It was a cloudy morning in southeast Mongolia. Paleontologist Chinzorig Tsogtbaatar and several colleagues set out by foot from their campsite to a rocky outcrop dating back some 110 million years to the early Cretaceous. "Then, after 15 to 20 minutes, I saw something [on the] other side of the hill," says Tsogtbaatar. It was a bright object of some sort.
Mongolian Prime Minister Gombojav Zandanshatar has stepped down after only four months as leader of the country, after receiving a crushing vote of no confidence from politicians, the country's parliament has announced. Mongolia's 126-seat national parliament, the State Great Khural, held the vote on Friday in which a reported 111 members of parliament cast their ballots, with 71 supporting Zandanshatar's dismissal and 40 opposing, according to a parliamentary statement.
On the five-day Erdenedalai Explorer trip, guests stay with a herding family in the vast steppes of the Middle Gobi, an area often bypassed by travellers heading to the better-known sights of the desert's southern region. The trip offers a glimpse into local life in a wild landscape. A tour of the capital Ulaanbaatar is also included, during which you can visit projects working to improve life in the community.
