Global Pulse

作者： admin

  • Argentina approves Milei’s bill that eases protections for glaciers, despite environmental backlash

    Argentina approves Milei’s bill that eases protections for glaciers, despite environmental backlash

    BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — In a contentious early-morning vote that has divided lawmakers, environmental advocates and scientific communities across the country, Argentina’s national Congress has greenlit a polarizing bill backed by libertarian President Javier Milei that rolls back decades-old glacier protections to open more large-scale metal mining projects. The legislation, which already cleared the Argentine Senate in February, passed the lower chamber with a final count of 137 votes in support, 111 votes in opposition, and three abstentions, setting the stage for Milei to sign the bill into law in the coming days.

    The core change introduced by the new regulatory framework is a major narrowing of environmental protections that have stood for 14 years. Back in 2010, Argentina enacted a landmark law that imposed a full ban on all mining activity on glaciers and their surrounding periglacial zones — frozen landscapes that act as critical natural water regulators for downstream communities. Under the updated rules, only glaciers and landforms documented to have “specific hydrological functions” will retain protected status, with individual provincial governments granted the authority to make these designation decisions.

    Industry leaders in Argentina’s mining sector project that the regulatory shift will unlock more than $30 billion in new investment over the next 10 years, with roughly 70% of that capital earmarked for new copper, gold and silver extraction projects across the country. Argentina is home to more than 16,900 glaciers spanning the Andes Mountain Range and South Atlantic Islands, covering a total area of roughly 3,276 square miles. Glaciology researchers have already documented that human-driven climate change is driving rapid glacial retreat across the nation, and scientific experts warn that weakening protections puts critical water resources at severe risk. For arid regions that depend on glacial melt to sustain river systems and community water access, scientists note that increased mining activity could permanently jeopardize long-term water security.

    Opposition political forces have already slammed the bill as unconstitutional, arguing that it eliminates core environmental safeguards that protect public natural resources. But the most immediate challenge to the new law will come from the courts, where leading environmental organizations have already begun organizing a massive public class-action lawsuit to block the legislation from taking effect. Groups including Greenpeace Argentina and the Environment and Natural Resources Foundation say the legislative process was deeply flawed, and that lawmakers ignored widespread public concerns over water safety and ecosystem protection.

    “If they refuse to listen in Congress, they will be forced to listen in the courts,” the coalition of environmental groups said in an official public statement. The organizations are urging ordinary Argentine citizens to join the legal action, which argues that the regulatory reform poses an existential threat to both public water access and the fragile, unique ecosystems that surround the nation’s glaciers.

  • Tennis-playing humanoid robot debuts in Beijing

    Tennis-playing humanoid robot debuts in Beijing

    In a landmark milestone for global embodied intelligence and humanoid robotics development, the world’s first humanoid robot capable of playing competitive tennis has made its public debut in Beijing, developed by a local innovative startup in partnership with one of China’s top academic institutions.

    The breakthrough machine was created by Galbot, a Beijing-based robotics firm headquartered in the city’s Haidian District, a rapidly growing national hub for advanced artificial intelligence and humanoid robot innovation. Working in close collaboration with Tsinghua University, the engineering team behind the robot broke from long-standing industry conventions that rely on pre-programmed motion scripts and external motion capture systems to enable robotic movement. Instead, the new humanoid integrates real-time environmental perception and full-body dynamic coordination to hold sustained rallies with human players on a standard tennis court, local state-run newspaper Beijing Daily reported on Thursday.

    At the core of the robot’s capability is a proprietary technological advancement called the LATENT algorithm. Unlike conventional machine learning frameworks that require large, complete, structured datasets to master new motor skills, this innovative algorithm allows the robot to acquire complex tennis techniques — including footwork adjustment, racket swinging, and directional positioning — from fragmented samples of human movement data. This learning framework empowers the robot to autonomously complete a full sequence of actions: detecting an incoming tennis ball, predicting its flight trajectory, adjusting its on-court position in real time, and executing an accurate, controlled stroke in response.

    Industry analysts note that this breakthrough carries far-reaching implications for the global robotics sector beyond recreational sports. The technological advances in real-time perception, dynamic motion control, and autonomous decision-making demonstrated by the tennis-playing robot clear a path for the wider deployment of humanoid robots in unstructured, unpredictable real-world environments, where pre-programmed systems have long struggled to operate effectively.

    Galbot has already begun translating these core technological advancements into commercial applications outside of sports R&D. Currently, the company operates more than 40 fully autonomous, robot-staffed retail stores across China, bringing the benefits of embodied intelligence to the commercial sector.

    The debut of the world’s first tennis-playing humanoid also underscores Haidian District’s growing status as a global center for embodied intelligence innovation. To date, the district is home to more than 300 enterprises focused on embodied intelligence research and development, including 24 dedicated humanoid robot manufacturers. This dense ecosystem of innovation, backed by strong ties between top local academic institutions and industrial partners, has positioned the region to lead global advances in next-generation robotics technology.

  • Irish government to consider Creeslough explosion inquest

    Irish government to consider Creeslough explosion inquest

    Nearly two years after a devastating explosion ripped through a small rural service station in Creeslough, County Donegal, claiming 10 lives, families of the victims are still fighting for clear answers and official accountability — and Irish officials have now signaled a potential path forward. On Thursday, 10 family representatives of those killed traveled to Dublin’s Department of Justice to meet with Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan for a 90-minute discussion about their long-held demand for a public inquest into the disaster.

    The October 7, 2022 blast killed 10 local residents from Creeslough and its surrounding communities, cutting short lives across generations: 5-year-old Shauna Flanagan-Garwe, her 50-year-old father Robert Garwe, 14-year-old Leona Harper, 13-year-old James Monaghan, his mother Catherine O’Donnell, Jessica Gallagher, Martin McGill, James O’Flaherty, Martina Martin, and Hugh Kelly. To date, investigators have not released any official public explanation for what caused the explosion. While multiple arrests have been made in connection with the ongoing investigation, no one has faced criminal charges.

    Following the closed-door meeting, O’Callaghan confirmed that he would review the request for a formal inquest, echoing a longstanding government concern that launching an inquest too early could jeopardize the active criminal probe. But legal representatives for the families have pushed back, arguing that preliminary inquest work can proceed in parallel with the criminal investigation without disruption, pointing to the 1981 Stardust fire disaster inquest as a successful model that paired independent judicial review with ongoing criminal processes.

    “Two years ago, these families asked for an independent investigation. We are still waiting for a decision,” Darragh Mackin, a solicitor with Phoenix Law representing several families, told reporters outside the department. He added that there is “absolutely no prohibition” on starting preparatory work for the inquest immediately, saying “the ball is now in the minister’s court.”

    For the families left behind, the delay has meant being frozen in grief, unable to move forward without clarity about what caused the tragedy that took their loved ones. Donna Harper, whose 14-year-old daughter Leona died in the blast, pointed to the unmarked milestones her daughter will never get to experience — “She should have been 18 in January, she should have been making her prom” — and expressed frustration that almost four years will pass from the date of the explosion by the time any decision may come.

    Harper also noted that the disaster, one of the deadliest in modern Irish history, has yet to even receive an official public memorial. “We’re going down there every year, we’re just laying flowers at the side of the road. We’re stuck on the 7th of October 2022. How do you begin to move on when you have all this in front of you? We just need some answers,” she said.

    Damien Tierney, another legal representative for the families, said O’Callaghan’s primary concern is that any sworn public inquiry launched before the criminal investigation concludes could lead to injunctions filed by parties connected to the case. Tierney pushed for a timeline, asking “At what point will the government say, enough time has passed? Something now needs to be done.”

    Currently, multiple Irish state bodies are conducting overlapping investigations into the explosion. Aine Flanagan, who lost her partner Robert Garwe and daughter Shauna in the blast, confirmed that a completed health and safety investigation file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) this coming July. By standard process, the DPP typically takes between three and six months to make a decision on whether to pursue criminal prosecution after receiving case files.

    Anne Marie Boyle, who lost her sister Catherine O’Donnell and 13-year-old nephew James Monaghan in the disaster, said even launching preliminary inquest work now would help bring families closer to closure. “If preliminary work can get under way on the inquest it would speed things up,” she said. After two years of waiting, families remain firm in their demand for transparency, saying nothing less than a full independent inquiry will allow them to begin healing.

  • “Feeling a bit loose’: Liam Martin set for scans as Panthers count the cost of shock loss, Bulldogs flying high after Lachlan Galvin stunner

    “Feeling a bit loose’: Liam Martin set for scans as Panthers count the cost of shock loss, Bulldogs flying high after Lachlan Galvin stunner

    The 2026 NRL season delivered one of its most shocking early results on Wednesday, as the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs pulled off a 32-16 upset victory over the previously undefeated Penrith Panthers, leaving the minor premiers grappling with a major double whammy of injury concerns and disciplinary uncertainty ahead of their next fixture. The Panthers’ perfect five-game opening stretch – a run that included every win by a margin of at least 20 points and sparked bold talk of a potential undefeated full season – came to an abrupt end at Accor Stadium, where star representative forward Liam Martin departed the ground wearing a protective knee brace after suffering a late second-half injury.

    Martin, a key part of Penrith’s premiership-winning campaigns, pulled up after a play clutching his left knee, with initial medical assessments pointing to possible medial collateral ligament (MCL) damage. The NRL Physio Twitter account shared early analysis noting that Martin reported his knee felt “loose”, a symptom that can indicate a moderate to severe injury requiring multiple weeks of recovery. Speaking after the match, Panthers head coach Ivan Cleary described the injury as most likely a medial sprain, adding that Martin is not experiencing severe pain or swelling, leaving the club waiting for official scan results to confirm the severity and timeline for his return.

    In addition to Martin’s injury scare, Penrith faces an anxious wait to see if Origin hopeful Casey McLean will be suspended for next week’s game. McLean, who has enjoyed a blistering start to the 2026 season and emerged as a contender for a New South Wales Blues debut next month, was sin-binned in the eighth minute after the NRL Bunker reviewed a high tackle on Bulldogs forward Max King. The hit was initially missed by on-field officials, but the Bunker pulled it up for review one set later. Cleary argued the contact was accidental, noting that King was able to return to the field immediately after the tackle and that minimal clear footage exists to confirm a dangerous transgression. McLean struggled defensively for the remainder of the match, particularly on the left edge where the Bulldogs attack consistently found gaps. Cleary joked that young edge players may have been distracted by upcoming Origin selection talks, adding that the difficult loss would serve as a valuable learning experience for the team’s young talent.

    In positive injury news for Penrith, Cleary confirmed that winger Liam Henry is set to make his long-awaited return from injury this Friday, turning out for Penrith’s NSW Cup side to build match fitness ahead of a call-up to the first-grade squad.

    For the Bulldogs, the upset win was headlined by a career-best performance from halfback Lachlan Galvin, who turned in his first full 80-minute masterclass in the NRL. Galvin, whose NRL career has drawn constant scrutiny since he made his debut for the Wests Tigers, delivered a controlled, clinical performance that consistently troubled Penrith’s left edge. Speaking after the match, Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo noted that the clash marked Galvin’s 50th NRL appearance – a milestone many believe is when players truly find their footing in top-flight rugby league. “I thought he was brilliant. He controlled the game for long periods, he did what he needed to do and he didn’t overplay his hand,” Ciraldo said. “He has to deal with a fair bit. There are always question marks asked about him, but he’s handled it great.”

    Penrith co-captain Isaah Yeo said the upset loss could prove to be a blessing in disguise, silencing the growing external hype around the Panthers going undefeated for the entire 2026 season. “Rugby league is the ultimate leveller so it might be the best thing for us to maybe stop a little bit of that noise of people talking about being unbeaten through the season,” Yeo said. Unlike previous matches where Penrith held comfortable leads for most of the game, Wednesday’s loss forced the side to play from behind for long stretches, a challenge Yeo said will provide valuable lessons for the team ahead of the business end of the season. “Our best footy is still in front of us, but it probably took a bit of a step back tonight which is disappointing,” he added.

  • England to play World Cup warm-up games in Florida against New Zealand and Costa Rica

    England to play World Cup warm-up games in Florida against New Zealand and Costa Rica

    LONDON – The Football Association of England has confirmed the schedule for the men’s national team’s pre-World Cup warm-up fixtures, revealing two high-profile exhibition matches will take place across Florida in June ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by North America.

    Announced on Thursday, Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions will kick off their warm-up campaign at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium on June 6, taking on Oceania qualifier New Zealand. Four days later on June 10, the squad will move across the state to face CONCACAF representative Costa Rica at Orlando’s Inter&Co Stadium.

    To streamline their final preparations for the expanded 48-team tournament, which will run across June and July 2026, England has chosen south Florida as the location for its pre-tournament training camp. Once the World Cup gets underway, the squad will relocate to a permanent basecamp in Kansas City, Missouri for the duration of their participation in the competition.

    England has been drawn into Group L for the group stage of the tournament, where they will face Croatia, Ghana and Panama. All three of the team’s group-stage fixtures will be hosted across major U.S. cities: Dallas, Boston, and the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area.

    Both selected venues have established histories hosting major global and professional sporting events. Raymond James Stadium, which welcomed over 70,000 fans for the 2021 Super Bowl LV, is the regular home ground of the National Football League’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Inter&Co Stadium, meanwhile, is the home venue for Major League Soccer’s Orlando City SC and the National Women’s Soccer League’s Orlando Pride, purpose-built for top-tier professional soccer competition.

    The 2026 FIFA World Cup marks the first time the tournament has been co-hosted by three nations, with matches split across 16 host cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. England’s pre-tournament North American tour is designed to help the squad acclimate to travel conditions, time zones, and playing surfaces ahead of their bid for the country’s second World Cup title.

  • Canada’s Mark Carney ‘so proud’ of astronauts in call to Artemis II

    Canada’s Mark Carney ‘so proud’ of astronauts in call to Artemis II

    In a moment of national pride for Canada, former Bank of England Governor and prominent Canadian figure Mark Carney has shared his overwhelming enthusiasm for the country’s contribution to NASA’s groundbreaking Artemis II mission, following a formal call with astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who made history as the first Canadian selected for a deep space voyage.

    Hansen, a highly trained Canadian Space Agency astronaut, secured his place on the four-person Artemis II crew — the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon since NASA’s Apollo program concluded in the 1970s. In recognition of this milestone, Canada’s prime minister held a personal conversation with Hansen to congratulate him on his historic selection, cementing Canada’s role as a key international partner in the next era of lunar exploration.

    Carney, speaking publicly after the announcement, emphasized his deep pride in Hansen and the entire Canadian astronaut corps, noting that the mission represents more than just a personal achievement for Hansen. It stands as a testament to decades of Canadian investment in space research, technological innovation, and international scientific collaboration. As part of the Artemis Accords, Canada has partnered with NASA and other space agencies to advance lunar exploration, with plans to establish a long-term lunar outpost and eventually send crewed missions to Mars. Hansen’s participation in Artemis II marks a major milestone in Canada’s growing presence in human spaceflight, opening new doors for future Canadian scientists and engineers to contribute to deep space exploration.

    The Artemis II mission, scheduled to launch no earlier than September 2025, will test all of the Orion spacecraft’s critical systems with a crew on board, paving the way for subsequent landings of the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface. For Canada, a country with a long history of contributing to space exploration — including the iconic Canadarm robotic arm system that has supported decades of space shuttle and International Space Station missions — Hansen’s flight represents a new chapter of leadership in global space exploration.

  • US plans to automatically register men for military draft eligibility

    US plans to automatically register men for military draft eligibility

    For more than 50 years, the United States military has operated as an all-volunteer force, a structural shift that came after widespread public backlash against the forced conscription that pulled 1.8 million Americans into service during the Vietnam War. Now, a decades-old manual self-registration system for potential military conscription is on track to be replaced by an automatic enrollment process, a change that could take effect as soon as this December. If implemented, the policy shift would transfer the responsibility of signing up 18- to 25-year-old men from the individuals themselves to the Selective Service System (SSS), the independent government agency that oversees potential draft eligibility.

  • China successfully launches 23rd space mission of 2026

    China successfully launches 23rd space mission of 2026

    In another landmark step for China’s expanding space program, the country successfully placed a new batch of internet satellites into planned orbit early Thursday, marking its 23rd space launch mission of 2026. The launch was carried out by a Long March 6A carrier rocket, lifting off at 3:38 a.m. local time from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center located in northern China’s Shanxi Province, according to mission contractor China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

    This latest group of spacecraft represents the 21st batch of low-orbit satellites built for China’s state-operated global space-based internet network. Developed by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites, a Shanghai-based subsidiary of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, all satellites were successfully delivered to their preassigned orbital positions shortly after liftoff.

    With this latest deployment, the Chinese mega-constellation — frequently compared to SpaceX’s Starlink network in global aerospace circles — now operates nearly 170 low-Earth orbit satellites. When fully completed, the large-scale network is planned to include approximately 13,000 low-orbit satellites that will deliver continuous global internet coverage across the world.

