Top stories, by evaluation weight
The same reporting behind our ratings, ranked by how much it moved our evaluation rather than by recency. State-self-reported sources are excluded from scoring; non-anglophone coverage is surfaced in translation. Every card links to its source.
621 stories, heaviest first - 0 on this page in translation
The execution campaign continued into August: 4 of the 12 Alikhani Square defendants have now been hanged with 8 awaiting, atop Amnesty's primary count of 52+ protest-related executions in 2026 after mass show trials. More than 30 countries jointly condemned the executions Aug 13; a diaspora-sourced aggregate of 916 executions in 2026 is secondhand, direction only.
Russia's summer offensive took 37.85 sq km in all of July at its highest monthly casualty rate of 2026, while Ukraine's Jan 29 - Aug 12 Oleksandrivka counteroffensive retook 26 settlements and ~745 sq km, a territorial claim corroborated by ISW and DeepState; the accompanying 9,550 Russian KIA figure is belligerent self-report, direction only. Ukraine's near-term conflict score stays floored.
Ukraine hit the Orsk refinery ~800 miles from the front on Aug 11-12, the fourth Russian refinery in three days, with Reuters estimating cumulative disruption of at least 17% of Russia's refining capacity and domestic gasoline shortages resulting. Russia's trade score worsened -7 to -8.
The Aug 13 $25B 30-year auction priced near 5.24%, the highest long-bond borrowing cost since 2001, with Barclays flagging that price-sensitive buyers now dominate and the same supply may need larger yield concessions to clear; Treasury signaled openness to adjusting issuance. A term-premium deterioration, not a one-day panic; fiscal worsened near -5 to -6.
No confirmed US or Israeli strike on Iranian soil after Trump scrubbed a threatened multi-day campaign late Aug 1, a 13-consecutive-night pause through Aug 12 verifiable by the absence of new CENTCOM releases. The first upward move in Iran's conflict score since the war began: near -9 to -8, with the blockade still enforced kinetically.
Saudi Bab el-Mandeb exports collapsed ~90% (1.3M barrels the week of Aug 3 vs 11M the week of July 20) while Sumed pipeline flows surged and Sidi Kerir Mediterranean exports more than doubled to ~2.3M bpd in August. Severe route loss met by real adaptive capacity, at ~$5/bbl and weeks of added voyage time for Asian buyers; Egypt's transit windfall extended.
The overnight Aug 11-12 sea-drone, jet-drone and Neptune strike on Novorossiysk killed three and halted two of Russia's largest grain terminals (a UGC loading gallery collapsed; Demetra suspended); up to a third of Russian grain exports transit the port. Wire-sourced with exile-press corroboration on casualties.
Abelardo de la Espriella was inaugurated Aug 7 in an orderly, unrest-free transfer held deliberately in Cali, pledging all-out war on narco-terrorism and fiscal austerity while inheriting a documented 8.1%-of-GDP deficit with the fiscal rule suspended; IAPA and FLIP flagged his 109-suit defamation history against journalists as a press-freedom warning. Stability improved -7 to -6 on the realized institutional pass; press freedom held pending conduct in office.
Khan passed three years in detention Aug 5 with Amnesty documenting denial of regular counsel access since December 2025, no family visits in 8+ months and reported health deterioration in solitary, while thousands of PTI supporters protested nationwide under heavy security. Sustained institutionalized suppression of the largest opposition bloc; score held, confidence up.
All three July 29 dissenters (Logan, Hammack, Kashkari) went public July 31 doubling down for an immediate hike against 3.5% headline CPI, Chair Warsh called the split 'a good family fight,' and Trump continued pressing for a big cut; July CPI (Aug 12) cooled marginally to 3.4% headline, 2.5% core. Visible internal fracture plus sustained political pressure; the score held with confidence up.
The July 28 M6.8 Kumamoto quake's toll climbed through the window (34 dead by July 31, other counts 39 dead and 170+ injured, ~300,000 evacuated, 800+ of 4,500 Hikawa homes destroyed or damaged), and Typhoon Dolphin hit Okinawa Aug 8 (5 injured, 14,000 buildings without power). Two dated catastrophe hits in one window; disaster insurance worsened -3 to -4.
Two ships including a US-owned gas storage tanker caught fire in Damietta port July 29; Egypt's preliminary investigation points to a drone and Trump blamed Iran (attribution unconfirmed). The first strike on Egyptian soil, at a Mediterranean port, against an active mediator: drove Egypt conflict near -4 to -6.
