three law amendment projects are ready now, it is unclear if those projects reflect people’s voice or have fully covered their social life. The only clear thing is that government officials are afraid because, if a broad discussion on reality of today’s health insurance and its issues is carried out by people, the truth about the inefficiency of our incapable administrative system will be discovered. The basic reason why a new government makes changes to this law is that lasting principles and ideology on health insurance are still not set.    "

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Kincora Copper has high hopes for Mongolian deposit - Proactiveinvestors (UK)

Kincora Copper has high hopes for Mongolian deposit - Proactiveinvestors (UK): "Kincora Copper's (CVE:KCC) flagship asset is the Bronze Fox deposit in Mongolia, which is in the same geological neighbourhood as the giant Oyu Tolgoi mine, just over 100 miles to the north-east.

Oyu Tolgoi is the world’s largest undeveloped copper deposit, which also contains an estimated 46 million ounces of gold.

It was discovered by Canada’s Ivanhoe Mines (TSE:IVN) and is being developed in partnership with Rio Tinto (LON:RIO).

Production is expected to reach 450,000 tonnes of copper annually from the open pit and underground mine that will chase the high grade copper core."

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Pictures: "Gorgeous" Dinosaur Nest Found Full of Babies

Pictures: "Gorgeous" Dinosaur Nest Found Full of Babies: ""Breathtaking" Nest
Photograph courtesy Khishigjav Tsogtbaatar, Mongolian Academy of Sciences

A nest full of fossilized dinosaur babies has been discovered in Mongolia, and the find has paleontologists reexamining styles of parental care among the ancient reptiles.

The approximately 75-million-year-old nest shows 15 juvenile members of Protoceratops andrewsi—a relative of Triceratops—entombed in ancient sand dune deposits. The nest was recently discovered by Mongolian paleontologist Pagmin Narmandakh in the region's Djadokhta formation.

The 2.3-foot-wide (0.7-meter-wide) nest is breathtaking, according to David Fastovsky, a co-author on a paper about the dinosaur nest published in the November edition of the Journal of Paleontology."

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Oldest hairy microbe fossils discovered - Technology & science - Science - LiveScience - msnbc.com

Oldest hairy microbe fossils discovered - Technology & science - Science - LiveScience - msnbc.com: "The fossils have evaded researchers not only because they are so tiny, but also because these deposits do not contain a type of rock that typically preserves fossils, particularly something this small and fragile, she said.
Fossils belonging to foraminifera were found in rocks from Namibia, while ciliates were found in rocks from Mongolia. Both types first appear in layers of rock called cap carbonates, laid down as the world was leaving the earlier snowball state, which occurred 716 million years ago. [Photos: World's Most Famous Rocks ]"

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Haranga Resources intersects more iron mineralisation at Selenge Project in Mongolia - Proactiveinvestors (AU)

Haranga Resources intersects more iron mineralisation at Selenge Project in Mongolia - Proactiveinvestors (AU): "Haranga Resources (ASX: HAR) has intersected further extensions to the iron mineralisation at the Bayantsogt prospect, within its Selenge Project in Mongolia, where four diamond rigs continue to drill.

A total of 24 of the 26 diamond drill holes at Bayantsogt have intersected significant widths of iron mineralisation.

The company has also discovered significant widths of iron mineralisation at the nearby and larger Dund Bulag prospect.

Highlights from holes 8 to 14 include:

- 41 metres at 26% iron from 107 metres, including 10 metres at 42% iron from 113 metres;
- 18 metres at 31% iron from 65 metres
- 5 metres at 40% iron from 106 metres "

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Divers find 13th century wreck from Kublai Kahn's Mongol invasion fleet that was destroyed by 'divine' typhoon | Mail Online

Divers find 13th century wreck from Kublai Kahn's Mongol invasion fleet that was destroyed by 'divine' typhoon | Mail Online: "More than 4,000 artefacts, including ceramic shards, ballast bricks, cannonballs and stone anchors have been found around the wreck, CNN reported.

The hull will not be immediately salvaged, but the site will be covered with netting to prevent damage.

The Kamikaze - two powerful typhoons that struck seven years apart - halted the Mongol expansion in the Far East.

Historians say both attempts by the Yuan Dynasty to invade Japan ended in disaster.

"

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700-Year-Old Mongolian Shipwreck Discovered in Japan | KDRV

700-Year-Old Mongolian Shipwreck Discovered in Japan | KDRV:
Archaeologists discovered the wreck of a Mongolian ship, believed to be headed toward Japan more than 700 years ago. Divers with underwater camera took a good look at the wreckage Monday.

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