← 15 May Saturday 16 May 2026 · to 23:59 UTC 17 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
8,382 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 killed in Uganda and Rwanda and a disaster in Vaavu Atoll. Rwanda's coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were much harsher than usual.

Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Nigeria and Israel →
Part of lifeRights & justice 25 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostItaly 34 in 100 of its 408 stories, usually 13
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 34 in 100 of its stories, usually 25
Tone of the words Much harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Uganda

47 of its 94 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Reports of people killed ran at about 4 times the usual rate (34 stories). Illness was named in 36 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Uganda over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Rwanda

16 of its 30 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (11 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Rwanda over 30 days → its stories →
Shelter & services

Cuba

79 of its 156 stories (51%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Havana accounted for 60 of Cuba's 79 stories about harm, carried by 44 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (26 stories).

Cuba over 30 days → its stories → Havana stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Congo

41 of its 44 stories (93%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (36 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Italy

140 of its 408 stories (34%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (54 stories). Accidents were named in 21 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Disasters & accidents

Thailand

58 of its 127 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. Bangkok accounted for 45 of Thailand's 58 stories about harm, carried by 83 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (43 stories).

its stories →
Health

DR Congo

21 of its 21 stories (100%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Ituri accounted for 17 of the DR Congo's 21 stories about harm, carried by 62 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Russia

90 of its 227 stories (40%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (18 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

Gaza accounted for 46 of Palestine's 79 stories about harm, carried by 57 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about 4 times the usual rate (12 stories). Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: accidents in Italy (21 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hantavirus in Canada (27 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); meningitis in UK (14 of its stories, about 5 times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 17; 17 the day before
19 in 10017 in 10017 Apr24 Apr1 May8 May16 May17 Apr: 17 in 10018 Apr: 17 in 10019 Apr: 18 in 10020 Apr: 18 in 10021 Apr: 18 in 10022 Apr: 17 in 10023 Apr: 17 in 10024 Apr: 17 in 10025 Apr: 17 in 10026 Apr: 19 in 10027 Apr: 18 in 10028 Apr: 17 in 10029 Apr: 17 in 10030 Apr: 17 in 1001 May: 17 in 1002 May: 17 in 1003 May: 17 in 1004 May: 17 in 1005 May: 17 in 1006 May: 17 in 1007 May: 18 in 1008 May: 17 in 1009 May: 18 in 10010 May: 18 in 10011 May: 18 in 10012 May: 17 in 10013 May: 17 in 10014 May: 17 in 10015 May: 17 in 10016 May: 18 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 16 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 8,382 stories about harm among 46,491 counted on 16 May.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate, most often about Nigeria and Israel. of the day's 46,491 news stories, 18 in every 100 were about people being harmed, as usual. Canada's news mentioned hantavirus about 5 times as often as usual. Uganda's news was 50% about people being harmed, against a usual 25%. A year earlier, on 16 May 2025, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, the same as today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Lebanon63 in 100 of its 71 stories · usually 56 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine58 in 100 of its 136 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence Israel55 in 100 of its 494 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence Cuba51 in 100 of its 156 stories · usually 43 · mostly shelter & services Uganda50 in 100 of its 94 stories · usually 25 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

London UK71 stories about protests or strikes, of its 149 Washington US38 stories about protests or strikes, of its 218 Havana Cuba25 stories about protests or strikes, of its 60 Jerusalem Israel20 stories about protests or strikes, of its 41 Delhi India16 stories about protests or strikes, of its 118

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: too little coverage to readYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: too little coverage to readVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: too little coverage to readUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited 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: too little coverage to readIsle 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 lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: too little coverage to readTogo: too little coverage to readTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: 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: too little coverage to readSuriname: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. 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: too little coverage to readQatar: 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: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: too little coverage to readPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: 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: too little coverage to readNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: 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: too little coverage to readMalta: too little coverage to readMali: 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: too little coverage to readNorth 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: too little coverage to readLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: too little coverage to readLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: 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 lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: too little coverage to readIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: too little coverage to readHonduras: too little coverage to readHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: too little coverage to readGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: too little coverage to readEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEgypt: too little coverage to readEcuador: too little coverage to readDominican Republic: too little coverage to readDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: 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: too little coverage to readCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: about as warm as its own usual or lessColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: too little coverage to readMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: too little coverage to readBurkina Faso: too little coverage to readBulgaria: too little coverage to readBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: too little coverage to readBotswana: too little coverage to readBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: too little coverage to readBhutan: 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: too little coverage to readBarbados: 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: too little coverage to readAustria: 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: too little coverage to readAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: 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): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: too little coverage to readCook Islands: too little coverage to readAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: too little coverage to readMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readTürkiye: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualLagos, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 51 stories, carried by 25 outletsMinnesota, US -- disasters & accidents: 15 stories, carried by 13 outletsBerkshire, UK -- health: 15 stories, carried by 16 outletsOttawa, Canada -- disasters & accidents: 15 stories, carried by 37 outletsVancouver, Canada -- health: 17 stories, carried by 19 outletsSacramento, US -- disasters & accidents: 11 stories, carried by 21 outletsWirral, UK -- health: 16 stories, carried by 10 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

● Lagos Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 51 stories ● Minnesota US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 15 stories ● Berkshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 15 stories ● Ottawa Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 15 stories ● Vancouver Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 17 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice25% 2,062 stories · about as usual Health25% 2,034 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence17% 1,370 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 1,317 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 490 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood5% 421 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 358 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 169 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 killed2,133 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests974 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected835 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured649 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Israel Stories reporting abductions163 at about twice the usual rate · most about Nigeria and Israel Stories reporting people displaced112 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees49 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations46 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting people falling ill13 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 much harsher than 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 · 18 Oct – 24 Oct

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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.