it's actually a quite special type of deposit because to me, the musical we had this forest environment with mastered on to reindeers and hairs running around in the landscape. it together with a lot of different implant species, was a we actually found that the image can survive for a 2000000 years, which is twice as old as the previously font. dear me and b, this didn't, it comes from our park off of greenland, the northernmost part and comes from an environment that we don't do not see them anywhere. ah, all right, let's get around them. now. the top stories on august era, peru has sworn in a new president after it's congress impeached leader pedro castillo. he was arrested just hours after saying he would dissolve congress by presidential decree

and moved. the constitutional court said was a, could a tom congress moved ahead with a vote on whether he should be impeached? custio's deputy dinner bought a what he is now. the is now bruce 1st female leader through his face the string of political crises since castillo took office nearly 18 months ago. sri lanka, president ronelle wickham, a singer, is facing a backlash. as trade unions lead protests against inflation, reclaim a seniors announced plans to privatize some state institutions. she lag has been going through its worst economic crises in decades. now fernandez has more from colombo. there are a large number of trade unions belonging to organizations, obviously representing state employees. like you see the crowd over my shoulder. that mainly the telecom said telecom an insurance workers unions. now what they are protesting is that the government has announced the requirement to privatize these

institutions. they said that's just an attempt to privatize institutions that are successfully being run and making massive profit. germany says it's stopped a plot by a far right wing group to overthrow the government. police raided a 130 sites across the country. prosecutor general says 25 people from a group wanting to build a new german army have been detained. russian president vladimir putin has won the risk of nuclear war is rising, which in says moscow would defend itself by any means. but he says his country considers nuclear weapons a defensive deterrent. at least 3 palestinians have been killed by israeli forces in a raid on the jeanine refugee camp. a large group from the israeli army was seen entering the area in the occupied west bank in the early hours of thursday. does the headlines you're up to date in sight? stories next?

ah, the war in ukraine is expected to loom large over this year's nobel peace prize award ceremony in oslo. ukraine center for civil liberties and russian human rights organization. memorial, along with belushi, an activist or less be ascii, will jointly receive the prize in recognition of the importance of civil society to democracy and peace. join us for alive and exclusive interview with the witness. here on al jazeera protests and mongolia, thousands braving temperatures of well below 0 to demonstrate against the government, ported by china and russia. the country depends heavily on the 2 economic power houses. so what is force people out on the streets? this is leslie. ah

hello, welcome to the program. i'm a moron. con. thousands of people have been protesting this week in the mongolian capital in baton there demanding justice after the government officials were implicated in a scandal involving stolen coal. somewhat the parliament to be dissolved, others are frustrated by rising inflation and a was thing economy. well, not all of us here are students. and what are we working towards of? we're spending a lot of money to get our education stock. inflation is increasing every day. we can fill it in the price of bread. what i'd like to put some of this trillions of 2 greeks that were swindled by parliament members into combating inflation or back into the budget on the bus. i'm here to fight for our future ago. such did it. i've also miss my school to come here. it's freezing cold. i've been out here for 3 to 4 hours and screamed a lot. i will have to go back to school tomorrow because our bill thought, oh, i'm a teacher and pay more in loans than my income. i have come to join the youth who

minding to expose those people who stolen loss of cold from our country and you sit down wealth to saturday. will the demonstration itself has a tendency to turn into the wrong direction. but i want to, because i want to have a very peaceful demonstration, the demonstrators, the trying to get one person not a day to say something, this is aggressive. do you think that this would be resolved quickly? would it is impossible to lift it. let's take a closer look at mongolia, situated between russia and china. a has a population of round at 3400000 people. mongolia is a democracy with executive powers held by prime minister and a cabinet. it's rich and mineral resources and mining accounts for a quarter of the g. d. p, followed by agriculture, around 85 percent of mongolia exports, mainly coal and livestock. go to china, the so called 0 coven policy, there shut the border for months. and the economy took a major hit. and the war in ukraine is increased at fuel prices and thousands of russians have crossed into mongolia, many fleeing transcription. now wednesday,

the prime minister addressed the protesters seeking to com. tensions and appeal for cooperation. oh, we must stay on the same side. thousands of people who are gathered here or on the same side with us. for justice, the government stands with you. ah! now lets bring on our guests from all them at all is a solemn go by, shall hon. mongolia is deputy minister for justice and home affairs from tashkent. chris, we find the ceo of micro advisory strategic consultancy focused on eurasia. and also in the capital is ollander tumors who is the b and e intel in youth corresponded in mongolia a warm welcome to you. all. i'd like to begin with the deputy minister for justice and home affairs. you just heard your prime minister there appeal for com and ask for corporation from the protesters. that's corporation. he's not going to get this