    The Long March 6A rocket, which carried out this mission, was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology as a medium-lift launch vehicle tailored for modern satellite deployment missions. Standing 50 meters tall, the rocket features a liquid-fueled core booster paired with four solid-propellant side boosters, with a total liftoff weight of 530 metric tons. It is capable of delivering payloads to a range of orbital regimes, including low-Earth orbit, sun-synchronous orbit and intermediate circular orbit. This mission marked the sixth flight of the Long March 6A that has been dedicated to deploying satellites for the low-orbit internet constellation.

    Nationwide, this successful launch also pushed the total number of flights for China’s entire Long March rocket family to 637, underscoring the reliability and consistent progress of the country’s commercial and governmental launch programs. The steady cadence of missions in 2026 — already 23 completed before the end of the second quarter — reflects China’s ongoing push to advance its space infrastructure and expand its capabilities in satellite-based communications.

  • Former Anhui official investigated for suspected discipline, law violations

    Former Anhui official investigated for suspected discipline, law violations

    China’s top anti-corruption watchdog announced on Thursday that a retired former senior political advisor from east China’s Anhui province has been put under formal disciplinary review and supervisory investigation over suspected violations of Party rules and national law.

    Yao Yuzhou, 66, who once served as vice-chairman of the Anhui Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), is suspected of committing serious breaches of Party discipline and legal regulations, according to an official statement released by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the National Commission of Supervision (NCS), the country’s top anti-graft bodies.

    A native of Anhui, Yao built his decades-long public service career entirely within the province. He entered the workforce in 1979 and became a member of the Communist Party of China in 1987. Over his decades of service, he held a series of key provincial and municipal leadership posts: he assumed the role of mayor of Ma’anshan city in 2003, before moving to the position of Party chief of Tongling city in 2008, later taking the top Party post in Xuancheng in 2013 and then Chuzhou in 2016.

    Towards the end of his career, Yao was appointed secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Anhui Provincial Committee. He was named vice-chairman of the Anhui Provincial CPPCC Committee in 2020 and officially stepped down from public office for retirement in 2023.

    The investigation marks another step forward in China’s ongoing nationwide anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted both high-ranking officials and lower-level public servants across all regions and sectors of government since it was launched, demonstrating the country’s consistent commitment to rooting out graft and enforcing disciplinary and legal accountability for all public officials, regardless of their position or retirement status.

  • BTS battle torrential rain to kick off $1bn world tour

    BTS battle torrential rain to kick off $1bn world tour

    After four years apart for mandatory military service, the world’s biggest K-pop act BTS made their long-awaited return to the global concert circuit on Thursday, launching their Arirang World Tour at Goyang Stadium outside Seoul against a torrential downpour that failed to stop 40,000 in-person fans and millions more online from celebrating their iconic comeback.

    The open-air venue turned into a waterlogged performance space as nonstop heavy rain drenched every member of the septet and their audience from the first note to the last. Band member V joked about the extreme conditions as he splashed across the stage’s 360-degree rotating platform, noting “It’s raining like crazy,” while Suga quipped that the stadium felt more like a water park than a concert venue. Jimin admitted the messy, wet conditions left him “frustrated and stressed” early on, but quickly reframed the moment for the crowd: “But that’s not what’s important. What’s important is that you’re here with us.”

    Even with the weather throwing off plans, the seven members delivered a relentless, high-energy 23-song set that leaned into their new artistic direction and highlighted the unshakable chemistry they’ve built over more than a decade together. When the rain dragged into the second hour, Jimin even paused to towel dry V’s soaked hair mid-performance, a small, warm moment that went viral with fans watching online. V leaned into the chaos, turning the persistent rain into a spontaneous bit of performance: he laid flat on the waterlogged stage to mimic doing the breast stroke while delivering an impromptu rendition of their new comeback single, *Swim*.

    The show also marked a triumphant return to full performance for band leader RM, who tore a ligament in his ankle during rehearsal three weeks prior to the opening night. Though he performed from a stool during a promotional concert in Seoul last month, RM was back on his feet for the opening of the tour, which took place in his hometown. Still, to avoid straining his injury, he was carried around the stadium’s extended catwalks on a makeshift throne during a fan meet segment. Addressing the crowd’s concerns, he downplayed the injury: “It’s been three weeks [since the injury] so the doctor said I can perform. It’s not that big of a deal. We just wanted to give it our all today.”

