← 16 May Saturday 17 May 2025 · to 23:59 UTC 18 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
10,279 stories about harm· Trends· Every past day

We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.

How to read these numbers →

The news turned to people displaced in Ukraine, protests in Tripoli (Libya) and people killed in Finland. Ukraine's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were about as usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 24 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostFinland 42 in 100 of its 59 stories, usually 21
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 41 in 100 of its stories, usually 37
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Conflict & violence

Ukraine

134 of its 329 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 7 times the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Ukraine over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

South Africa

109 of its 277 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (17 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Chad

12 of its 18 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

South Korea

38 of its 142 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of arrests ran at about 7 times the usual rate (13 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Israel

478 of its 687 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 60%. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Indonesia

31 of its 108 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Reports of arrests ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Russia

Moscow accounted for 91 of Russia's 138 stories about harm, carried by 186 outlets. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: outbreaks in Brazil (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); tornadoes in US (378 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); tornadoes in UK (11 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 19; 18 the day before
21 in 10017 in 10018 Apr25 Apr2 May9 May17 May18 Apr: 19 in 10019 Apr: 19 in 10020 Apr: 19 in 10021 Apr: 19 in 10022 Apr: 18 in 10023 Apr: 19 in 10024 Apr: 19 in 10025 Apr: 18 in 10026 Apr: 20 in 10027 Apr: 21 in 10028 Apr: 19 in 10029 Apr: 18 in 10030 Apr: 18 in 1001 May: 18 in 1002 May: 18 in 1003 May: 19 in 1004 May: 19 in 1005 May: 19 in 1006 May: 18 in 1007 May: 20 in 1008 May: 19 in 1009 May: 18 in 10010 May: 19 in 10011 May: 19 in 10012 May: 18 in 10013 May: 18 in 10014 May: 18 in 10015 May: 17 in 10016 May: 18 in 10017 May: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 17 May. The big dot is this day; the shaded band is a normal day (the 30 days before it). Click a day to open it. Based on 10,279 stories about harm among 52,208 counted on 17 May.

Read the day's briefing

Stories about people being harmed made up 20 in every 100 of the day's 52,208 stories, above the usual 19. On 17 May 2024, a year earlier, the share was 18 in every 100, against 20 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Israel70 in 100 of its 687 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine55 in 100 of its 185 stories · usually 60 · mostly conflict & violence Libya51 in 100 of its 65 stories · usually 44 · mostly conflict & violence Syria49 in 100 of its 80 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan42 in 100 of its 59 stories · usually 43 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US49 stories about protests or strikes, of its 309 London UK35 stories about protests or strikes, of its 199 Gaza Palestine23 stories about protests or strikes, of its 81 Los Angeles US23 stories about protests or strikes, of its 120 Manhattan US17 stories about protests or strikes, of its 59

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: about as warm as its own usual or lessZambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: too little coverage to readUnited States: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: about as warm as its own usual or lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: too little coverage to readTrinidad & Tobago: too little coverage to readTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: too little coverage to readTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomalia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: too little coverage to readSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: too little coverage to readSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: too little coverage to readNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: too little coverage to readLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: too little coverage to readLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: too little coverage to readJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessItaly: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: about as warm as its own usual or lessHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: too little coverage to readGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: too little coverage to readGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: too little coverage to readFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFiji: too little coverage to readEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: too little coverage to readCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte d'Ivoire: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta Rica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDR Congo: too little coverage to readCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: too little coverage to readChile: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: too little coverage to readCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: too little coverage to readCambodia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: too little coverage to readBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: too little coverage to readBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzerbaijan: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustralia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: too little coverage to readAlbania: too little coverage to readAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: about as warm as its own usual or lessWest Bank: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or lessCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: too little coverage to readLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: too little coverage to readNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readSyria: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualAbuja, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 32 stories, carried by 14 outletsWirksworth, UK -- conflict & violence: 19 stories, carried by 16 outletsCambridge, UK -- health: 13 stories, carried by 16 outletsSeoul, South Korea -- conflict & violence: 20 stories, carried by 19 outletsOnitsha, Nigeria -- disasters & accidents: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsDamascus, Syria -- conflict & violence: 23 stories, carried by 27 outletsVancouver, Canada -- disasters & accidents: 16 stories, carried by 25 outletsTexas, US -- health: 49 stories, carried by 51 outlets
Warmer than its own usual The warmest eventsAbout as warm or lessToo little news

Each country shaded by the warmth in its news — care, help, gratitude — against its own last 30 days. Stronger colour: further above. Dots: the events whose coverage carried the most warmth, even where the event itself began as harm. Warm words, not good outcomes. Click a country or a dot.

Warmest news

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Abuja Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 32 stories ● Wirksworth UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 19 stories ● Cambridge UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 13 stories ● Seoul South Korea about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 20 stories ● Onitsha Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 12 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice24% 2,408 stories · about as usual Health22% 2,210 stories · less than usual (usually 26%) Conflict & violence21% 2,114 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents19% 1,957 stories · more than usual (usually 16%) Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 508 stories · about as usual Shelter & services5% 488 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 209 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood2% 201 stories · about as usual

Of the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.

Harm reported 30 days →

Stories reporting people killed2,759 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,188 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,020 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured765 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions213 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Israel and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced116 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees116 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and South Africa Stories reporting evacuations48 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill12 at about the usual rate

Stories that report it, not people: we count what reporters wrote, not what happened.

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were about as usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout as usual
● Fearabout as usual

From the words reporters used across the whole day, never one story. Fear is the weakest of the four measures. How?

The weekly briefing · 19 Oct – 25 Oct

The week in human impact

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How to read these numbers →

These are counts of stories, not counts of suffering. Most of what happens to people is never reported at all.