Trending on X, 10 PM: doctors’ pay, Kazakhstan highway, MAK, Japan quake, firefighting sport

Trending on X among Mongolian users between 6:13 p.m. and 10:18 p.m. on 8 November: the seven topics that drew the most engagement are ranked below. Sunday evening activity was low; a post comparing the pay of doctors and teachers in Mongolia with Germany was shared most widely, followed by a discussion contrasting Kazakhstan’s Aral–Caspian highway project with Mongolia’s development. Topics from earlier roundups are repeated only where there is a new development. Engagement figures are as of 22:25.

1. Post comparing doctors’ and teachers’ pay with Germany reaches a wide audience

User Bolorkhuu, whose profile lists robotics engineering and TU Dresden, wrote that in Germany doctors, teachers and engineers earn high salaries and form the wealthiest layer of society, while in Mongolia doctors and teachers live “from paycheck to paycheck”. The post concluded that Mongolians “seem to be a show-loving people who prefer festivals to work and knowledge”. The post drew the highest engagement in this window, and other users reposted the same text.

Another user argued that sharply raising the pay of public servants other than doctors, teachers and emergency staff amounts to “vote-buying”, saying the private sector cannot match such increases and will struggle to find workers. These are the users’ personal views and do not represent the position of egov.mn.

2. Discussion contrasts Kazakhstan’s Aral–Caspian highway with Mongolia

User Sarnai (@econsarnai) wrote in a thread that while “our leaders are mired in theft and squabbles over posts”, Kazakhstan has started work on the roughly 800 km “Aral–Caspian highway”, and that the new Beineu–Saksaulsk route will shorten the distance from the Chinese border to the ports of Aktau and Kuryk by about 1,000 km. The thread also pointed to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan building a railway with China, and argued that Mongolia is losing out on transit opportunities. That is the user’s personal view.

Kazakhstan’s Qazinform agency reported on 29 October that Deputy Transport Minister Talgat Lastayev said construction of the Aral–Caspian highway began in August and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028. The 2029 date mentioned in the post was the original deadline; officials have since brought it forward.

3. MAK’s N. Tselmuun criticises Dundgovi governor over “Enkh-Us” water project

N. Tselmuun, president of the Mongolyn Alt (MAK) group, wrote that the company wants to implement an “Enkh-Us” project to reduce heavy elements in Gobi water and deliver safe drinking water, but that Dundgovi aimag governor S. Munkhchuluun is demanding the money be paid directly into the Local Development Fund instead of signing a cooperation agreement, LiveTV.mn reported. According to Namu.mn and Eguur.mn, Tselmuun also said it was inappropriate for the governor to attend the opening of the company’s “Enkh-Mend” programme after repeatedly obstructing the company’s operations.

These are N. Tselmuun’s statements. A response from Governor S. Munkhchuluun or the Dundgovi governor’s office was not found in the sources reviewed for this roundup.

4. Magnitude 5.7 earthquake in central Japan injures more than 20

Mongolian users and iSee.mn shared news of a strong overnight earthquake in Japan. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake struck at 1:04 a.m. local time (00:04 Ulaanbaatar time) at a depth of about 40 km in western Shizuoka prefecture, with a magnitude of 5.7. The US Geological Survey put it at 5.5.

AP, Al Jazeera and the Chunichi Shimbun reported that at least 22 people were injured in Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures, shop windows were shattered and some train services were suspended; no tsunami warning was issued. The strongest shaking, upper 5 on Japan’s intensity scale, was recorded in Chita, Aichi prefecture. Posts by users said at least 24 people were injured, which differs from the figure given by these outlets. The agency warned that strong aftershocks are possible over the coming week, especially in the next two to three days. Read more in the standalone article.

5. Mongolia’s firefighting sport team wins world championship silver

At the XXI men’s and XII women’s World Championships in multi-discipline firefighting sport, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 2 to 8 November, Mongolia’s national team won silver in the men’s combat deployment event with a time of 25.08 seconds, setting a new national record, MNB, iNews.mn and iSee.mn reported. According to MNB, Mongolia won bronze in the same event at the 2017 world championships in Izmir, Turkey, and has now improved on that result. Some 139 men and 50 women from 14 countries are competing, and Mongolia has entered two teams of 10 men and 8 women. Read more in the standalone article.

6. Democratic Party says report of 14 November extraordinary congress is unofficial (new development)

Yesterday’s 6 p.m. roundup noted that some outlets reported the Democratic Party had scheduled an extraordinary congress for 14 November. This evening UBN, Elch.mn and Graph.mn published a Democratic Party statement saying that information about a congress on the 14th is unofficial, that the party’s central bodies have not decided to convene an extraordinary congress and that the party has not called one, and urging members and supporters not to be misled by unverified information. Reports of the congress date had followed a decision by the party’s General Control Committee to remove S. Bayartsogt as secretary general.

7. Chinggis Khaan’s birthday on Tuesday will be a public holiday

iSee.mn reminded readers that the birthday of Chinggis Khaan, also known as Mongolian Pride Day, falls on Tuesday 10 November this year and is a nationwide public holiday. Under the law on public holidays and observances, the first day of the first winter month of the lunar calendar is marked as a public holiday, and Mongolia has celebrated it since 2012. Assa.mn and Hunnu.mn reported that 26 November, Republic Day, will also be a public holiday.

Methodology: We ranked posts from about 200 major news and influential accounts found through X search, plus more than 50 keyword searches, by an engagement score (likes + 2× reposts + views/100), and checked the facts against news sites. Posts that could not be verified or that carried a risk of defamation were left out. Views expressed by individuals on X do not represent the position of egov.mn.