← 16 May Sunday 17 May 2026 · to 23:59 UTC 18 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
7,128 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 →

Most of the day's attention went to illness in Bundibugyo, violence in Moscow and a disaster in Bangkok. Russia's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Across the world, the tone of the words was much harsher than usual.

Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 26 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostUganda 79 in 100 of its 200 stories, usually 26
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 35 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

158 of its 200 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Bundibugyo accounted for 132 of Uganda's 158 stories about harm, carried by 429 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 8 times the usual rate (134 stories). Outbreaks were named in 147 of its stories about harm, about 9 times usual, with covid. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Uganda over 30 days → its stories → Bundibugyo stories →
Conflict & violence

Russia

190 of its 321 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Moscow accounted for 172 of Russia's 190 stories about harm, carried by 396 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 7 times the usual rate (141 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Russia over 30 days → its stories → Moscow stories →
Rights & justice

Italy

92 of its 310 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (44 stories). Accidents were named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

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

Congo

43 of its 45 stories (96%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (38 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

DR Congo

41 of its 45 stories (91%) were about people being harmed, usually 52%. Ituri accounted for 31 of the DR Congo's 41 stories about harm, carried by 90 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Rwanda

14 of its 27 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (10 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Nigeria

279 of its 929 stories (30%) were about people being harmed, usually 24%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (9 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Bolivia

7 of its 12 stories (58%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. 4 of la Paz's 4 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Palestine

Gaza accounted for 44 of Palestine's 63 stories about harm, carried by 46 outlets. Reports of abductions ran at about twice the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hantavirus in Canada (47 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); road crashes in Ireland (17 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); hepatitis in US (32 of its stories, about 4 times its usual).

19 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 17; 18 the day before
19 in 10017 in 10018 Apr25 Apr2 May9 May17 May18 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 10017 May: 19 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 7,128 stories about harm among 38,205 counted on 17 May.

Read the day's briefing

In Uganda, 79% of the news was about people being harmed, where 26% is usual. Stories about people being harmed made up 19 in every 100 of the day's 38,205 stories, above the usual 17. Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about twice the usual rate. For the second day running, the news turned to Uganda. Uganda's news mentioned outbreaks about 9 times as often as usual.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Uganda79 in 100 of its 200 stories · usually 26 · mostly health Lebanon62 in 100 of its 63 stories · usually 57 · mostly conflict & violence Russia59 in 100 of its 321 stories · usually 30 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine59 in 100 of its 107 stories · usually 55 · mostly conflict & violence Thailand54 in 100 of its 81 stories · usually 21 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

London UK38 stories about protests or strikes, of its 128 Washington US37 stories about protests or strikes, of its 166 Tehran Iran17 stories about protests or strikes, of its 116 Jerusalem Israel14 stories about protests or strikes, of its 68 Moscow Russia14 stories about protests or strikes, of its 172

Stories, not people.

