News In Brief

Mongolian republic chief ousted for health reasons

Mongolian President Yumzhagin Tsedenbal, in power for the past 32 years, was removed from his office as party chief Thursday for health reasons, the Soviet news agency Tass reported from Ulan Bator. He was replaced as Communist Party chief by Prime Minister Zhambyn Batmunkh.

The Mongolian People's Republic was proclaimed in 1924. It has a population of only 1.7 million.