← 20 May Thursday 21 May 2026 · to 23:59 UTC 22 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
14,519 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 protests in Ashdod (Israel), illness in Bundibugyo and violence in Havana. Cuba's coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was much softer than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 28 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostUganda 65 in 100 of its 253 stories, usually 42
RegionLatin America & Caribbean 27 in 100 of its stories, usually 24
Tone of the words Much softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Israel

470 of its 788 stories (60%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Ashdod accounted for 198 of Israel's 470 stories about harm, carried by 172 outlets. 138 of Ashdod's 198 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (125 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's.

Israel over 30 days → its stories → Ashdod stories →
Health

Uganda

164 of its 253 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 42%. Bundibugyo accounted for 107 of Uganda's 164 stories about harm, carried by 143 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

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

Cuba

241 of its 465 stories (52%) were about people being harmed, usually 45%. Havana accounted for 143 of Cuba's 241 stories about harm, carried by 229 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (181 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as angry as the world's. Grief in its coverage rose to about twice its own usual.

Cuba over 30 days → its stories → Havana stories →
Disasters & accidents

Morocco

23 of its 85 stories (27%) were about people being harmed, usually 19%. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (10 stories). Building collapse was named in 10 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

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

Congo

77 of its 101 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Alima accounted for 24 of Congo's 77 stories about harm, carried by 172 outlets. Malaria was named in 11 of its stories about harm, about 6 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Health

France

167 of its 772 stories (22%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (84 stories). Plane crash was named in 25 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Honduras

11 of its 17 stories (65%) were about people being harmed, usually 26%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (10 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.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Bolivia

18 of its 32 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 38%. la Paz accounted for 15 of Bolivia's 18 stories about harm, carried by 15 outlets. 13 of la Paz's 15 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Portugal

23 of its 91 stories (25%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (5 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Pakistan

177 of its 477 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 29%. Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Egypt (13 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); covid in Singapore (13 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); plane crash in France (25 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); malaria in Congo (11 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); diphtheria in Australia (31 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

18 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 17; 17 the day before
19 in 10017 in 10022 Apr29 Apr6 May13 May21 May22 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 10019 May: 18 in 10020 May: 17 in 10021 May: 18 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 21 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 14,519 stories about harm among 82,230 counted on 21 May.

Read the day's briefing

Egypt's news mentioned the earthquake more than ten times as often as usual. 18 in every 100 of the day's 82,230 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Israel, 60% of the news was about people being harmed, where 51% is usual. A year earlier, on 21 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 →

Congo76 in 100 of its 101 stories · usually 63 · mostly health Uganda65 in 100 of its 253 stories · usually 42 · mostly health Lebanon63 in 100 of its 95 stories · usually 58 · mostly conflict & violence Israel60 in 100 of its 788 stories · usually 51 · mostly rights & justice Cuba52 in 100 of its 465 stories · usually 45 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Ashdod Israel138 stories about protests or strikes, of its 198 Washington US115 stories about protests or strikes, of its 444 Havana Cuba40 stories about protests or strikes, of its 143 Chicago US37 stories about protests or strikes, of its 139 London UK29 stories about protests or strikes, of its 193

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: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: too little coverage to readPuerto 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: 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-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: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: 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 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: too little coverage to readSerbia: 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: 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: too little coverage to readPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: too little coverage to readPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readOman: too little coverage to readNorway: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Korea: too little coverage to readNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: too little coverage to readNicaragua: 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: 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: too little coverage to readNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: 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 lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: 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: 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: too little coverage to readIsrael: 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: 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: too little coverage to readGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: about as warm as its own usual or lessFrance: 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: 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta 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: 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: 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: 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: 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: too little coverage to readAustralia: 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 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 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern 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: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk 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 readUkraine: warmth about its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualPakistan: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about one and a half times its own usualItaly: warmth about its own usualIndonesia: warmth about its own usualUkraine: warmth about its own usualNorth Waziristan, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 16 stories, carried by 12 outletsOgbomoso, Nigeria -- rights & justice: 14 stories, carried by 12 outletsWisconsin, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 16 outletsVirginia, US -- health: 19 stories, carried by 18 outletsManipur, India -- conflict & violence: 13 stories, carried by 11 outletsRome, Italy -- conflict & violence: 20 stories, carried by 24 outletsAbuja, Nigeria -- food & livelihood: 45 stories, carried by 23 outletsIslamabad, Pakistan -- conflict & violence: 61 stories, carried by 32 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

● Lebanon warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● North Waziristan Pakistan about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 16 stories ● Ogbomoso Nigeria about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 14 stories ● Wisconsin US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Virginia US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 19 stories ● Manipur India about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 13 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health28% 3,962 stories · about as usual Rights & justice26% 3,752 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents16% 2,263 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence11% 1,634 stories · less than usual (usually 15%) Food & livelihood6% 921 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given5% 756 stories · about as usual Shelter & services4% 585 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 346 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 killed3,457 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,764 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,385 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured671 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and India Stories reporting abductions148 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced117 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Israel and Lebanon Stories reporting evacuations117 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Ghana Stories reporting refugees97 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the UK and Ukraine Stories reporting people falling ill17 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and Argentina

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 softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little less than 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

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.