Overnight into July 30 Russia fired dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles plus hundreds of drones, killing at least 8 including a 6-year-old girl, with damage in Kyiv, Lviv and the west; coverage ties the lethality to Ukraine's critical shortage of Western anti-ballistic interceptors. Mid-window cross-strikes killed dozens more, including 12 at a Kyrylivka holiday camp in occupied Zaporizhzhia (attribution partly via Russian-installed officials, flagged). Ukraine conflict held at the near -10 floor.
A likely Russian Kh-101 cruise missile crossed ~100 km into Polish airspace during the July 30 barrage and crashed near Tarnawa-Kolonia, Lublin, leaving a 10m crater with no casualties; an F-16 was scrambled and Tusk blamed Moscow within hours. Warsaw deliberately did NOT invoke Article 4 (it had for the smaller 2025 drone incursion) and President Duda cautioned evidence was not yet conclusive. Drove Poland conflict -5 to -6.
During Russia's July 29-30 mass strike on Ukraine (74 missiles, 284 drones), a Kh-101 manufactured in Q2 2026 crossed into Poland and left a 10m crater near Tarnawa-Kolonia, ~50km from Lublin, without casualties; Warsaw summoned Russia's ambassador and NATO consulted without a formal Article 4 invocation for this event. The invoked-Article-4 coverage in circulation dates to the September 2025 drone incident, a different event.
Iran publicly hanged two protesters, Abolfazl Sepahi and Amir Safari, in Isfahan July 28, among at least 12 young men sentenced to death over the January protest deaths; crowds reportedly tried to stop the hangings and fresh vigils followed. Amnesty counts at least 52 protest-related executions in 2026; the UN urged a halt July 23. Civil liberties held at -9 with confidence up.
The FOMC held 3.50-3.75% on a 9-3 vote July 29 with Hammack, Kashkari and Logan dissenting FOR a 25bp hike, the statement calling inflation 'elevated'; markets now price two 2026 hikes. The Dow fell 1,153 (worst day since April 2025), the S&P dropped 1.52% and the 30-year Treasury hit 5.24% intraday, its highest since 2007. Drove US inflation -4 to -5.
Trump said July 28 he 'does not care about' USMCA as talks proceed, after the Section 338 order was specified at 50% on 554 tariff lines (~$20B, effective Aug 19, energy and critical minerals exempt); a reported further 35%-immediate tariff on non-USMCA goods is single-sourced, direction only. Drove US trade near -6 to -7, Canada trade near -6 to -7 and Canada alliance -3 to -4.
Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo resigned without explanation July 27, weeks after aggressive tightening, with Senior Deputy Destry Damayanti named acting governor; Reuters frames the succession as a test of central-bank independence under Prabowo. Multiply corroborated (Reuters, Jakarta Post, Tempo, CNA): drove Indonesia monetary independence 5 to 3.
A Houthi barrage of dozens of missiles and drones hit Aramco facilities at Jizan and Yanbu July 25, setting the ~400,000 bpd Jizan refinery (~4% of Aramco liquids) ablaze, with expanding fires confirmed by OSINT satellite review; Brent surged back above $100 in weekend trading. Claimed as retaliation for the July 24 coalition strikes on Hodeidah. Drove Saudi trade near -7 to -8.
The EU adopted its 21st Russia package July 23, the day the one-week freeze expired: the oil cap was frozen at $44.10 for a year (blocking the floating recalculation that would have LIFTED it toward ~$58), LNG-tanker transfer controls added, 41 more shadow-fleet vessels banned (including the first listings of ships that service them), cargo-confiscation powers created, and 48 individuals plus 168 entities frozen. The carry-forward question resolved as a tightening: Russia fiscal near held -4.
Saudi oil tankers bound for China and India U-turned after Houthi warnings; refiners began rerouting Saudi Red Sea crude via Suez/around Africa as the Houthis warned all ships against Saudi ports. Blockade moved from declaration to enforcement: drove Saudi trade near -6 to -7.
US District Judge Jia Cobb concluded the administration's National Guard 'military takeover' of Washington DC was illegal and ordered it ended - reversing the 2029 pre-commitment that had held US rule_of_law at -6. Eased -6 to -5 (appeal/stay expected; the score credits the check without pre-scoring full compliance).
