Trending on X, 10 AM: Lha Babs Duichen, MPs' immunity, a Budanov quote, snow, Ebola, Binance

Between 06:00 and 10:25 on November 1, Mongolian users on X talked most about Lha Babs Duichen, the Buddhist holy day marking the Buddha's return from heaven, a debate over lawmakers' immunity, a recirculated quote from Ukraine's former military intelligence chief and the first snowy morning of the month. Engagement was moderate on a Sunday morning, and the most widely seen Mongolian post had about a thousand views. Metrics as of 10:31.

1. Lha Babs Duichen: the day the Buddha repaid his mother's kindness

Today, the 22nd day of the last autumn month in the lunar calendar, is Lha Babs Duichen. The holy day marks the Buddha's descent back to the human world after he went to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three to teach the Dharma and repay his mother's kindness. In 2026 it falls on November 1. Many users posted greetings urging people to remember their parents' kindness, do good deeds and recite the Buddha's heart mantra. LiveTV.mn reported a daytime temperature of -1°C in Ulaanbaatar.

2. Kazakhstan comparison fuels criticism of MPs' immunity

Economist R. Davaadorj wrote that Kazakhstan detains senior officials accused of corruption right in parliament and at standing committee meetings, while in Mongolia parliamentary immunity has become an untouchable fortress. It was the most engaged Mongolian post of the period. He also criticized politicians who leave the country after their wrongdoing comes to light and divide society from abroad.

This is the user's opinion. Kazakh media reported that the country's National Security Committee detained several officials on corruption charges in October, but we found no recent report of anyone being detained at a parliamentary session. egov.mn could not independently verify when or where the attached video was recorded.

3. A Budanov quote on Russia's "exhausted Soviet stocks" resurfaces

Mongolian users widely shared quotes attributed to Kyrylo Budanov saying Russia had completely exhausted its Soviet-era weapons stocks and had no capacity for a major offensive in any part of Ukraine. These are not new statements. As head of Ukraine's military intelligence, Budanov said in May 2023 that Russia's offensive potential was "absolutely exhausted" (Interfax-Ukraine), and in September 2024 that Soviet stocks had all been used up (LIGA.net). He now heads the Office of the President of Ukraine. In a July interview with RBC-Ukraine, he said Russia still had vast reserves of people and weapons and the war could go on for years (RTVI).

4. A snowy start to November and a cold week ahead

Snow fell overnight in the capital and the countryside on the first morning of November, and users shared photos of the snowy start to the day. Our earlier roundup covered late-October snow and dust storms. The new development is next week's forecast. The National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring said 0–5 mm of snow and snowstorms are expected in many northern and western provinces from November 2 to 5, with winds reaching 15–17 m/s. Night temperatures will fall to -11 to -21°C in mountain areas, and most of the country will turn colder on November 4–5. More: https://www.egov.mn/en/article/cold-week-ahead-as-snowstorms-forecast-for-many-provinces-from-november-2-to-5

5. Are fines for obscured license plates too low?

O. Otgonbayar complained that more and more cars drive with their license plates deliberately obscured. He called it an unfair system in which responsible drivers with clear plates get fined while those who hide their plates get away with it. Many users reposted it.

6. Congo's Ebola death toll passes 5,000

A report from the Democratic Republic of Congo's presidential Ebola task force on October 31 recorded 10,351 confirmed cases and 5,026 deaths since the outbreak began in May (AP, BBC). The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of the virus, for which there is no licensed vaccine. It has reached eight of the country's 26 provinces and 67 of its 178 health zones, and linked cases have been reported in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and France. The user who shared the news warned that it should not be dismissed as a faraway problem. More: https://www.egov.mn/en/article/congos-ebola-death-toll-passes-5000

7. Former PM S. Bayar replies to a critic

Former Prime Minister S. Bayar drew attention with a long reply to a user who had criticized his written Mongolian and his use of the word "lugaa," citing the Great Explanatory Dictionary of Mongolian in his defense. He admitted that spelling is not his strong suit and said he welcomed debate. In another post, he explained that the "yellow badge" he was mocked for is the official insignia of the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, which he received by presidential decree in 2011.

8. FBI says North Korea was behind the $6.3 billion Binance theft (new development)

Our earlier roundup covered the record Binance theft and the exchange's move to cover 90% of the losses. The new development is that on October 31 the FBI formally attributed the attack to North Korea's TraderTraitor group, which is linked to the Lazarus Group (AP, DW). The FBI said it had seen the hackers converting the stolen assets mainly into Ethereum, and it urged exchanges and blockchain analytics firms to block transactions linked to the addresses involved. More: https://www.egov.mn/en/article/fbi-says-north-korea-was-behind-the-dollar6-billion-plus-binance-theft

9. Basic pension: "Didn't it go up?" and a debate over military and police retirees (new development)

Our earlier roundup reported that basic pension payments start today. Some users who checked their accounts this morning asked why their pension had not gone up. In an interview with iToim.mn, B. Batjargal, head of the General Office of Social Insurance, explained that the basic pension and the main pension are paid into accounts separately, and that the basic pension should not be thought of as a top-up to the existing pension. Users also debated whether military and police personnel who retired early, before age 55 for women or 60 for men, should receive the basic pension. Under the law, age is the eligibility criterion.

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.