Trending on X, 10 PM: PM in Khovd, St Petersburg strike, Altantuya documentary, TDB accounts, VIVANT

Here are the 8 topics Mongolian users discussed most on X between 18:13 and 22:13 (Ulaanbaatar time) on October 18, ranked by the likes, reposts and views of the leading posts. Activity was relatively light on Sunday evening. The most discussed topics were Prime Minister N.Uchral’s remarks in Khovd province and the planned pension and welfare increases; a large Ukrainian drone attack on St Petersburg; an Al Jazeera documentary on the Altantuya Shaariibuu case; changed account numbers at Trade and Development Bank; the return of a Mongolian actor’s character in the Japanese drama “VIVANT”; the protests in Albania; the death of ambassador D.Tsakhilgaan; and an esports win by a Mongolian team. Only 8 real, verified topics emerged in this window, so the list was not padded to 10. Posts about former mayor Kh.Nyambaatar, the “khuushuur” meetup, the protests in France and smog in the capital also appeared but brought no new developments since earlier roundups, so they were left out. Figures as of 22:25.

1. PM N.Uchral in Khovd: Khalzan Buregtei, Oyu Tolgoi, pension and welfare increases (new)

Prime Minister N.Uchral held his regular “Ask the Prime Minister” meeting in Khovd province today, presenting the 2026 budget amendment and the 2027 draft budget, and this was the most discussed topic of the window. @Adiyag04 shared a video of his remarks on the Khalzan Buregtei deposit, in which the prime minister said “I don’t trust organised campaigns” and that the project would go ahead if an international laboratory issues a positive assessment. Exploration at the rare-earth deposit was halted by order of the Khovd governor in November 2024 after local opposition, and parliament held an oversight hearing on it in 2025. @UBn_mn also shared his comments on using Oyu Tolgoi dividends to fund development projects and on holding “self-serving” members of his party accountable.

According to the government, the budget amendment cuts 1.4 trillion togrog from state spending and directs the savings to wages, pensions and allowances. From November 1, 2026, elderly people will receive a base pension of 100,000–300,000 togrog, pensions for people with disabilities will rise by 26% to 600,000 togrog, and carers’ allowances will rise by 12%. Most users welcomed the increases, while the post with the most engagement in this window, by @margadism, satirically listed alleged ways the welfare system is abused.

2. Ukraine launches a major drone attack on St Petersburg (new)

News that Ukraine carried out one of the largest drone attacks of the war on St Petersburg overnight drew wide attention. Governor Alexander Beglov said one person was killed and five were injured, and fires broke out at the St Petersburg oil terminal, the Ruchyi oil depot and industrial warehouses. An Ozon logistics centre and a VK data centre were also hit. Russia’s defence ministry said it destroyed 1,015 drones overnight, and about 20,000 people in the Leningrad region lost power. @eegii33yahoo shared footage of smoke over the city, and @Activatica posted video of firefighters at the Ozon warehouse. Lithuanian authorities also reported that a drone exploded in the north of the country today, with debris damaging a moving car but injuring no one; they are investigating whether it was Ukrainian.

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3. Al Jazeera releases a documentary on the Altantuya case (new)

Al Jazeera’s “101 East” programme released “Murder in Malaysia: Justice for Altantuya Shaariibuu,” a two-part documentary on the Mongolian woman killed in Malaysia in 2006, and it was widely discussed by Mongolian users. The film looks into allegations of interference in the criminal trial, her suspected links to an allegedly corrupt submarine deal, and claims by the two policemen who killed her that they acted on the orders of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who vehemently denies any involvement.

Former Prime Minister G.Zandanshatar wrote that “Mr. S.Shaariibuu should not stand alone in the fight for justice” and urged people to watch and share the documentary under the hashtag #JusticeForAltantuya, the most engaged post on this topic. @Ana1iz_mn shared a clip of G.Zandanshatar speaking in the film.

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4. Trade and Development Bank customers complain about changed account numbers (update)

After Trade and Development Bank completed its move to a new core banking platform, some customers complained that their account numbers had changed. @orgilsodov asked how customers are supposed to deal with the change when bank accounts are attached to many contracts and registrations, while @VikaaMuse and @Davkab also voiced frustration. According to bank information published earlier on iToim.mn, account numbers now have 10 digits as part of the upgrade, but the old numbers remain valid. Some users noted that card payments and ATM withdrawals were working normally.

5. Mongolian actor Barslkhagva’s character returns in “VIVANT” (new)

In episode 21 of TBS’s Japanese drama “VIVANT,” aired today, police officer Chingis, played by Mongolian actor Barslkhagva Batbold, returned to the screen, and Japanese users on X reacted enthusiastically. Sanspo.com reported that it was Chingis’s first appearance since episode 15 on August 23; he rescues the lead character, and viewers posted comments such as “We were waiting for you” and “Way too cool.” The episode links to the final scene of a Chingis spin-off streaming on U-NEXT, and the next episode airs on October 25.

6. Albania’s prime minister refuses to resign (update)

The protests in Albania were again discussed in this window. @tuul1234 shared reports of protesters in Tirana pulling up paving stones and of Prime Minister Edi Rama refusing to step down. Reuters reported that Rama said in a live Facebook address on Sunday that the protests threaten not his government but Albania’s path to joining the European Union. Student-led demonstrations against corruption, a lack of jobs and poor education have spread beyond Tirana over the past week; protesters have set fire to government buildings and banks, and police have used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets. Police said 388 people have been charged with criminal offences.

7. Ambassador and translator D.Tsakhilgaan dies (new)

@TsogtbaatarD shared news of the death of D.Tsakhilgaan, a State Prize laureate, Honoured Cultural Worker and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and expressed his condolences. According to a condolence message from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, D.Tsakhilgaan died on October 16, 2026. Born in 1941 in Khokhmorit soum of Govi-Altai province, he served as Mongolia’s ambassador to China from 1994 to 2001 and received the State Prize in 2025 for his Mongolian translations of Homer’s “Odyssey” and “Iliad.”

8. Mongolia’s NEXVOID wins a CS2 tournament in Australia (new)

@ikonnews reported that Mongolian team NEXVOID won the Counter-Strike 2 Logitech G Pro Series 2026 in Brisbane, Australia, taking an 11,000 US dollar prize. The team beat Australia’s FlyQuest 2–1 in the grand final. According to iKon.mn, the win lifted NEXVOID 12 places in the world rankings to 71st.

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.