With the implementation effective this month, Air Market will have access to 750,000 global hotel properties, 400 international airlines, and hundreds of other services including car rental, rail and cruise providers through the Sabre travel marketplace. The partnership will help Air Market better cater to their customers’ travel needs, making it easier and more convenient for them to travel around the world regardless of their travel objectives, preferences and budgets.

“This new partnership makes Sabre the leading GDS in Mongolia and continues to cement our position as the leading travel technology partner in Asia Pacific. We are very proud of our partnership with ASM and look forward to growing even further in the region,” said Todd Arthur, vice president of Sabre Travel Network, Asia Pacific.

“As Mongolia’s economy continues to open and grow, we expect to see more outbound travel in the coming years. Likewise, travellers around the world are seeking more unique travel destinations, and Mongolia has been earmarked as a ‘must-visit’ holiday spot. Our technology will enable Air Market to support the growth and diverse options that travellers expect,” Arthur added.

Commenting on the agreement, Margad Byambajav, founder and CEO of ASM said, “We are excited to partner with Sabre and are confident that this partnership will allow for greater ease of travel into and out of Mongolia. We believe that there is further room for growth and look forward to broadening the tourism industry in Mongolia.”

“When given the proper platform and support, people with disabilities can help Mongolia improve productivity and boost economic growth,” said Raushanbek Mamatkulov, Senior Health Specialist at ADB’s East Asia Department. “The project will significantly change the way ADB approaches its assistance to and engagement with people with disabilities, by implementing initiatives focused on what they can do and contribute, instead of what they cannot do.”

People with disabilities in Mongolia, comprising about 4% of the country’s population as of 2010, and their households are often more likely to be in poverty and living in isolation than the rest of the country. They also typically lack access to education, healthcare, social protection, and employment, while remaining marginalized—hindering their potential as productive members of Mongolian society.

The project, focused on Ulaanbaatar and six provinces, aims to achieve equal participation for people with disabilities in economic and social activities by making it easier for them to access basic services and job opportunities. Specifically, the project will focus on early identification of children with disabilities through early medical and social intervention. It will also improve the service delivery for people with disabilities by engaging social workers, conducting family sessions, and establishing a dedicated hotline on information, counselling, and referrals, according to ADB.

The project will fund the construction and rehabilitation of people with disabilities-friendly infrastructures and public spaces. It will also enhance people with disabilities’ job opportunities through policy support and industry partnerships, while enhancing public knowledge and awareness of issues surrounding people with disabilities and programs through policy review and campaigns.

In addition, ADB will administer a grant equivalent of up to $2 million for the project provided by the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR). Established by the Government of Japan in 2000, JFPR provides grants for projects supporting poverty reduction and related social development activities that can add value to ADB-financed projects.

The country's online news sites reported that the Yokozuna opted for retirement to take responsibility for his assault of lower-ranked wrester Takanoiwa, who is also from Mongolia.

Citizens in the capital Ulaanbaatar reacted to the news with surprise and disappointment.

A woman in her 60s said that no one expected the sudden retirement of one of the country's leading sumo wrestlers, and that it was disappointing.

A woman in her 50s said the wrestlers should have gotten along with each other as fellow Mongolians. She added that the retirement would harm not only Harumafuji's honor, but that of the country as well.

A man in his 20s said that Mongolian wrestlers should pay more attention to how they treat each other. He added that the incident would be a lesson for upcoming wrestlers on how to cultivate a sense of responsibility.

This situation, coupled with previously pro-cyclical policies and a fragile external position, are key credit challenges. Over the longer term, reducing the susceptibility of the economy and public finances to sharp cyclical swings will rest partly on the success of economic diversification initiatives, an aspect of Mongolia's IMF programme.

Moody's conclusions are contained in its annual report on Mongolia's credit profile, which looks at economic strength, low (+); institutional strength, very low (+); fiscal strength, very low (-); and susceptibility to event risk, high (+), the four main analytic factors in Moody's Sovereign Bond Ratings methodology.