simply too much anger out on the streets. right. obviously i think you are are so 1st of all, thank you for having me. and so we are having demonstrations and posters in mongolia, but we are having dialogue with our citizens. we are listening to our citizens and i was kids are shocking, used to all of us that our key state don't entity it in this town is implicated that this series of us could actually related allegations. and obviously the government is working to find their solution quickly and they would like to have our healthy, open dialogue with demonstrators and with our citizens. and for that end, our,

our prime minister had openly met with testers. and she are in white that are the business days after protesters to monitor the ongoing processes related to is this town total. so in this town, try is one of the key is to go into entities in mongolia operates at the, one of the largest cocaine coal mines in the world. and this is a great national wealth. and if this wealth is manage it properly, and it's going to bring up the health and prosperity to all of our citizens and low isn't, it hasn't been managed. probably there is corruption. you say it is national. well, this is a scandal that could potentially bring down your government and all your governments reaction seems to be, is actually just gives charles we, we're quite innocent and all of this that's not going to cover it is their ongoing

investigations by line force and agencies obviously long for some dances, work independently and impartially from the government. and we have faith and trust in our criminal justice system and hopefully investigations will conclude. and those who are capable of corruption will be persecuted in accordance with the loss and other collisions of mongolia. and i would like to note that the coleman was the one who initiated this ah, issues and i will put forward this issues are in the 1st place, for example, or on 26 of october. the government appointed, especially the prison today with the aetna talented her and with that the previous management of the company was dismissed. so currently the government's focus is to ensure that the no wrongdoing will occur at this company are currently and as in

the future. so the current is walking towards ensuring more transparency. they are in this town hall. we're now working towards having more transparency or the sale of coal as a transparent pricing. because there are some of the allegations related to pricing as well as transportation related issue. well, let's get, let's get some reaction to that i want to go to on and a tumor triggers one of the journalists covering this story in all. and that's all i have since the beginning. i have to say, this isn't just about coal on the governance response to this. there are deeper issues. all yes, exactly. there are, there are many deep seated issues through the protests in mongolia that is happening right now. and this, this scandal is one of the things that actually animated the public in to anger and

age. and, and these, i don't know if the, the corruption scandals are true or not. because again, as, as deputy minister, i was pointed out that the, that the government actually pointed this out. and most of the information about this call self is not public is not, is not readily to the public. but they did announce it and they did. and there were, there was a corruption and embezzlement from inside the gum itself. so most of the anger from the people they see that day, the government, people know who these people are. and they are, they probably know that the people who are involved in this self are, are the people who were basically announced and maybe are making a play. and in terms of trying to get more power for some of the politicians or, or to get rid of them. and the public feed, see this as, as, as just a,

just try to make a mockery of the people. and that they see that they need actual names of a politicians who are actually involved in the and the people who are, who are named, who might have been involved in the intercept are not enough. they see that, but i'm just going to, i'm just going to get you to clarify a point. it sounds like what you're saying is that the government did know which is what the deputy minister denies. they say the government didn't know, but also what you're saying is this may have been an open secrets that actually people knew this corruption was going on. well, the, the corruption probably was going on. and inside the government itself, we don't know, and that's the, that's the issue with, with this company since 2018. this government has made it their mission to

make a lot of public information not readily available. they've, they've disclose it and they made things as government secrets. there used to be a lot of information that was readily available to, to the public. that was very useful for and you know, civil rights organizations, but that information is no longer readily available. and the government says it's because it's, it's government secret and it should not be broadcast out loud into the public. and again, this corruption scandal, no, sorry, this, the scandal of the call self is also one of those things. it's not the information was never readily available, the government pointed. right. and we don't know if the numbers are actually true or not, but i assume that there was actually some kind of self. and i kind of applaud that they're gone, is trying to stem off the discretion, but again, the most of the information was never readily available to the people. and also

again this, this anger is not just about this course is just about anger of towards a lot of people, as you heard from the people day, they're living loan to loan. they don't have any, they don't have none, and money will get a moment. we'll get into that and just and chris, i will come to you in just a moment as well. but i do want to get reaction from the deputy minister will on and seems to be saying is that yes, you did announce that this coal theft was going on. you say you are looking into it, but also you're hiding behind a veil of secrecy when it comes to releasing information. are you doing that? what are today at the prime minister in light at ha 100 the present it is from the artists so that they can have a oh side over the ongoing work, we are doing it the goal. and so we have no intention of hiding. ah, i, michaela information from our public, but it is tantalized a commercial companies. so obviously there are commercial collisions and there's

