Trending on X, 2 AM: basic pension, Tsaritsyno threat, Zelensky and Erdogan, German youth protests, Binance

Between 22:13 on October 31 and 02:25 on November 1, Mongolian users on X talked most about the first basic pension payments, a US warning of a threat at Moscow's Tsaritsyno museum complex, and the meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and Türkiye. Engagement was low on a Saturday night: even the most-viewed Mongolian posts drew only a few hundred views. Metrics are as of 02:25.

1. Basic pension starts reaching retirees' accounts tonight (new development)

egov.mn has already reported that the basic pension starts on November 1 (https://www.egov.mn/mn/article/435-myangan-ahmad-nastand-suur-tetgever-olgozh-ehelne). The new development is that payments are now going out. UBN.mn, Elch.mn and LiveTV.mn quoted Prime Minister N. Uchral as saying that "from tonight, the basic pension will be deposited into the accounts of 413,000 elders." He said the pension reform launched in 2019 had been laid down in the government's first 100 days and was now becoming reality.

According to MNB, 435,000 people, or 80% of social insurance and military pensioners, qualify. The Prime Minister's figure of 413,000 is lower than that estimate, and the difference has not been officially explained. The basic pension is assigned without any application to pensioners who have reached 55 (women) or 60 (men) and is added on top of their existing pension. It ranges from ₮100,000 to ₮300,000 a month depending on contribution years, averaging ₮224,000.

The Prime Minister also wrote on X that winter preparations are 90% complete, repair work is finished and contingency plans for breakdowns are in place.

2. Moscow: US Embassy warns of possible mass-casualty threat at Tsaritsyno

On October 31 the US Embassy in Moscow warned of "a credible threat of a mass casualty event" at the Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve and urged people to avoid the area (Anadolu, EFE). Russia's FSB confirmed it had received information from the US side about preparations for a terrorist attack in Moscow and said appropriate measures were being taken (RIA Novosti). The museum complex was closed and visitors were evacuated, cutting short an organ concert about ten minutes before its end (Life.ru). Police, special forces and bomb-disposal units were deployed. As of 02:25 there were no reports of an attack or casualties.

In March 2024, a similar US Embassy warning came about two weeks before the Crocus City Hall attack, in which 145 people were killed (EFE). Full story: https://www.egov.mn/en/article/us-embassy-warns-of-possible-mass-casualty-threat-at-moscows-tsaritsyno-museum

3. Zelensky and Erdogan agree to work on a Black Sea grain corridor

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on October 31. The two agreed to work on making a Black Sea grain corridor function effectively. Erdogan said attacks on civilian vessels serve no one and that Türkiye would also discuss safe navigation with Russia (Türkiye Today, TRT World). Zelensky said Ukraine is preparing for a three-way format with the US and Russia and that they discussed the possibility of holding a meeting in Türkiye.

The X post saying the free trade agreement would take effect "next week" is inaccurate. According to Türkiye's Trade Ministry, the agreement entered into force on October 1, and tariff cuts apply from January 1, 2027. Full story: https://www.egov.mn/en/article/zelensky-and-erdogan-agree-to-work-on-a-black-sea-grain-corridor

4. Residents evacuated from occupied Oleshky

A humanitarian operation evacuated residents of Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in the Kherson region. AP reported that the estimated 2,000 remaining residents could travel to Ukrainian-held territory, travel to Russian-held territory, or stay in the town with fresh food and medical supplies. Those heading to Ukraine were taken by bus through Crimea to Anapa, flown to Gomel in Belarus and then bused into the Chernihiv region (Kyiv Post, BBC). Zelensky thanked Erdogan for supporting the operation.

5. "Gen Z regelt" youth protests held in more than 30 German cities

On October 31, young people in more than 30 German cities marched at the call of the "Gen Z regelt" initiative. They demanded more money for schools, mental-health and addiction services, and action on the rising cost of living, and they oppose a return to conscription and expanded state surveillance (tagesschau). Police estimated about 5,000 marchers in Berlin, about 4,000 in Munich and about 8,000 in Frankfurt (tagesschau, NZZ). Most rallies were peaceful, though in some places pyrotechnics were set off and police halted marches over face-covering violations. Full story: https://www.egov.mn/en/article/gen-z-regelt-youth-protests-held-in-more-than-30-german-cities

6. Binance says it has covered 90% of hack losses

egov.mn has already reported on the $6.3 billion Binance hack (https://www.egov.mn/en/article/binance-hackers-stole-dollar63-billion-in-record-breaking-crypto-heist). Crypto users on X shared the news that Binance has covered 90% of the losses. CNBC reported that the exchange used its SAFU fund, part of its futures insurance fund and corporate treasury funds, and that the remaining 10% consists of less-liquid tokens and may take longer. Blockchain analytics firms link the attack to North Korea's Lazarus Group, but this has not been officially confirmed. Users also discussed founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) urging Elon Musk to fight the hackers together rather than argue with him.

7. Viewers talk about "Top Chef Mongolia"

The Mongolian version of NBCUniversal's "Top Chef" has aired on NTV every Saturday since October 24, with 15 chefs competing for a ₮100 million prize (UBN.mn, Reelnews.mn). Viewers are sharing their impressions on X.

This roundup covers seven topics. Few other new topics caught Mongolian users' attention during the window. Nyambaatar, T. Tulga, electricity prices and Halloween were covered in earlier roundups and are not repeated without new developments. Posts containing unverified personal accusations or insults were excluded.

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.