    The extreme weather didn’t dim fan enthusiasm in the slightest. Eager attendees began lining up outside the stadium as early as 6:30 a.m. to claim the best viewing spots, huddling under umbrellas and sharing snacks and stories as lines snaked for blocks around the venue. Hundreds of fans without tickets even braved the downpour to gather outside the stadium gates just to listen to the performance and feel part of the moment.

    Musically, the opening night centered heavily on BTS’s new studio album *Arirang*, which weaves traditional Korean folk melody and mythology into the group’s signature experimental, high-energy pop sound. Almost every new track from the record made the setlist, opening with a dramatic entrance: a lone hooded figure ran onto the stage holding a red flare as 40,000 fans chanted “BTS” in unison, before the full band strode out to launch into *Hooligan*, an incendiary rap track that includes an ironic on-the-nose line from RM calling for “a bigger mop.”

    The night leaned into the grittier, rap-focused side of BTS’s discography, prioritizing hard-hitting tracks like *Mic Drop*, *Run BTS* and *FYA* over the softer melodic pop hits that first catapulted them to global fame. This shift gave the show an unrelenting, propulsive energy, with the septet running up and down the four compass-point catwalks extending from the central stage, backed by explosive pyrotechnics, flame walls and thousands of coordinated LED lights. After an opening sequence of rap-forward tracks, *Swim* brought a moody, sultrier energy, with choreography that underscored its core message of pushing through adversity in uncertain, choppy waters.

    A standout moment of the night was an unexpected performance of *Not Today*, the band’s anthemic track dedicated to “all the underdogs in the world.” As the group sang about fighting injustice and corruption, they were surrounded by dancers in hockey masks holding glowing fluorescent lights, creating an urgent, powerful tone that marked a clear shift from the carefree, high-production fun of their last world tour. Another noticeable change from previous tours was a reduction in tightly scripted, large-scale group choreography, with the band focusing more on interacting and energizing the crowd. While the wet stage likely played a role in this shift, it also gave the concert an raw, immediate intimacy that over-rehearsed, scripted shows often lack. The unplanned vibe culminated in an spontaneous moment toward the end of the night, when V and Jimin broke into an impromptu performance of the dance routine for their early hit *I Need U*, surprising and delighting their bandmates and capturing the easy, longstanding chemistry the group shares after all their years together.

    The main set closed with an extended version of *Idol*, the 2018 hit from *Love Yourself: Answer*, which saw the band walk along the edge of the stadium to interact with fans in the upper tiers as the entire crowd chanted the chorus in unison. The encore leaned into joy and nostalgia, pairing the upbeat English-language hits *Dynamite* and *Butter* with the fan-favorite 2019 track *Mikrokosmos*. Each member took a moment to share their reflections on the long-awaited comeback, with Jin calling the night an “unforgettable moment” and Jungkook saying he’d “made a good memory today.” Jimin laughed as he told the crowd, “I’m soaked down to my underwear, but the most important thing was getting to see you all. For four years, I couldn’t see you and it was tough, but it’s an honour that I got to see again.” RM summed up the night’s core feeling: “More than anything, having all seven of us together is what matters most.”

    The show wrapped with *Into The Sun*, a new track whose lyrical mantra “I’ll follow you into the sun” was written as a dedication to the band’s loyal global fanbase. The love between the group and their fans was fully mutual, with viewers of the official live stream sharing glowing reactions online. One viewer wrote, “Their voices are so strong now and they looked amazing, wet hair and all,” while others joked they should have bought a three-day pass to the stream, with one quipping “My wallet is crying” in reference to the pay-per-view fee.

    BTS is scheduled to play two more sold-out nights at Goyang Stadium, with 40,000 in-person tickets sold for each show. All tour dates are being streamed live on WeVerse, the social media platform owned by the group’s label Hybe (formerly Big Hit). Opening night alone drew more than four million paying live stream viewers worldwide, generating an estimated $168 million in stream revenue on just the first night.

    Industry analysts predict the Arirang World Tour will go down as one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time, with some projections suggesting it could even surpass the $2 billion haul of Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour. Even before that milestone, it is already set to be the largest world tour ever mounted by a South Korean band, with 85 shows scheduled across 34 cities worldwide. The tour will hit London in July for two shows at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, marking BTS’s first UK concerts since 2019, when they made history as the first K-pop act to headline Wembley Stadium.