Where harm was most of the news

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: near the world's share or lessZambia: near the world's share or lessYemen: near the world's share or lessVenezuela: near the world's share or lessVanuatu: near the world's share or lessUzbekistan: near the world's share or lessUruguay: near the world's share or lessMicronesia: no storiesU.S. Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessGuam: near the world's share or lessPuerto Rico: near the world's share or lessUnited States: near the world's share or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: no storiesFalkland Islands: no storiesCayman Islands: near the world's share or lessIsle of Man: no storiesUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTurkey: near the world's share or lessTunisia: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: near the world's share or lessTimor-Leste: no storiesTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: no storiesTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: near the world's share or lessSweden: near the world's share or lessEswatini: no storiesSuriname: near the world's share or lessSouth Sudan: near the world's share or lessSri Lanka: near the world's share or lessSpain: near the world's share or lessSouth Korea: near the world's share or lessSomalia: near the world's share or lessSomaliland: no storiesSolomon Islands: near the world's share or lessSlovakia: near the world's share or lessSlovenia: near the world's share or lessSingapore: near the world's share or lessSierra Leone: near the world's share or lessSeychelles: near the world's share or lessSerbia: no storiesSenegal: near the world's share or lessSaudi Arabia: near the world's share or lessSão Tomé: no storiesSamoa: near the world's share or lessSt Vincent: near the world's share or lessSt. Lucia: near the world's share or lessRomania: near the world's share or lessQatar: near the world's share or lessPortugal: near the world's share or lessPoland: near the world's share or lessParaguay: no storiesPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPalau: no storiesOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNiger: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: no storiesNew Zealand: near the world's share or lessNiue: no storiesNetherlands: near the world's share or lessCuraçao: no storiesNepal: near the world's share or lessNamibia: near the world's share or lessMozambique: near the world's share or lessMorocco: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara: no storiesMontenegro: near the world's share or lessMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: near the world's share or lessMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: near the world's share or lessMalta: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: near the world's share or lessMalawi: near the world's share or lessMadagascar: near the world's share or lessNorth Macedonia: near the world's share or lessLuxembourg: near the world's share or lessLithuania: near the world's share or lessLibya: near the world's share or lessLiberia: near the world's share or lessLesotho: near the world's share or lessLatvia: near the world's share or lessLaos: near the world's share or lessKyrgyzstan: near the world's share or lessKuwait: near the world's share or lessKosovo: no storiesKiribati: no storiesKenya: near the world's share or lessKazakhstan: near the world's share or lessJordan: near the world's share or lessJapan: near the world's share or lessJamaica: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIndonesia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: no storiesHaiti: near the world's share or lessGuyana: near the world's share or lessGuinea-Bissau: no storiesGuinea: near the world's share or lessGuatemala: near the world's share or lessGrenada: near the world's share or lessGreece: near the world's share or lessGhana: near the world's share or lessGermany: near the world's share or lessGeorgia: near the world's share or lessGambia: near the world's share or lessGabon: near the world's share or lessFrance: near the world's share or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: no storiesFrench Polynesia: near the world's share or lessNew Caledonia: no storiesFrench Southern Territories: no storiesÅland Islands: no storiesFinland: near the world's share or lessFiji: near the world's share or lessEthiopia: near the world's share or lessEstonia: near the world's share or lessEritrea: near the world's share or lessEquatorial Guinea: near the world's share or lessEl Salvador: near the world's share or lessEgypt: near the world's share or lessEcuador: near the world's share or lessDominican Republic: near the world's share or lessDominica: near the world's share or lessDjibouti: near the world's share or lessGreenland: near the world's share or lessFaroe Islands: no storiesDenmark: near the world's share or lessCzech Republic: near the world's share or lessN. Cyprus: no storiesCyprus: near the world's share or lessCroatia: near the world's share or lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessComoros: near the world's share or lessChina: near the world's share or lessHong Kong: near the world's share or lessChile: near the world's share or lessChad: near the world's share or lessCentral African Republic: near the world's share or lessCape Verde: near the world's share or lessCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessMyanmar: near the world's share or lessBurundi: near the world's share or lessBurkina Faso: near the world's share or lessBulgaria: near the world's share or lessBrunei: near the world's share or lessBrazil: near the world's share or lessBotswana: near the world's share or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: no storiesBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: near the world's share or lessBelgium: near the world's share or lessBelarus: near the world's share or lessBarbados: near the world's share or lessBahrain: near the world's share or lessBahamas: near the world's share or lessAzerbaijan: near the world's share or lessAustria: near the world's share or lessAustralia: near the world's share or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: no storiesArmenia: near the world's share or lessArgentina: near the world's share or lessAntigua & Barbuda: near the world's share or lessAngola: near the world's share or lessAndorra: no storiesAlgeria: near the world's share or lessAlbania: near the world's share or lessAksai Chin: near the world's share or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): no storiesWestern Sahara (Free Zone): no storiesVatican City: near the world's share or lessMarshall Islands: near the world's share or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: no storiesAmerican Samoa: no storiesChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: near the world's share or lessAnguilla: no storiesBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: near the world's share or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: no storiesMontserrat: no storiesJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: no storiesSt Kitts & Nevis: near the world's share or lessCook Islands: near the world's share or lessAruba: near the world's share or lessNauru: no storiesMonaco: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: no storiesWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: no storiesSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: no storiesGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesVietnam: 29 in 100 of its 58 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Ukraine: 35 in 100 of its 60 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Uganda: 79 in 100 of its 200 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Thailand: 54 in 100 of its 81 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Syria: 32 in 100 of its 41 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Sudan: 56 in 100 of its 18 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)South Africa: 30 in 100 of its 222 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Rwanda: 52 in 100 of its 27 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Russia: 59 in 100 of its 321 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Philippines: 29 in 100 of its 265 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Peru: 41 in 100 of its 17 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Panama: 60 in 100 of its 10 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Pakistan: 35 in 100 of its 314 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Nigeria: 30 in 100 of its 929 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Lebanon: 62 in 100 of its 63 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Italy: 30 in 100 of its 310 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Israel: 48 in 100 of its 507 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 107 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Iraq: 36 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Iran: 31 in 100 of its 624 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)India: 24 in 100 of its 3,067 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Cuba: 47 in 100 of its 129 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)DR Congo: 91 in 100 of its 45 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Congo: 96 in 100 of its 45 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Colombia: 43 in 100 of its 21 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Cambodia: 36 in 100 of its 28 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Bolivia: 58 in 100 of its 12 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Bangladesh: 29 in 100 of its 150 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Afghanistan: 39 in 100 of its 56 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Kashmir: 33 in 100 of its 69 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 107 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 107 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Kashmir: 33 in 100 of its 69 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Kashmir: 33 in 100 of its 69 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Ukraine: 35 in 100 of its 60 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Palestine: 59 in 100 of its 107 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Kashmir: 33 in 100 of its 69 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Maldives: 50 in 100 of its 10 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)
A quarter or more above the world's share Near the world's or lessNo stories

Each country shaded by how much of its news was about people being harmed, against the world's 19 in 100 that day. Stronger colour: further above. A country with few stories is drawn closer to the world's. Click a country.

Most of its news about harm

● Uganda 79 in 100 of its 200 stories · mostly health ● Russia 59 in 100 of its 321 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Palestine 59 in 100 of its 107 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Israel 48 in 100 of its 507 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Lebanon 62 in 100 of its 63 stories · mostly conflict & violence ● Thailand 54 in 100 of its 81 stories · mostly disasters & accidents

Stories, not people. Countries with at least 50 stories.

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health26% 1,825 stories · about as usual Rights & justice23% 1,644 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence17% 1,220 stories · more than usual (usually 15%) Disasters & accidents16% 1,110 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given7% 470 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood5% 324 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 271 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 134 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 killed2,015 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Russia Stories reporting arrests770 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected684 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured668 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Russia Stories reporting abductions135 at about twice the usual rate · most about Nigeria and Israel Stories reporting evacuations65 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting people displaced57 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Nigeria and Israel Stories reporting refugees32 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill9 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and the UK

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
● Griefa little more than 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

Read the week →

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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.