News

Hard Numbers: BTS make UNGA go viral, many virtual speeches, US pledges more climate cash, Libyan no-confidence vote

Hard Numbers: BTS make UNGA go viral, many virtual speeches, US pledges more climate cash, Libyan no-confidence vote
A TV report on BTS making a speech during the opening of the Sustainable Development Goals Moment event at U.N. General Assembly Hall in New York, is seen on a screen at a train station in Seoul.
Lee Jae-Won/AFLO

6.4 million: More than 6.4 million viewers tuned in live to watch K-pop band BTS give a speech at the UN General Assembly on Monday, where they called for young people to get vaccinated and become involved in fighting climate change. It's the most-watched clip ever on the UN's YouTube channel, shattering the previous record set by Emma Watson in 2014. By contrast, only a few thousand viewers checked out US President Biden's speech live the next day.

60: Although more than 100 world leaders traveled to New York to attend this year's UN General Assembly in person, 60 heads of state opted instead to send pre-recorded speeches. The list includes China's Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin, France's Emmanuel Macron, and Iran's Ebrahim Raisi.

11.4 billion: President Biden announced on Tuesday that the US will donate $11.4 billion annually over the next three years to help developing nations combat climate change, double the amount previously committed. Still, it's less than half what the European Union, with a smaller economy than America's, gives per year now for the same goal.

89: While the representative of Libya's UN-backed government prepared to address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday in New York, 89 out of 113 members of Libya's lower house of parliament voted to oust the same government from power. The upper house then rejected the resolution, casting further doubt on the UN-led peace process that aims to hold elections in December after a decade of civil war.

More For You

In this episode of Tools and Weapons, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith sits down with Ed Policy, President and CEO of the Green Bay Packers, to discuss how purpose-driven leadership and innovation are shaping the future of one of the world’s most iconic sports franchises. Ed shares how technology and community-focused initiatives, from Titletown Tech to health and safety innovations on the field, are transforming not just the game of football, but the economy and culture of Green Bay itself. He explains how combining strategic vision with investment in local startups is keeping talent in the Midwest and creating opportunities that extend far beyond Lambeau Field.

Subscribe and find new episodes monthly, wherever you listen to podcasts.

Egyptians head to the polls to elect a new parliament during the first round of the Egyptian parliamentary elections in Giza, Egypt, on November 10, 2025.
Photo by Islam Safwat/NurPhoto

Egyptians are voting this month in parliamentary elections that aren’t expected to change who’s in charge, but could allow President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to rule beyond 2030.

An injured soldier is transferred to a hospital following a clash between Thai and Cambodian troops over a disputed border area in Sisaket Province,Thailand, December 7, 2025.
Royal Thai Army/Handout via REUTERS

Thailand and Cambodia’s ceasefire is on the verge of collapse. Strikes were launched across their disputed border today, following clashes over the weekend that resulted in the death of a Thai soldier.