← 17 May Monday 18 May 2026 · to 23:59 UTC 19 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
12,915 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 →

Illness in Bundibugyo, protests in Nairobi (Kenya) and people injured in Türkiye drew the news. Uganda's coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were harsher than usual.

Help and hope: reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · more than usual Country that rose mostUganda 75 in 100 of its 303 stories, usually 29
RegionSub-Saharan Africa 32 in 100 of its stories, usually 26
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Uganda

227 of its 303 stories (75%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Bundibugyo accounted for 154 of Uganda's 227 stories about harm, carried by 287 outlets. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (6 stories). Outbreaks were named in 202 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual, with hantavirus and haemorrhagic fever. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Uganda over 30 days → its stories → Bundibugyo stories →
Protests & strikes

Kenya

99 of its 284 stories (35%) were about people being harmed, usually 22%. Nairobi accounted for 64 of Kenya's 99 stories about harm, carried by 106 outlets. 41 of Nairobi's 64 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (16 stories).

Kenya over 30 days → its stories → Nairobi stories →
Conflict & violence

Türkiye

56 of its 170 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of people injured ran at about 9 times the usual rate (27 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Türkiye over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Israel

Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (85 stories). Flooding was named in 14 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

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

Romania

26 of its 134 stories (19%) were about people being harmed, usually 7%. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (5 stories). Hantavirus was named in 15 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with outbreaks. Anger in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

China

307 of its 1,687 stories (18%) were about people being harmed, usually 11%. Reports of evacuations ran at about 7 times the usual rate (13 stories). Earthquake was named in 43 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with flu, bird flu and norovirus. Grief in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

its stories →
Health

Maldives

48 of its 57 stories (84%) were about people being harmed, usually 27%. Vaavu Atoll accounted for 44 of the Maldives' 48 stories about harm, carried by 181 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (22 stories).

its stories →
Health

Congo

91 of its 98 stories (93%) were about people being harmed, usually 49%. Covid was named in 20 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

DR Congo

34 of its 36 stories (94%) were about people being harmed, usually 58%. Ituri accounted for 23 of the DR Congo's 34 stories about harm, carried by 80 outlets. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Netherlands

96 of its 233 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 25%. Rotterdam accounted for 53 of the Netherlands' 96 stories about harm, carried by 313 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (58 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: hantavirus in Romania (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); covid in Congo (20 of its stories, about three times its usual); earthquake in China (43 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); polio in Pakistan (14 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); covid in New Zealand (11 of its stories, about three times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 17; 19 the day before
19 in 10017 in 10019 Apr26 Apr3 May10 May18 May19 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 10018 May: 18 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 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 12,915 stories about harm among 69,931 counted on 18 May.

Read the day's briefing

The news turned to Uganda for the third day running. 18 in every 100 of the day's 69,931 news stories were about people being harmed, above the usual 17. On the side of help, reports of vaccination ran at about one and a half times the usual rate. Uganda stood out: 75% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 29%. A year earlier, on 18 May 2025, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 18 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Congo93 in 100 of its 98 stories · usually 49 · mostly health Maldives84 in 100 of its 57 stories · usually 27 · mostly health Uganda75 in 100 of its 303 stories · usually 29 · mostly health Lebanon64 in 100 of its 74 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Israel53 in 100 of its 663 stories · usually 50 · mostly rights & justice

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US74 stories about protests or strikes, of its 316 London UK47 stories about protests or strikes, of its 212 Nairobi Kenya41 stories about protests or strikes, of its 64 Delhi India34 stories about protests or strikes, of its 178 Tehran Iran31 stories about protests or strikes, of its 198

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: 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 lessTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: too little coverage to readTonga: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth 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 lessSpain: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: too little coverage to readSingapore: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSaudi 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: 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 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: 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: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: too little coverage to readMoldova: too little coverage to readMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: too little coverage to readMalta: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: 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: 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 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: too little coverage to readHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: too little coverage to readHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: too little coverage to readGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial 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: 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: too little coverage to readFaroe 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte 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: too little coverage to readColombia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readBulgaria: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAngola: 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 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 lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessJersey: 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: 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 readNorway: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualPalestine: warmth about its own usualOyo State, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 23 stories, carried by 15 outletsIbadan, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 14 stories, carried by 10 outletsOslo, Norway -- conflict & violence: 22 stories, carried by 29 outletsPennsylvania, US -- rights & justice: 11 stories, carried by 11 outletsCopenhagen, Denmark -- health: 12 stories, carried by 12 outletsBoise, US -- conflict & violence: 34 stories, carried by 127 outletsBristol, UK -- rights & justice: 24 stories, carried by 152 outletsDublin, Ireland -- health: 42 stories, carried by 27 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

● Oyo State Nigeria about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 23 stories ● Ibadan Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 14 stories ● Oslo Norway about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 22 stories ● Pennsylvania US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 11 stories ● Copenhagen Denmark about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health28% 3,608 stories · more than usual (usually 26%) Rights & justice24% 3,063 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 2,065 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence14% 1,764 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood6% 718 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 711 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 468 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 280 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 killed3,364 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,568 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,331 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured863 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions178 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Nigeria and Israel Stories reporting people displaced149 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations133 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees61 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill11 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Uganda

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 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

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.