Trending on X, 2 PM: S. Bayar's house, Bat-Üül, bears, university assault case, Nömrög accountability, Kharkhorum, pay rises, sugar tax, dzud, goat plague

Below are the ten topics Mongolian users discussed most on X between 10:13 and 14:33 on October 28. Engagement was relatively low this cycle; post metrics were recorded at 14:33.

1. S. Bayar says he lives in one of the disputed Baga Tenger houses (new development)

The debate over houses near Baga Tenger took a new turn. On Tuesday, the President's Office spokesperson Ts. Ganzorig said the houses shown in images circulating online belong, according to public records, to private companies and individuals, naming residents of Green Resource LLC identified as G.S and S.B. Today, when a user asked whether "S.B" could be anyone other than him, former Prime Minister S. Bayar replied: "Yes. I live in the house on the east side." That reply was the most widely shared post of the cycle.

In a follow-up post he said the place holds childhood memories for him and that he moved into the house at his siblings' suggestion in summer 2021, five years ago. News sites reported that he had confirmed he lives there.

2. E. Bat-Üül criticises Yarmag traffic and the Tuul highway plan

A video of former Ulaanbaatar mayor E. Bat-Üül discussing urban planning circulated widely. He linked congestion between 7 Buudal and Yarmag to decisions by recent city administrations and said the Tuul highway was originally planned on the river embankment, combined with flood protection. He also argued that domestic companies should take a bigger role in construction. The video was shared by @Baagij13310361; when and where it was originally recorded is unclear.

3. Bears near settlements: shooting allowed when lives are at risk (new development)

Reports of bears approaching settlements and herders' camps continue. Sh. Batbayar, state secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, said permission has been given to shoot bears when human lives are in danger, and that three contracts have been signed to buy tranquiliser guns, nets and sprays. B. Enkhtuya, head of Uvs province's environment and tourism department, told NTV that five bears have been neutralised and their stomachs were empty. A report that a bear damaged a herder's ger in Ömnödelger soum, Khentii province, also spread. User @Boldsaikhan_dr posted that a bear cub was seen near Zuunkharaa; this has not been officially confirmed.

4. Alleged 2011 gang-rape case of a university student sent to first-instance court

An appeals court today reviewed the case of Sh., who alleges she was gang-raped by fellow students in 2011 while studying at the Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture. The first-instance court had returned the case for further investigation; prosecutors protested, and the appeals court sent the case back to the first-instance court, meaning a trial on guilt is expected to be scheduled soon. Four people are implicated; one of them is in South Korea, so that part of the case is being handled separately.

5. Nömrög fire: border-port agency head dismissed, border chief warned (new development)

The government dismissed E. Gantulga, head of the Border Port Authority, and issued a first-stage warning to J. Byambasüren, head of the General Authority for Border Protection, in connection with the Nömrög fire. Further measures will follow once the damage assessment and the working group's findings are complete. Full story: https://www.egov.mn/en/article/nomrog-fire-government-dismisses-border-port-agency-head-e-gantulga-and-warns-border-protection-chief-j-byambasuren

6. N. Enkhbayar: Kharkhorum needs nearly ₮1 trillion

Former President N. Enkhbayar, who chairs the Kharkhorum City Citizens' Representative Khural, said he has declined a salary for the role because as a former president he already receives a lifetime salary at ministerial level. He said building the new capital needs not ₮50 billion but nearly ₮1 trillion, and that his office has four staff.

7. Wages, welfare pensions and allowances rise from November 1 (new development)

The pay issues discussed at the morning cabinet meeting have been decided, and Minister T. Aubakir presented the details. Using ₮170.1 billion included in the 2026 budget amendment, salaries of public service workers such as drivers, guards, cleaners and cooks will rise by ₮477,000 from November 1 to about ₮1.43 million. Pay for hospital intensive-care doctors will rise by ₮328,000, from ₮2.128 million to ₮2.456 million. The welfare pension for people with disabilities will rise 25.5%, from ₮478,000 to ₮600,000. The welfare pension for elderly people and similar groups will rise 38.9%, from ₮432,000 to ₮600,000, and the care allowance will rise from ₮330,000 to ₮370,000.

8. Excise tax on sugary drinks takes effect January 1, 2027

MP S. Odontuya reminded the public that the law imposing an excise tax on sugary drinks takes effect on January 1, 2027, citing research that obesity among children aged 7 to 14 has risen sevenfold. Parliament passed the law in spring 2026.

9. Winter conditions forecast to be very difficult in 8% of the country in November

The November dzud-risk map from the research institute of the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring shows very high difficulty for 8% of the country, high for 18%, medium for 33%, low for 24% and none for 16%. Most of Bayan-Ölgii, Uvs, Khovd, Zavkhan and Ömnögovi provinces fall into risk zones, along with parts of seven other provinces.

10. ₮5.3 billion compensation for herders whose goats were culled over goat plague

The government approved ₮5.3 billion in compensation for herders whose goats were culled in outbreak areas of peste des petits ruminants (goat plague). Minister Ts. Iderbat said those responsible for the outbreak will be made to pay for the damage. According to official N. Nomtoibayar, 26,840 animals belonging to 58 households were culled.

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.