US combat deaths reached 17 (430+ wounded) after Iran struck Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti air base July 17, killing two US service members defending it. Realized US casualties in a sustained air campaign: drove US conflict near -5 to -6 and Jordan conflict -6 to -7.
The EU's General Affairs Council formally opened Cluster 6 (External Relations) for both Ukraine and Moldova on July 14, unanimously agreed by all 27 after Hungary's procedural block was lifted July 10 - the step the prior pass declined to pre-score is done. Drove Ukraine alliance near 2 to 3 and Moldova near/long 2 to 3.
Russia's border service halted Kerch Strait shipping applications from July 10 and suspended Don-Azov Canal passage under Ukraine's Azov shadow-fleet drone campaign - the traffic halt independently corroborated even though Ukrainian vessel tallies (76-105 struck) are self-reported. Up to a quarter of Russian wheat exports transit the Azov. Drove Russia trade -6 to -7.
BOOKED LATE: Constitution Amendment No. 3 (signed July 7) abolished direct presidential elections in favour of a parliamentary vote and extended presidential, parliamentary and local terms from five to seven years, keeping Mnangagwa in office to 2030; nationwide police deployments were announced July 29 ahead of July 31 protest calls driven by Job Sikhala's new movement. Drove rule of law -7 to -8 and political stability -5 to -6; the protest outcome carries forward.
Back-to-back M7.5/M7.2 quakes struck La Guaira/Caracas June 24-25; independently tracked toll passed 3,500 dead / 16,400+ injured by July 7. Drove Venezuela fiscal_state near -7 -> -8, social_cohesion -6 -> -7, civil_service_capacity -6 -> -7.
Vucic resigned to run for PM in the Oct 25 snap election and launched his campaign Oct 4 framing the student-led anti-corruption movement as foreign-backed. The election is on track with no fresh major clashes in-window.
The Houthi military spokesman declared an immediate maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia July 20, retaliation for the 12-year Yemen war and the first major Houthi-Saudi rupture since the 2022 truce, threatening Red Sea crude flows. Drove Saudi conflict near -5 to -6 and held Yemen conflict at the -10 floor (truce-ending).
Iran's retaliation wave struck six Gulf/Levant states, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar (3 injured, a fighter-jet maintenance center destroyed per IRGC claims, flagged); Qatar held Iran fully legally responsible. Drove Qatar conflict near -6 to -7, Kuwait near -7 to -8, Bahrain near -7 to -8, Jordan -5 to -6.
On July 7 IRGC-attributed strikes hit a Qatari LNG carrier and a Saudi-flagged tanker near Oman, and Trump said 'finish the job' - underscoring that the June ceasefire is repeatedly reversible even as Hormuz volumes had recovered. Iran conflict near -6 -> -7 (positive skew retained).
An ICE agent fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during a July 7 Houston operation; van riders dispute the agency's account, agents wore no body cameras, and FBI/DHS-OIG/DA probes opened amid multi-day protests. US treatment_non_citizens held at -8; civil_liberties held at -5.
On July 9 Iran fired missiles/drones at Jordan's Azraq base and struck/targeted sites in Kuwait (Ali Al Salem), Bahrain (5th Fleet area) and Qatar (early-warning system) in retaliation for US strikes; the GCC and Saudi Arabia formally condemned the attacks. Fed the Saudi and Qatar conflict downgrades.
Russia banned diesel exports through July 31 (on top of gasoline/jet-fuel bans) and began importing fuel after Ukrainian refinery strikes triggered shortages; European diesel margins spiked to a record ~$60/bbl. Drove Russia monetary_independence -3 to -4.
Ukrainian deep-strike drones knocked out 20%+ of Russian refining capacity; 55 of 83 federal subjects imposed fuel restrictions and Putin conceded shortages June 29. Drove Russia monetary_independence -1 -> -3.
A general election was held Oct 4 amid Dodik and SNSD separatist pressure and an EU-accession process stalled by internal blockades. The vote proceeded; the separatist overhang holds the stability score at its current level.
The IMF executive board approved a $1.9bn 36-month Extended Fund Facility on Oct 2, releasing $214m up front, anchoring a reform path after the currency and fuel crisis.
Lecornu's minority government tabled a 2027 draft budget with roughly 54bn euros of consolidation against public debt at 119% of GDP, with passage fragile ahead of a mid-November vote and bond yields elevated.
The IMF completed two reviews under the $1.4bn program and released about $138m on Oct 1, confirming the fiscal path is on track.