Mongolia's top nine people of the past lunar year

Each year for the past nine years, Mongolia’s local newspaper announces the nation’s top people of the past lunar year, on the eve of the Lunar New Year on February 14.

The top nine for 2009’s Year of the Ox were:

President Elbegdorj of Mongolia (elected in May 2009 as the nation’s fourth President, he was one to the top leaders of the peaceful democratic revolution in 1990 that ended more than 65 years of communist rule)

Member of Parliament, E. Bat-Uul (awarded with the Order of National Hero in 2009)

Former Prime Minister, S. Bayar (chair of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party)

Current Prime Minister, S. Batbold

Deputy Prime Minister, M. Enkhbold (the ninth consecutive time on the list of top 9)

Grand Champion of Japanese sumo wrestling, D. Dagvadorj (known as Yokozuna Asashoryu)

Olympic boxing silver medallist, P. Serdamba (who recently won a gold medal in a world championship event)

Olympic judo bronze medallist, Kh. Tsagaanbaatar (who won gold at the world event in 2009)

Opera singer, S.Munguntsetseg (the winner of the International Opera Singers’ Competition held in Russia in 2009, and the only woman on the list of top 9).

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. That

Flaws in the Glass, a self-portrait by Patrick White: book review

The manuscript, Flaws in the Glass (1981), is Patrick Victor Martindale White’s autobiography. White, born in 1912 in England, migrated to Sydney, Australia, when he was six months old. For three years, at the age of 20, he studied French and German literature at King’s College at the University of Cambridge in England. Throughout his life, he published 12 novels. In 1957 he won the inaugural Miles Franklin Literary Award for Voss, published in 1956. In 1961, Riders in the Chariot became a best-seller, winning the Miles Franklin Literary Award. In 1973, he was the first Australian author to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Eye of the Storm, despite many critics describing his works as ‘un-Australian’ and himself as ‘Australia’s most unreadable novelist.’ In 1979, The Twyborn Affair was short-listed for the Booker Prize, but he withdrew it from the competition to give younger writers the opportunity to win the award. His autobiography, Flaws in the Glass

Sister cities discussed: Canberra and Islamabad

Two months ago, in March 2015, Australia and Pakistan agreed to explore ways to deepen ties. The relationship between Australia and Pakistan has been strong for decades, and the two countries continue to keep dialogues open. The annual bilateral discussions were held in Australia in March to continue engagements on a wide range of matters of mutual interest. The Pakistan delegation discussed points of interest will include sports, agriculture, economic growth, trade, border protection, business, and education. The possible twinning of the cities of Canberra, the capital of Australia, and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, were also on the agenda (i.e. called twin towns or sister cities). Sister City relationships are twinning arrangements that build friendships as well as government, business, culture, and community linkages. Canberra currently has international Sister City relationships with Beijing in China and Nara in Japan. One example of existing

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog