← 21 Aug Saturday 22 August 2026 · to 23:59 UTC 23 Aug →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
7,645 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 →

Rights and justice in Fagersta, the drought in Belgium and people affected in Tunisia drew the news. Sweden's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Everywhere we counted, the words were harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 25 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostSweden 55 in 100 of its 85 stories, usually 17
RegionSoutheast Asia 27 in 100 of its stories, usually 24
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 →
Rights & justice

Sweden

47 of its 85 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Fagersta accounted for 34 of Sweden's 47 stories about harm, carried by 91 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at more than ten times the usual rate (41 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Belgium

22 of its 48 stories (46%) were about people being harmed, usually 17%. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (17 stories). Drought was named in 18 of its stories about harm, about 7 times usual, with heavy rain. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Ukraine

134 of its 234 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 43%. Kyiv accounted for 99 of Ukraine's 134 stories about harm, carried by 154 outlets. Reports of people affected ran at about 4 times the usual rate (53 stories). Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Myanmar

13 of its 19 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people injured ran at about twice the usual rate (8 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Conflict & violence

Russia

96 of its 218 stories (44%) were about people being harmed, usually 36%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (19 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Shelter & services

Cuba

43 of its 73 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 46%. Havana accounted for 20 of Cuba's 43 stories about harm, carried by 4 outlets.

Protests & strikes

Malawi

22 of its 66 stories (33%) were about people being harmed, usually 23%. 7 of Lilongwe's 12 stories were about protests or strikes.

Rights & justice

Nigeria

Reports of evacuations ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

Also named far more than usual: wildfires in Indonesia (14 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); flu in India (19 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); food poisoning in UK (12 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); avalanche in US (10 of its stories, about three times its usual).

19 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 20; 19 the day before
22 in 10018 in 10024 Jul31 Jul7 Aug14 Aug22 Aug24 Jul: 20 in 10025 Jul: 20 in 10026 Jul: 21 in 10027 Jul: 20 in 10028 Jul: 19 in 10029 Jul: 20 in 10030 Jul: 20 in 10031 Jul: 20 in 1001 Aug: 20 in 1002 Aug: 22 in 1003 Aug: 19 in 1004 Aug: 19 in 1005 Aug: 19 in 1006 Aug: 19 in 1007 Aug: 19 in 1008 Aug: 19 in 1009 Aug: 20 in 10010 Aug: 20 in 10011 Aug: 20 in 10012 Aug: 19 in 10013 Aug: 19 in 10014 Aug: 19 in 10015 Aug: 20 in 10016 Aug: 21 in 10017 Aug: 20 in 10018 Aug: 19 in 10019 Aug: 19 in 10020 Aug: 18 in 10021 Aug: 19 in 10022 Aug: 19 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 22 Aug. 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 7,645 stories about harm among 39,316 counted on 22 Aug.

Read the day's briefing

Sweden stood out: 55% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 17%. 19 in every 100 of the day's 39,316 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. For the second day running, the news turned to Sweden. Belgium's news mentioned the drought about 7 times as often as usual. A year earlier, on 22 August 2025, 18 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 19 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

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 lessVietnam: 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: near the world's share or lessUnited Kingdom: near the world's share or lessUnited Arab Emirates: near the world's share or lessUganda: near the world's share or lessTurkmenistan: near the world's share or lessTurkey: near the world's share or lessTrinidad & Tobago: near the world's share or lessTonga: near the world's share or lessTogo: no storiesTimor-Leste: no storiesTanzania: near the world's share or lessTajikistan: near the world's share or lessTaiwan: near the world's share or lessSwitzerland: 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 lessSouth Africa: 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 lessRwanda: 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 lessPeru: near the world's share or lessParaguay: near the world's share or lessPapua New Guinea: near the world's share or lessPanama: near the world's share or lessPalau: near the world's share or lessOman: near the world's share or lessNorway: near the world's share or lessNorth Korea: near the world's share or lessNicaragua: near the world's share or lessNew 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: no storiesMongolia: near the world's share or lessMoldova: no storiesMexico: near the world's share or lessMauritius: near the world's share or lessMauritania: no storiesMalta: near the world's share or lessMali: near the world's share or lessMalaysia: 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 lessLesotho: 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: near the world's share or lessKenya: 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 lessItaly: near the world's share or lessIreland: near the world's share or lessIraq: near the world's share or lessIndia: near the world's share or lessIceland: near the world's share or lessHungary: near the world's share or lessHonduras: 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: no storiesNew Caledonia: near the world's share or lessFrench 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: no storiesDjibouti: 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 lessCôte d'Ivoire: near the world's share or lessCosta Rica: near the world's share or lessComoros: no storiesChina: 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 lessCape Verde: near the world's share or lessCanada: near the world's share or lessCameroon: near the world's share or lessBurundi: no storiesBurkina 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: near the world's share or lessBhutan: near the world's share or lessBenin: near the world's share or lessBelize: 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: near the world's share or lessChagos Islands: no storiesSt. Helena: no storiesPitcairn: no storiesAnguilla: near the world's share or lessBermuda: near the world's share or lessBritish Virgin Islands: no storiesTurks & Caicos Islands: near the world's share or lessMontserrat: near the world's share or lessJersey: near the world's share or lessGuernsey: near the world's share or lessSan Marino: near the world's share or lessSt 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 lessMaldives: near the world's share or lessLiechtenstein: no storiesWallis & Futuna: no storiesSt. Martin: near the world's share or lessSt. Barthélemy: no storiesMacao: near the world's share or lessNorfolk Island: no storiesSint Maarten: no storiesChristmas Island: near the world's share or lessGibraltar: near the world's share or lessMayotte: no storiesUkraine: 57 in 100 of its 234 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Tunisia: 91 in 100 of its 23 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Thailand: 30 in 100 of its 96 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Syria: 43 in 100 of its 98 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Sweden: 55 in 100 of its 85 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Sudan: 55 in 100 of its 11 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Somalia: 38 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Russia: 44 in 100 of its 218 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Poland: 33 in 100 of its 27 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Philippines: 29 in 100 of its 254 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Pakistan: 38 in 100 of its 325 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Nigeria: 30 in 100 of its 822 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Niger: 50 in 100 of its 10 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Malawi: 33 in 100 of its 66 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Liberia: 54 in 100 of its 13 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Lebanon: 44 in 100 of its 34 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Latvia: 55 in 100 of its 11 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Israel: 50 in 100 of its 290 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Palestine: 52 in 100 of its 90 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Iran: 29 in 100 of its 392 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Indonesia: 33 in 100 of its 113 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Haiti: 43 in 100 of its 21 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Cuba: 59 in 100 of its 73 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Croatia: 69 in 100 of its 13 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)DR Congo: 86 in 100 of its 21 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Congo: 82 in 100 of its 22 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Colombia: 42 in 100 of its 24 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Central African Republic: 100 in 100 of its 4 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Cambodia: 50 in 100 of its 10 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Myanmar: 68 in 100 of its 19 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Bolivia: 67 in 100 of its 6 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Belgium: 46 in 100 of its 48 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Bangladesh: 33 in 100 of its 147 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Afghanistan: 52 in 100 of its 31 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Kashmir: 34 in 100 of its 95 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Palestine: 52 in 100 of its 90 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Palestine: 52 in 100 of its 90 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Kashmir: 34 in 100 of its 95 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Kashmir: 34 in 100 of its 95 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Ukraine: 57 in 100 of its 234 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Palestine: 52 in 100 of its 90 stories were about people being harmed (the world's: 19)Kashmir: 34 in 100 of its 95 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.

The day in three measures

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 · 19 Oct – 25 Oct

The week in human impact

Read the week →

Unlock a year of trends, free. Follow up to 5 countries, with a bell when their news changes, and 👍 vote for Pro — ten years of the archive, any period, daily alerts.

Create a free account

Sign in · a username, an email and a password.

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.