← 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 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: too little coverage to readVanuatu: too little coverage to readUzbekistan: 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: too little coverage to readTurkey: 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: too little coverage to readSlovakia: 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: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: 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: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: too little coverage to readPanama: 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: too little coverage to readNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: too little coverage to readNew Zealand: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: too little coverage to readMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: 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: 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: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: too little coverage to readKuwait: 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: 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 lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: too little coverage to readIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: too little coverage to readHaiti: too little coverage to readGuyana: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican 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: too little coverage to readN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: too little coverage to readCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: too little coverage to readDR 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: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: too little coverage to readBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAngola: too little coverage to readAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: too little coverage to readAlbania: 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): 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessAnguilla: 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: too little coverage to readGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: 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: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readSpain: warmth about its own usualNetherlands: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMalaysia: warmth about its own usualIbadan, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 22 stories, carried by 14 outletsAmsterdam, Netherlands -- conflict & violence: 11 stories, carried by 14 outletsWellington, New Zealand -- rights & justice: 20 stories, carried by 12 outletsNew York, US -- health: 48 stories, carried by 40 outletsIslamabad, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 41 stories, carried by 20 outletsMinnesota, US -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 13 outletsLagos, Nigeria -- conflict & violence: 27 stories, carried by 18 outletsOttawa, Canada -- health: 11 stories, carried by 23 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

● Netherlands warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Ibadan Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 22 stories ● Amsterdam Netherlands about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 11 stories ● Wellington New Zealand about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 20 stories ● New York US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 48 stories ● Islamabad Pakistan about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 41 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 · 18 Oct – 24 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.