The economy has benefited from an upturn in commodity prices in 2017, as well as higher investment growth at some of the country's large mining sector projects, and Moody's expects real GDP growth to accelerate to 4.2% in 2017 and 4.3% in 2018, a significant improvement on 1.0% in 2016.

Given the improved macroeconomic backdrop and commodity prices, the near-term fiscal and growth targets originally set under the country's IMF's programme have been surpassed. Meanwhile, the recent refinancing of external debt obligations has relieved pressure on government liquidity and the country's external position.

However, while gross borrowing requirements and external vulnerabilities are lower than Moody's had envisaged at the start of the year, they remain elevated.

Moreover, significant progress towards achieving structural benchmarks under the IMF programme, aimed at reducing Mongolia's tendency to fall into boom-bust cycles, will only become clear over time.

Upward pressure on the rating could emerge if the government implements fiscal consolidation measures that put government debt on a steady downward trend. These developments would be accompanied by a material rebound in international reserves and increased certainty over the government's lasting ability to meet public sector debt repayments.

Conversely, the rating could come under additional downward pressure if the government's ability to service its debt declined or it faced challenges in rolling over maturing debt. Continued pressure on foreign exchange reserves could also lead to a negative rating action. These risks would be likely to arise if the government failed to secure sufficient or sustained support from multilateral and bilateral donors.

On the secondary market for government bonds, 15 bonds with a value of MNT1.4 million were traded.

On the secondary market for corporate bonds, 445 bonds with a value of MNT44.5 million were traded.

The MSE ALL Index decreased by 0.42 percent to stand at 1,261.81 points. The MSE market cap stands at MNT 2,406,461,442,523.

Microsoft Corp. plans a multibillion-dollar overhaul of its main campus in Redmond, Washington, adding space for 8,000 more workers and creating areas for collaboration and recreation as the company tries to keep up with growth in hiring and trends toward more open office spaces.

The five- to seven-year plan will knock down 12 low-rise buildings at the heart of the company’s original headquarters and replace them with 18 new buildings, many of them double the height, President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith said in an interview. With the added square footage, the campus’ space will be the equivalent of 180 football fields.

Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella has been trying to shake up work culture at the world’s largest software maker, turning it into a more open and collaborative environment with fewer employees sequestered in closed-door offices. The new design also features a community space for 8,000 to 12,000 people in an open-air plaza and outdoor areas including running and walking trails, sports facilities and green spaces. The company has about 47,000 workers in Washington state.

“We've focused on the cultural transformation of the company. We want to create a workspace that supports the culture we are creating,” Smith said. “A workspace that encourages people to be creative, to work with each other and to learn from each other.”

The buildings will be closer together, and parking that is currently adjacent will be moved underground. Overall, the campus will be designed more for pedestrians and usage of the local light rail, which will reach the campus by then based on the region’s current plan. The project will create about 2,500 new construction and development jobs, Microsoft said.

Downtown Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. in September said it was planning a sprawling second headquarters in another location, and later received proposals from more than 200 cities vying for the project. Unlike Amazon, Microsoft felt no need to look elsewhere, Smith said. Bloomberg reported in 2015 that the company was considering this campus overhaul.

The changes will replace the original X-shaped buildings where co-founder and former CEO Bill Gates moved the company in 1986, shortly before Microsoft went public. The layout of those buildings is so confusing that employees used to joke that finding an office was an intelligence test to see if you were fit to work at Microsoft. 

“Since I always failed that test myself, I am happy I am now qualified to work here,” Smith said.

One holdover from the original design will be Lake Bill, the small pond at the center of the old campus, whose name pays homage to Gates.

“Blockchain's a very interesting technology that will have some very profound applications for society over the years to come,” the billionaire said.

On Monday, bitcoin hit the $10,000 mark on the world’s biggest exchanges for cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin started the year at below $1,000 and has climbed 50 percent in November alone. The current market cap of the cryptocurrency is about $167 billion.

“So is it a fraud? No. But these bubbles tend to end in tears. And I worry about how this bubble might end,” the billionaire said, referring to today’s bitcoin frenzy.

