Possible participation of 'Mechel', one of the biggest coal mining and metallurgy companies in Russia, in the construction of the combine on concentration and processing of Tuva coal was discussed in Moscow at the meeting of the company's management with Chairman of Tuva's government Sholban Kara-ool.

Tuva's reserves of coal are estimated at up to 20 billion tons.

The 9th Ustuu-Khuree Festival of Live Music gets ready to receive musicians and public from all over Siberia and abroad. This year venue is of special importance, as Igor Dulush, initiator of the festival, founder of the rock group Internat, ex-boxer and a very observant Buddhist, noted to Tuva-Online. '9 is a sacred figure in the Tuvan World. Thus the ninth festival has to stand out. Besides 100 years ago the Ustuu-Khuree temple (in Tuvan, "Upper Monastery") was built, to the restoration of which the festival is devoted' - he said.

China`s second largest gold miner, Zijin Mining Group is seeking other overseas copper acquisitions after its takeover of Monterrico Metals in Peru to help provide raw materials for a proposed copper smelter. The company is also planning in invest US$100 million in a lead and zinc project in Tuva.

Tuvan music is echoing through the halls of U.S. schools thanks to the Alash Ensemble. Currently on a concert tour, Alash is also conducting workshops for youngsters. They consider it outreach for Tuvan music, and it is something that sets them apart from other bands. The most frequent questions they get are: “Does it hurt? What language do you speak? How long does it take you to learn to do this?”

Two Mongolian border guards in Tsagaan-Uul soum, Khovsgol aimag were shot dead on May 5 when they were on duty at the border with Tuva Republic of Russian Federation. B. Monkhoo, a sergeant-major in the same army unit, has been missing since then.

The Border Defense Authority (BDA) has said the suspected killer is likely to be heavily armed with 200 combat bullets, and a rifle. He is also believed to have two horses with him.

Victory Day in Tuva started with a military parade along the Lenin street, the main street in Kyzyl. On a tribune greeting the passing by rows were Members of the Tuvan government, parliament, mayor and 75 war veterans. The parade was followed by marching in columns schoolchildren. Then the action place moved to the Khuresh stadium, which was overcrowded.

Victor Chaika, mayor of Rivne, administrative centre of the Rivne region in the Western part of Ukraine, sent on the eve of the Victory Day an official greeting letter to the Tuvan war veterans who liberated Rivne and some of the Ukrainean villages from the Nazi's occupation in 1944. Vera Bailak, 83, and Kyrgys Chamzyryn, 87, are the only Tuvan war veterans who lived up out of the legendary Tuvan Cavalry Squadron numbering 208.

Tuvan People's Republic, since 1921 an independant state, took the Hitler's agression against the Soviet Union as its own disaster.

Today Tuva celebrates it Constitution Day. The present Constitution of the Republic of Tuva, the nineth in its history (the first one dates back to 1921, when a Tannu-Tuva People Republic was declared), was adopted at an all-republican referendum on May 6, 2001. The first post-perestroika Constitution was adopted by the revolutionary Supreme Soviet of Tuva at its session in 1993. It was written under Yeltsin's slogan 'Take as much sovereignity as you can swallow!'