some of the contra to we are. we obviously need to have consultations with the counter partners with a key terms of the contrast can be made publicly available or not. so there are concerns our commercial secrets are confidential, etc. between the i contacting parties are kind of part of business town as well. and as little as ongoing criminal investigations and law enforcement agencies that are bound by that element clause and other conditions of mongolia and until they are completed investigations. our comments are restricted. obviously we are a fully cooperating with law enforcement agencies. and it may take time to r, i and lives in the cations. and obviously we have no intention of prosecuting the annual without

a proof. so it's not the go don't work to prosecute. ah, ah, lot in new skin anyway, so a that is a very robust events that you'll mounting there. but i guess a bow august, 11th all day journalist on and is actually shaking his head on a lot of what you're saying. i will come to you shortly. allen, by want to bring in chris we for her as well. you from tuscan, you covered this region for a very long time. i'm in a lot of in depth. is the government able to investigate effectively itself? no, i don't think that is the case. but you know, just a quick sign up for a 2nd. the what we're seeing now i think is the combination of frustrations has been building up amongst people for several years. remember the, the current government when calling in people's party one, landside victory with 82 percent control of parliament and the promise of economic

social reform, essentially the promising to improve the lives of peoples. and so the economy now to elect that they haven't been able to do that to a large extent, that hasn't been there false because of course, from each $1020.00 we had coverage. and as you said in the introduction, 85 percent of the exports of mongolia go to china. so because china has those, it's border relatively quickly after covert then of course that completely impact is negatively impacted. the mongolian economy, me and it's been struggling ever since. and the government simply hasn't had the money or the resources to deliver and what it's promised. so we've had a couple of years of and i say week our poor economic conditions last year or this, this year. also, of course, a deterioration on the environment which is affected people effective people in the number tower as well as in rural areas. so there's a whole accumulation of frustrations over the last couple of years. so now appears

to come to a head, and it's going to be really difficult for the government to address as even as to deal with this particular issue with regards to call scandal. the fact is that people have had a couple of years. you know, of, of becoming angry and angry over the environment of the economy of the livery of promises. and the government is not in a position to be able to deal with that. no, because the economy is in the very weak and fragile state because of the coven 0 policy of china. and it has, it's very difficult volume, a foreign debt, to either pay or restructure, or somehow deal with the next year. right now, it's not obvious how it's going to be able to that whatsoever. i mean on and you did touch on some of those points. you said that this wasn't just about the theft of coal, the theft of a national asset that this was a much deeper than that. there was a lack of trust within the government. we've had the government on, you've been listening to them. she says, look, this is about commercial interest, they are a security secrecy. the reasons for good reason, you know,

you can't simply just give away an open investigation that will have an impact. you have any sympathy with those organs that's. that's the same argument that oakdale have always given to any kind of information that that journalist or n jose asked towards of information that should be open. that should be readily available, open data, but they're not giving those out. they would always give those kind of excuses. and there was very similar of what the deputy minister i've said is just it become, it almost become a talking point of those. and, and i would like to touch point on those of the, of the protest representatives who would overlook this scandal of the working group . a lot of the protest i speak to who said, did not like this, didn't like this, that the, that the people who would code the protest groups because this is not, there's not an organized protests. and because of that,

they don't see that the people who would as, as a so called representative of this protest will be actual representative of the people. and they said no, no accountability will be come out of this because they will be behind closed doors and they don't know if the people who are said they are represented of the processes are actually representative. but i want to, mongolia is a democracy. they do, it does have elections when you want to change things that they do change and that's where you change them. you change them a lesson. so you don't have to have representatives of the people. the government could just be talking to people who have legitimate grievances. i mean, are you being a little unfair? no, no, i'm not being unfair. so my goal is yes, it is a democracy, but it is a flaw. democracy and our election even though it's fair, but most, most of the people who are, who are politicians who are, who are, who are being nominated. they have to have a lot of

a financial influence. and lot of the protesters see that as an issue that not an actual person who has knowledge or, or who has, who has actually the hearts to, to see what actually is going on. and my goal is actually representing them. and they see that basically, even though they vote a lot of young people, i asked them like the people who criticize young people did not vote. and they say that we did vote, but the choices that we have is just lesser of 2 evils, all the time. we only, we and that's, that's basically the it's an interesting til on and keep, keep that with the i want to bring chris, we find a left of 2 evils. mongolia is a country that sandwich between russia and china, and they both use the country in the past to be able to advance range strategic gains to russia and china currently have a dog in the fight. here is it,

the protest is, is it the government city? china certainly has the influence of russia as certainly we can over the last couple decades. china is by far the dominant kind of investor and trade partner 85 percent of trade and it provides most of the money. so the influence of china certainly has been very significant other courses. another reason for frustration for people because there has been regular protests or objections from people that the best jobs funded by, by china and projects. china gone to chinese people and you have had, for example, the situation where chinese workers are not able to leave the compounds where they work because they would be attacked by, by ordering the people resentful of the fact that chinese people have to have the better jobs from these projects, so but it's, we, now we can see mongolia, i guess, is a better position,

