Soukokurai is Chinese of Mongolian descent, and one of the top ranked wrestlers in the sport, where his bouts broadcast to millions on national television.

BBC: The life of a sumo wrestler

In the industrial heartland of Ontario and Quebec, the American descent into recession is an additional worry on top of the pain in the car and lumber industries, which export to the United States and were already suffering from a strong Canadian dollar and weaker demand south of the border.

ECONOMIST: Economic fears ambush Stephen Harper��s hopes of a majority

The worst part, he says, was waiting for the rover in its descent capsule to touch the top of the atmosphere.

BBC: Space - the new rock and roll