Mongolia-born Hakuho's retirement from sumo ends a career that saw him shatter just about every record in the storied Japanese sport, which gripped his imagination from childhood.

During his two decades on the dohyo -- the ring where sumo wrestlers battle -- the 36-year-old broke records for everything from number of grand tournaments won to victories in a single year.

He racked up 1,187 career wins, though one record did elude him: his 63 consecutive tournament victories are just short of the record 69 set in the 1930s.

Born Munkhbat Davaajargal, Hakuho was the son of a champion Mongolian wrestler who won his country's first Olympic medal at the 1968 Games.

The young Hakuho's father wanted his son to become a judoka, but his interests lay elsewhere.

As a youngster he devoured Japanese sumo magazines, dreaming of becoming like the powerful rikishi (sumo wrestlers) he saw in their pages.

Aged just 15, and weighing in at a paltry 62 kilogrammes, he arrived in Japan in 2000 to tread the path of his idols.

But he was turned away by most stables, known as heya. No one wanted someone "as pale and skinny as me," he recalled in his autobiography published in 2015.

Just as he was on the verge of returning to Mongolia, he managed to persuade a trainer to take him on, and in March 2001 he entered the dohyo for the first time.

His trainer gave him the name "Hakuho", the second character of which refers to a bird in Chinese mythology and was part of the name of legendary sumo wrestler Taiho, who dominated the sport in the 1960s.

Hakuho was plunged into the world of keiko, the daily morning training of sumo wrestlers. And, fortified by the traditional chanko stew of the sport, he gradually began to assume the form of a traditional wrestler.

He came to weigh in at 158 kgs, standing 1.92 metres tall, and was elevated in 2007 to sumo's top rank of yokozuna.

- Training the next generation -

For years, he had a fierce rivalry with his fellow Mongolian yokozuna Asashoryu and the pair dominated the sport for around a decade.

On September 27, the State Emergency Commission convened yesterday on September 27, and made the decision to limit the operations of food production and services by only allowing them to run their operations until 10 pm until October 20.

The decision was made based on the suggestion put forth by scholars and researchers, highlighted Secretary of the State Emergency Commission T.Bayarkhuu during the press conference.

Furthermore, the Commission also decided to have people arriving from abroad be monitored under home-based self-isolation. In effect from October 15, they will also be involved in COVID-19 tests at the airport upon arrival. Currently, those that have not vaccinated against COVID-19 are being placed at isolation facilities for 7 days, and monitored under home-based isolation for another 7 days.

Arkhangai province, Mongolia — From September 14-23, the Civil Military Support Element of the U.S. Embassy partnered with the National Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia to organize the Khangai-21 Disaster Response Exercise in Arkhangai Province. Working together with Local Emergency Management Agencies from Arkhangai, Bayankhongor, Bulgan, Khuvsgul, Uvurkhangai, and Zavkhan medical and rescue personnel from the U.S. Air Force led training exercises in confined space and high-angle rescue, along with support training in emergency medicine, crisis communications, and emergency management. In addition to the more than 180 Mongolian participants, the defense attachés of Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the Republic of Turkey attended as observers.

Due to the risk and frequency of seismic activity in Mongolia, special focus was given to earthquake response in order to help Mongolian rescue personnel better prepare to provide assistance and relief to the people of Mongolia in the event of such a disaster. Training consisted of extensive classroom and field instruction on how to extract and evacuate disaster victims safely from confined spaces and high-angle environments. At the same time, medical personnel received training on how to triage and treat patients during an emergency. Additionally, officials from emergency operations centers received classroom instruction on efficient management and resourcing of rescue and medical personnel; how to communicate effectively with the public during a crisis; and ways to work with international non-governmental organizations to provide humanitarian relief. At the end of the training, participants successfully engaged in a large-scale exercise simulating a real-world natural disaster.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the United States and Mongolia were forced to cancel the Gobi Wolf multi-national disaster response exercise held annually in Mongolia. The Khangai-21 exercise allowed U.S. and Mongolian rescue personnel to solidify their productive partnership in the interim. Lessons learned from Khangai-21 will inform planning for the much larger Gobi Wolf exercise expected to resume in 2022. Khangai-21 further enhanced the strong bonds between the United States and Mongolia while making great progress in preparing Mongolian rescuers to protect and assist the people of Mongolia in the event of a natural disaster.

China and Russia are exporting gasoline to Mongolia on an emergency basis to assist the country to cope an energy supply shortage.

An oil train departing from China arrived at Mongolia through the China-Mongolia border on Sunday, carrying 2,750 tons of AI-92 gasoline, according to a notice issued by Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry of Mongolia.

It is also reported that an oil train from Russia has arrived in Altanbulag, Mongolia on Sunday, carrying 1,212 tons of AI-92 gasoline.

With the arrival of the oil tankers Mongolia said it will resume the normal supply of gasoline in the country from Monday, Mongolian fuel management authorities announced on Sunday.

