Trending on X (2 p.m.): Media contracts, garage tax petition, Darkhan at 65, tobacco law

Here are the 7 topics Mongolian users discussed most on X between 10:13 and 14:13 on October 17 (Ulaanbaatar time), ranked by likes, reposts and views. Because the 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. roundups were not published, we also included posts from 02:13 onward, giving priority to the most recent ones. On Saturday the media-contract debate shifted to journalists answering back, the petition to scrap the garage tax passed 34,000 signatures, and Darkhan’s 65th anniversary drew wide attention. Topics covered in earlier roundups appear only when there was a genuine new development. There were 7 real, verified topics, so we did not pad to 10. Metrics as of 14:35.

1. Media contracts: journalists respond, and the question of media funding comes up (new development)

Earlier roundups covered state bodies’ contracts with media outlets and calls to ban “silencing contracts” by law. This time, after criticism that some had taken contracts, journalists began responding themselves. @Enebish_ wrote that no contract had been received from former Ulaanbaatar Governor Kh.Nyambaatar, that a cooperation agreement does not mean praising anyone, and that critical reporting would continue.

@batengineer argued that media outlets are funded mainly by advertising and that attracting advertisers depends on having a large audience, raising the underlying reasons for dependence on state contracts. Some of the window’s most-viewed posts harshly accused certain websites of taking contracts, but they contained unverified allegations and insults, so we have not included them.

Meanwhile, MP Ch.Lodoisambuu has said he will propose removing all information and promotion spending from the 2027 budget, and iSee.mn reports that the budget’s third reading will take place next week. Read about the MNT 24.2 billion in media contracts signed by state bodies in 2025 here.

2. Petition to scrap the garage tax passes 34,000 signatures (new development)

As of October 13, about 27,500 people had signed the online petition, initiated by lawyer O.Batkhuu, to abolish the 1% property tax on garages. As of 14:28 today, e-zasag.mn shows 34,407 supporters. The petition is open from October 6 to November 5 and aims to collect 100,000 signatures.

@Batkhuu_lw urged everyone who signed to bring in at least two more people, one of the window’s most widely shared posts. @alta_jadamba pointed out that the DAN system verifies users with a Mongolian mobile number, which makes it hard for citizens living abroad to sign. Read earlier coverage of the petition here.

3. Darkhan celebrates its 65th anniversary (new)

Darkhan, founded on October 17, 1961, marked its 65th anniversary today, and many users posted greetings. Czech Ambassador to Mongolia Jan Vytopil (@JanVytopil) recalled that Czechs built Darkhan’s cement plant in 1963–1968 and wrote that they have named a new Przewalski’s horse foal “Darkhan”. His post was the most-liked on the topic.

livetv.mn and ubn.mn report that 128 wrestlers holding national, provincial and soum titles are competing in an anniversary national wrestling tournament at Darkhan United Arena, with all 13 national champions (avarga) attending. The winner receives MNT 10 million, the runner-up MNT 8 million, and each semifinalist MNT 5 million. @usukhireedui noted that NTV is broadcasting the tournament live. Read more here.

4. Tobacco law: the “all tobacco banned” misconception and L.Erdenechimeg’s remarks (new development)

After parliament passed the amendments to the Law on Tobacco Control, discussion today turned to what the law actually says and to the lawmakers behind it. iQ.mn shared former MP L.Erdenechimeg’s remark that getting a tobacco law passed is hard work that means confronting a powerful business lobby. She congratulated O.Nominchimeg, one of the MPs who submitted the bill. Some users criticized the law for targeting e-cigarettes rather than conventional cigarettes.

@amarbayarm criticized websites for reporting that all tobacco had been banned, clarifying that the law bans every flavored form of conventional and electronic cigarettes. Under the amendments, tobacco with fruit, mint or other flavors and scents will be banned from January 1, 2027, conventional and electronic cigarettes will be taxed and regulated the same way, and traditional snuff is exempt.

5. Oyu Tolgoi dividend and the Egiin Gol plant: Speaker says “Russia will not obstruct it” (new development)

The e-Mongolia poll on how to spend the Oyu Tolgoi dividend runs until 22:00 on October 28, and today the discussion moved to energy projects. Bloomberg TV Mongolia reports that the government expects MNT 3 trillion in dividends from Oyu Tolgoi in 2027. It proposes placing MNT 1 trillion in a citizens’ savings fund and using the remaining MNT 2 trillion for items including the 300 MW Combined Heat and Power Plant VI and MNT 789.7 billion to repair and upgrade existing power plants. Some users criticized the government for writing the spending into the budget before the poll.

livetv.mn shared Speaker S.Byambatsogt’s remark that “there will be no obstacles from the Russian side to building the Egiin Gol hydropower plant, and the groundwork for starting the project is in place.” iSee.mn published a piece saying that a group led by G.Uyanga and M.Narantuya-Nara opposes using the dividend to build power plants.

6. Bears in settled areas: 18 calls in a single day (new development)

According to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, 18 calls about brown bears entering settled areas were logged between 08:00 on October 16 and 08:00 on October 17. Three bears were put down, six were driven out of settled areas, one call found no bear, and soum rapid-response teams are still searching on the remaining seven. The calls came from Ulaanbaatar’s Songinokhairkhan District and from Arkhangai, Darkhan-Uul, Zavkhan, Selenge, Khövsgöl, Khentii and Töv provinces.

ikon.mn shared the report, and @LutochirT asked whether bear bells or spray are needed when heading into the mountains. Read earlier coverage of bear sightings here.

7. U23 World Wrestling Championships: two bronze medals for Mongolia’s women (new)

ikon.mn reports that at the U23 freestyle World Wrestling Championships, held October 12–18 in Las Vegas, N.Narkhajid (women’s 65 kg) and E.Odgerel (women’s 72 kg) won bronze medals. In the men’s events, N.Batbilguun will wrestle for bronze at 86 kg, and T.Demchigdorj competes at 97 kg.

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.