potentially if we can get through this crisis, better position because russian, china are talking about more energy cooperation about building a power siberia to gas pipeline across one goal. which will bring cheaper gas into mongolia as well as trends fees. so the rush is beginning to kind of come back into the territory, but it's very dominated by china has been over the last couple of decades. definitely been just a reaction to your thoughts that way. seeing a picture being built up of anger and frustration from the people, the, the mongolian government's policies they specifically include, as i guess, just said, a lot of jobs going to people who want mongolian and as other guests on the journalist said, people are just frustrated at the fact that they don't have a real choice the ballot box. do you agree with any of that? but as i would say that among others are open to say there and it's functioning

democracy and hours later, issues in our to say taylor retreat are working towards resolving and obviously to say it has its own issues of problems and correctness in pandemic. broadcast, challenging times, and we're going to the, these times and combed is currently implementing new decoded policy that's aimed it or bringing economic growth more sustainably and more inclusively. and this is a cost to have more broad ways economic growth that will assist in creating more employment opportunities and as of a to create more wealth for all of our citizens. and obviously it's a challenging time, but again to go and is working very hard to bring and you can change it, but it is out to our people and run. okay. and so it is called

a related issue is not only the 1st items that is our current administration is our goal. this dealing with the 1st we had that session on the total project, which ended up very successfully last year. and we are now looking forward to deal opening of the underground, my, sorry to lose that we are, we are running out of time. and i'm sorry that you said a couple of ways i want to bring to the other guess. let's bring in on and her who's also in will. i'm not off on these protests, i'm going to go away any time soon. right. even if the government speaks to the protesters, which they off, even if that happens, the still simply too many other issues that are going to be resolved quickly. yeah, i agree. i agree. and a lot of people are mainly angry because they see that they issues, they see that they have weight so many things that they gave to the government and the government is not giving back a lot of people that i spoke with talked about the tax are too high,

they would love to get the taxes, but they don't see the benefits from giving those taxes to the government. they don't see any of the social welfare programs working for them. very quickly, chris, if you russia or china right now, and you're looking at all of this, mongolia is actually a very important country. we did touch upon this earlier, but just want to get more into it. regionally. why is the international community concerned about what's going on here in mongolia? well, my goal here is a, it's an important location for, for resources, potentially for rare metals such as can be developed of course, for the electric industry. i think it's, it's, it is so not really a global issue. it is more more regional. china is definitely kind of got most skin in the game as it were in terms of trays and investments. magnolia has been

broadening out with russia with korea, with japan, but it's very dominated by aging. and by china. so i think they the capital or the governments that will be looking at what's going on in my goal, you're much more closely than anybody else will be the government in beijing. they will, wants to situation quells. they will not want this to develop into something that might then broaden out into inner mongolia or to other parts of china. but it is very much a china focused issue rather than the mobility. i want to thank all our guests, a slogan by us, of hon. chris, we for and on into it to where to go. and i want to thank you as well for watching . now you can see the program again any time by visiting our website out 0 dot com . and for further discussion, go to a facebook page at facebook dot com, forward slash ha inside story. and you can also join the conversation on twitter. handle is at a j inside story for me, amman, con and the team here in and out. ah

. with december on al jazeera, the middle east 1st wildcat takes place in catch up with $32.00 countries. battling it out for sports biggest prize immersive personal short documentaries africa direct returns showcasing african stories from african filmmakers. amid the

political crisis and worsening economic conditions to museum goes to the poles just month after a contented constitutional referendum combating the climate on nature crises, earth rise mix. the people who believe global systems must change as they get draws to a close. we look back on the events that have shaped the news and look ahead to next year, december on al jazeera, russia worn ukraine has sent shock waves across the globe. but what does it mean for its neighbour? georgia decided not to trust tower about it because it's very much pro bratia with the country still partly on the russian occupation, an influx of russian citizens and then elite with moscow connections, many ga, see the conflict as a barometer for their future. these window, fortunately because of the you and of course ukraine, find our fight as well. ga stuff. choices on it. just ita live in america is

a region of wonder i'm joy, tragedy and yes of violet. but it doesn't matter where you are. you have to be able to relate to the human condition of the no country is the light, and it's my job to shed light on how and why a peru has a new president off to pedro castillo, was impeached, and in tain't for attempting to dissolve. congress ah, i'm hm seeker, this is a lie from dall also coming up for a minute. fernandez outside sherlock has been.