At the request of the Mongolian government, China is to increase fuel oil exports. Due to the shortage, gas stations in Mongolia have been limiting supply to the public.

Mongolia consumes 38,000 to 40,000 tons of AI-92 gasoline each month, with the landlocked nation entirely dependent on outside supply, of which more than 90 percent is sourced from Russia.

Authorities in China’s Inner Mongolia province seized 10,100 crypto mining rigs from a government-operated tech park, according to local media.

A branch of the Development and Reform Commission in Bayannaoer city found an illicit mining operation at the park, local media reported, citing China’s official Xinhua News Agency.

The action comes days after the country’s top government agencies announced a renewed crackdown on crypto trading and mining. China’s highest economic planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission, banned investment in new mining operations, and said all existing projects will be phased out.

The closure brings Inner Mongolia’s total to 45 mining projects shut down, saving the province 6.58 billion kWh of electricity – or 2 million tons of coal – a year, the article said.

The mine in question was consuming 1,104 kWh, according to the report, and was located at “SME [small and medium enterprises] Pioneer Park,” in the city’s Economic and Technological Development Zone.

Such zones and parks are areas where the government sets preferential policies such as reduced tax rates or cheap rent, usually for specific industries, hoping that hubs for innovation and development will flourish.

In the policy circular distributed Friday, central authorities told provinces and cities to stop all support of crypto mining firms, which would include any preferential treatment afforded to companies working in a government tech park.

In May, the State Council called on local governments to crack down on crypto mining. Inner Mongolia outlined a plan for shutting down the industry just days later. The latest policy gives a more comprehensive plan for the industry and gives control back to the central government.

Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia reported 19 more COVID-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours, the highest number of fatalities recorded in one day since the pandemic hit the country, bringing the death toll to 1,152, said the Health Ministry on Monday.

The Asian country also registered 1,991 new infections across the country in the past day, taking the national caseload to 296,366, said the ministry, adding that three of the latest confirmed cases were imported from abroad.

More than half of the latest cases were detected in the capital city of Ulan Bator, which is home to half of Mongolia's population of around 3.4 million.

More than 21,500 COVID-19 patients are now hospitalized across the country, while over 65,400 patients are receiving home-based care due to a shortage of beds and medical staff in hospitals, according to the ministry.

So far, more than 65 percent of the country's population have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 since a nationwide vaccination campaign was launched in late February. Enditem

Informed sources have told NHK that sumo Yokozuna Grand Champion Hakuho intends to retire.

The sources say Hakuho decided he would not be able to compete as a yokozuna for the entire 15 days of a grand tournament mostly due to injuries, such as to his right knee.

After the November tournament last year, Hakuho received a warning from the Yokozuna Deliberation Council for sitting out a series of tournaments. He had been suffering the effects of a surgery on his right knee.

Hakuho pulled out of the March tournament this year from its third day owing to the right knee injury and underwent an operation during the tourney. That was the sixth consecutive tournament from which he withdrew.

Hakuho took part in the July tournament, putting his future as a yokozuna on the line. He won the tourney with a clean slate, claiming his 45th title.

After the tournament, Hakuho told NHK his physical condition was very bad and that he would carefully think about his career.

Hakuho is a 36-year-old Mongolia-born wrestler who joined the Miyagino stable when he was 15.

With his flexibility, power and masterful techniques, he advanced to the top rank of yokozuna in 2007.

Hakuho has chalked up 1,187 wins and 45 tournament titles, remaining yokozuna for 84 tourneys of the past 14 years. They are all record highs.

Hakuho acquired Japanese nationality in 2019. He expressed his wish to produce strong wrestlers as a stable master to repay to the sumo world.

By the preliminary result of the first eight months of 2021, the gross industrial output reached MNT 12.3 trillion, increased by MNT 2.7 trillion (28.0%) from the same period of the previous year. This increase was mainly due to MNT 1.9 trillion (29.9%) increase in mining and quarrying gross output and MNT 637.9 billion (28.7%) increase in manufacturing output. Also, the electricity, thermal energy and water supply production output rose by MNT 86.8 billion (11.2%) and the water supply, and sewerage, waste management, and remediation activities production output rose by MNT 14.9 billion (16.9%) from the same period of the previous year.

In August 2021, the gross industrial output reached MNT 1.5 trillion, increased by MNT 23.1 billion (1.6%) from the previous month. This growth was mainly due to MNT 37.9 billion (12.4%) increase in manufacturing output. In August 2021, the mining and quarrying gross output reached MNT 1.0 trillion, increased by MNT 38.1 billion (3.9%) from the same period of the previous year. This increase was mainly due to increases in the mining of metal ores by MNT 101.0 billion (14.4%) and extraction of crude petroleum by MNT 15.7 billion (28.3%) from the same period of the previous year.

