26 Million Text Messages Can't Be Wrong

Reuters reports over 26.4 million people sent text messages in support of Live 8, a worldwide campaign to cancel the debt of the world's poorest countries. The event obliterated the previous record of 5.8 million text messages set by an episode of American Idol.

Irish singer Bob Geldof and U2 frontman Bono have found support from World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz for the measure. The BBC reports finance ministers from the world's richest countries, grouped together in the G-8, agreed Saturday to cancel US$40 billion (euro33 billion) worth of debt owed by 18 of the world's poorest nations, most of them in Africa. Much of the canceled debt was owed to international institutions such as the World Bank.

At the same time, AOL.com also claimed a world record, saying that more than 5 million logged on globally to watch streamed video of the concerts, making it the biggest streaming event ever.