{mosimage}Mongolian sumo wrestlers continued to train this week, in preparation for the upcoming March grand sumo tournament. In a busy period for sumo wrestling, official rankings were released this week as intense pre-tournament training began.

{mosimage}The Mongolia National Tourism Organization (MNTO) opened its first tourist office in the United States on Tuesday. The office will provide the North American tourism industry with information and assistance in sending tourists to Mongolia. In conjunction with this work, MNTO has also joined the American Tourism Society and the Adventure Travel & Trade Association.

{mosimage}As the March tournament nears, the Japan Sumo Association released the Haru Basho rankings for the sumo wrestlers on February 25. This time, there will be one more Mongolian wrestler in the elite division increasing the number to eight.

{mosimage}As it seeks wider participation in international community, Mongolia has pledged to increase transparency in how the mining sector interacts with the government.

A South Korean non-profit organization is studying whether to send 40,000 coal burning furnaces for use in Ulaanbaatur.  The Korea Mine Reclamation Corp. (MIRECO), a publicly run non-profit organization, is conducting a study to determine the feasibility of introducing the furnaces in Mongolia. 

{mosimage}On Sunday, South Korea’s national weather service issued a yellow dust advisory for Seoul and the western country. South Koreans were advised to stay in their homes if possible to avoid breathing dust from Mongolia’s Gobi Dessert.