By the preliminary results of the first eight months of 2021, the mining and quarrying sector, extraction copper concentrate, iron ore, fluorspar, hard coal, brown coal and crude oil increased by 4.5 percent to 2.1 times compared to the same period of the previous year. In the manufacturing sector, production of combed cashmere, pure water, soft drink, juice, cement, copper cathode 99%, alcoholic beverage, milk, lime, meat, coal briquette, metal steel, cigarettes and concentrated coal increased by 3.2 percent to 2.2 times compared to the same period of the previous year.

In the mining and quarrying sector, the extraction of gold decreased by 4.6 percent. In the manufacturing sector, productions of wheat flour, sanitizer, spirit, face covering and cashmere products decreased by 1.3-74.8% compared to the same period of the previous year.

By the preliminary results of the first eight months of 2021, the sales of industrial output reached MNT 16.1 trillion, increased by MNT 5.0 trillion (45.3%) compared to the same period of the previous year. This increase mainly resulted from MNT 4.4 trillion (61.9%) increase in sales of mining and quarrying output.

The sales of mining and quarrying output increased by MNT 4.4 trillion (61.9%) compared to the same period of the previous year. This increase mainly resulted from MNT 3.2 trillion (61.9%) increase in sales of mining of metal ores output, MNT 826.8 billion (57.3%) increase in sales of mining of coal and lignite and MNT 398.3 billion (3.1 times) increase in sales of crude petroleum output, respectively.

In the total of MNT 9.5 trillion export of mining and quarrying output, 70.9% was metal ores, increased by 2.3 percent points, 6.2% was crude petroleum, increased by 2.4 percent points, while 21.1% was coal and lignite, decreased by 4.2 percent points, 1.8% was other mining and quarrying, decreased by 0.7 percent points compared to the same period of the previous year. In the first eight months of 2021, the seasonally adjusted industrial production index was 159.5 (2015=100), increased by 43.2 percent from the same period of the previous year.

Source: National Statistics Office

In the first eight months of 2021, Mongolia traded with 144 countries from all over the world, and the total trade turnover reached USD 10.1 billion, of which USD 5.6 billion were exports and USD 4.5 billion were imports. The total foreign trade turnover increased by USD 2.2 billion (27.3%), where exports rose by USD 1.1 billion (25.6%) and imports rose by USD 1.0 billion (29.6%) compared to the same period of the previous year.

In August 2021, exports reached USD 885.2 million, increased by USD 254.9 million (40.4%) and imports reached USD 635.8 million, increased by USD 58.7 million (10.2%) compared to the previous month.

The foreign trade balance was in surplus of USD 1.2 billion in the first eight months of 2021, increased by USD 127.2 million compared to the previous year. The trade with China reached USD 6.8 billion in the first eight months of 2021, which made up 67.3% of the total trade turnover.

Bituminous coal and copper concentrates accounted for 24.1% and 39.6% of total exports to China, respectively, gold accounted for 99.5% and 81.3% of total export to Switzerland and the Republic of Korea.

In the first 8 months of 2021, USD 1.1 billion increase in exports from the previous year was resulted from the USD 365.6 million increases in Iron ores and concentrates, USD 982.0 million increase in copper concentrates exports and USD 140.0 million increase in coal exports.

Also, increase in export was due to rising world prices for mining products. For example, in the first 8 months of 2021, exports of copper concentrate volume decreased by 1.3 percent, however value increased by 97.1 percent compared to the previous year.

In the first 8 months of 2021, 39.4% of the total imports were from China, 27.0% -- from Russia, 6.6% -- from Japan, 4.3% -- from the Republic of Korea and 3.4% -- from Germany, which are accounting for 80.8% of the total imports.

In the first 8 months of 2021, 50.3% of the total imports from Russia were petroleum products, 69.4% of the total imports from Japan were cars, and 4.7% of the total imports from China were electricity, 14.3% were trucks and 81.0% were imports of other products.

The USD 1.0 billion increase in imports from the previous year was mainly due to USD 38.1 million increases in wheat, USD 145.4 million increases in trucks, USD 57.9 million increases in cars and USD 92.9 million increases in diesel.

Exports of mineral products, natural or cultured stones, precious metal, jewelry and textile articles products made up 95.0 percent of the total export.

The Selenge- 2021 international counter-terror drills with the participation of Russian military personnel kicked off in Mongolia.

“The Russian troops have arrived for their participation in the Selenge- 2021 annual joint Russian-Mongolian drills at the Doytym An training ground. Overall, the exercise will involve up to 1,500 personnel and over 200 items of armament and military hardware from both sides.

The servicemen have also accomplished a complex combat training operation within specified time limits for unloading military hardware from a railway platform and conducted a march about 60 km long to the Doytym An proving ground. Until October 5, they will be assigned the task of eliminating notional outlawed armed gangs, employing various tactical methods of modern warfare.

Russia and Mongolia hold Selenge drills alternately on their territory each year.