howsthe.world

News from Oct 28, 2026 (UTC)

How's the world?Upbeat

47 of 186 countries were below their usual, 70 above.

World news mood was upbeat today, with 70 of 186 countries covered above their usual tone and 47 below. The sharpest drops came in Cyprus, Spain and Brazil, where coverage was much worse than usual; Spain's reports included a high-speed train collision that killed dozens and violent clashes in Bilbao, while Brazil's included Lula's election win and new evidence of police misconduct in a deadly raid. Iraq and Israel saw the biggest rises, with coverage much better than usual, including Iraq's prime minister visiting Damascus and Israel's inconclusive election. France and Malaysia remained below their usual tone for many days.

Written by AI from the stories below.

  • TenseWorse than usual
  • UneasyA little worse than usual
  • SteadyAbout usual
  • CalmA little better than usual
  • UpbeatBetter than usual
  • No data

Each colour compares a country's news with its own usual.

Biggest drops

  1. CyprusTense. Much worse than usual.

    Syria and Cyprus discuss strengthening their political and economic ties.

    3 eventssana.sySource

  2. SpainTense. Much worse than usual.

    Two high-speed trains collided in Spain, killing dozens of people.

    91 eventstheage.com.au, dw.com, en.mercopress.comSource

  3. BrazilTense. Much worse than usual.

    Flávio Bolsonaro left Brazil for the US after losing the presidential election to Lula, and US visas are set to be issued.

    125 eventsbarryanddistrictnews.co.uk, consortiumnews.com, moneycontrol.comSource

Biggest rises

  1. IraqUpbeat. Much better than usual.

    Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi visited Syria and met President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus.

    68 eventsaljazeera.com, sana.sy, omanobserver.omSource

  2. IsraelUpbeat. Much better than usual.

    Israel's election shows no clear winner as exit polls suggest deadlock and Netanyahu's future is uncertain.

    106 eventswknofm.org, reflector.com, the-sun.comSource

Below usual the longest

  1. FranceSteady. Below usual for 12 days.

    Paris braces for more unrest as riots reshape the city's streets.

    12 eventslatimes.comSource

  2. MalaysiaUneasy. Below usual for 9 days.

    A senior police officer was jailed seven years and six months over a student's death.

    18 eventsthestar.com.mySource