A tiny info-mosaic

It's been a while since my last post in June. So, what has  happened since then?  Here is a  list of some events which got the most attention:

N. Enkhbayar (former President of Mongolia)

- Former  President N. Enkhbayar got pardoned by the current President Elbegdorj. He flew to South Korea to get some treatment because  his health condition got worse after his  "dry" hunger strike in prison. He was sentenced to 2.6 years of prison for his abuse of power.

- Mongolian People's Party (MPP- former communist party)'s Conference is scheduled  on October 27 this year. MPP has been "knocked down"  5  times in a row, in  last elections, and they will discuss at their meeting how to stop this  downslide and make a come back. Major changes in party leader positions are expected.

- Oyutolgoi project has put on hold  its underground developments and sent its 2000 workers home, temporarily. It is not clear whether Rio Tinto uses it as a tool to "tease" the Mongolian Government and/or the Parliament, or was it because of the lack of financing the underground expansion  which is the key of reaching to the major deposits of this mine. It says, Mongolia  still has 22 disputes with Rio Tinto over Oyutolgoi - a world class copper and gold  mine in the south Gobi in Mongolia.

New Boeing 767-300 ER

- Mongolia has bought a brand new Boeing 767-300 ER. Two additional Boeing 737-800 will arrive in 2015.  Mongolian Airlines (MIAT) has recently opened a new line to Ereen city (China) and plan to open additional new routes.

- Some  former and current high ranking  Government officials, and an MP are involved in money laundering crimes, bribery and either awaiting their cases been  decided at the court, or sent already to prison. All of them are MPP members since this party ruled in the last 8 years, making this country one of the most corrupt in the world.

Horse racing

- This year's Naadam fest was no exclusion with regards to losing  of children's lives during the horse racing. Two children have lost their lives after falling off their horses while racing. Few escaped with different level of injuries. The jockeys in Mongolian horse races are exclusively children ages of from  7 and up. This has been a big issue among Mongolians for some time, but it couldn't be solved yet. The supporters (race horse owners, mostly riches) say it should be kept as is it because it's been a tradition (a point which is disputable), and opponents argue we should stop using the children as jockeys.

Brown stallion secured an SUV for his owner

A Naadam is a traditional festival  where men compete in three competitions: horse racing, traditional wrestling and archery. There are lot of drinking and eating involved, and celebrated nationwide. Officially it lasts for three days but at the country sides it continues a bit longer. At the "Grand speed" (in Mongolian: Ikh Hurd) after Naadam,  the winner was awarded  with an SUV (Toyota Land Cruiser) and the next runner-ups  from second place to fifth place received  20 mil, 16 mil., 14 mil., and 10 million MNT respectively. (Mongolian Tugrik-MNT and USD rate is currently  1568 : 1 ). The best  stallions and horses of 5 years and up, from around the country compete in 2 categories in  distances  of 22 km and 24 km.  

Horse rider parade (with 11500 participants)

- Mongolians are being  addicted to beat Guinness records any way they possibly can. It might look harmless than a marijuana addiction but it did cost a child's life during the recent event- a  race of 4249  horses (18 km = 11 miles).   Organized by the Mongolian  Federation of Horse Racing Sports  and Trainers  (MFHRST) ,  this race was officially registered as  world record by Guinness officials who came to Mongolia and witnessed the event.  MFHRST  has also organized a parade  of 11 thousand horse riders, a something that had  not an important point except to show the world that Mongolia has lot of horses and we are a nation  proud of our  horses.