Financial experts, including bank executives, stockbrokers and investors have been split over the cryptocurrency.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon has criticized bitcoin and called it a “fraud.” Notorious financier Jordan Belfort called initial coin offerings (ICOs) a scam. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales also warned investors from participating in ICOs.

At the same time, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the head one of the world's biggest sovereign funds, said he doesn't believe bitcoin is a “fraud,” urging the critics to be “open-minded.” Mike Novogratz, the former macro hedge fund manager at Fortress Investment Group, expects major institutional investors to start offering bitcoin or similar products as an investment option within six months.

More importantly, cryptocurrencies are gaining the attention of institutional investors. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) plans to list futures in the cryptocurrency as soon as in December. JPMorgan, the CEO of which promised to fire everyone who was involved in bitcoin trading, is mulling the idea of allowing its clients to trade bitcoin futures. Some investors are buying and launching their own crypto-funds.

Folds of Honor is a non-profit organization that works to provide educational scholarships for spouses and children of fallen and disabled soldiers. During the fundraiser, bd’s sold $2 pin-up slips in exchange for $5 gift cards valid toward another visit to the restaurant. All of the campaign donations and 10 percent of bd’s sales generated on Veterans Day went directly to Folds of Honor.

“Bd’s is honored to be a part of such an amazing organization,” said Joe Phraner, President and COO of bd’s Mongolian Grill. “We are grateful for the opportunity to support our nation’s heroes and their loved ones through educational opportunities.”

In 2016, Folds of Honor awarded more than 3,600 scholarships, contributing to the 10,000-plus scholarships granted since 2007.

“We can’t thank bd’s enough for their help and dedication to our organization. Their continuous support has made all the difference in the lives of Veteran families,” said Major Dan Rooney, Founder of the Folds of Honor Foundation. “It is with the help of organizations such as bd’s that we are able to give back to the families who sacrificed everything.”

In 2017, bd’s raised a total of $45,057.74 for the Folds of Honor Foundation, funded through a combined effort of its Memorial Day campaign and Veterans Day campaign. For more information or to locate a bd’s Mongolian Grill near you, visit www.gomongo.com. For more information about the Folds of Honor Foundation, visit https://www.foldsofhonor.org.

Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh said that he sees the visit as an opportunity to advance the friendly relations and cooperation between Mongolia and Slovakia, and the bilateral Economic Forum to be held during the visit as a chance for businesses and enterprises to enter a new market.

“Aside from the priority areas - trade and economy, Mongolia and Slovakia can cooperate in food, animal husbandry, land farming, information technology, mining and other areas of mutual interest,” the Prime Minister noted.

Deputy Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini conveyed the greetings of Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, saying that the visit will open a new page in bilateral relations. He expressed Slovakia’s interest in increasing bilateral trade turnover and working together in food, agriculture, information technology, e-governance and other areas. The two countries will continue the existing student exchange program.

While the company has already had reduced costs across its Australian businesses over the past five years, it’s now hoping to lower unit costs by further 10% in the medium term, BHP Minerals Australia president Mike Henry said Tuesday.

At the same time, BHP plans to lift its Australian iron ore production "run rate" to 290 million tonnes a year by the end of fiscal 2019, Henry said during a briefing in Adelaide. This, as the mining giant sees prices for iron ore and metallurgical coal rebounding sharply in two months, as buyers look to replenish stocks.

Once again BHP showed one of its favourite commodities in which to base future growth is copper, mostly due to the expected uptake of electric vehicles and renewable energy.

The company also pointed to a shortage of the red metal emerging by the early 2020s and says $100 billion in new mine spending is needed to meet demand over the next 15 years.

For now, BHP is pushing ahead with a study into a $2.1 billion expansion of its Olympic Dam copper, gold and uranium mine in South Australia.

The company already is in the midst of its biggest annual investment spending at Olympic Dam, rebuilding its smelter and targeting high-grade ore deposits through the expansion of its underground mine.

It will increase copper production from 166,000 tonnes last financial year to 230,000 tonnes in 2020.

In 2020, BHP’s board is expected to make a final investment decision on a $2.1 billion expansion that would lift production to 330,000 tonnes by 2023.