Riftrate · 5–11 October 2026 and the 3 weeks before
The week in world tension: 5–11 October 2026
In week 41 of 2026 (5–11 October 2026), Riftrate averaged 56.8 (Tension), up 11.1 points from the week before. It peaked at 65.5 on 11 October 2026.
Average56.8Tension
Vs the week before▲ +11.1average to average
High65.511 October 2026
Low50.65 October 2026
The week in brief
The signals that moved most: escalation momentum (▲ +30.4) and media tone (▲ +27.6). Most intense: Yemen (35.2%), Gaza and the West Bank (30.9%), Saudi Arabia (18.8%). Biggest riser: Saudi Arabia, up 7.0 points to 18.8% of its news about armed violence. Market risk at the end of the week: energy supply 96 (▲ +11.1), oil shipping routes 96 (▲ +5.2), major economies 77 (▲ +23.3).
Day by daythe daily briefs
| Day | Riftrate | Top story |
|---|---|---|
| 6 October 2026 | 50.4 | Rubio calls on Russia to be more open about plague lab worker's death |
| 7 October 2026 | 52.1 | Israel marks three years since October 7 attack ahead of elections |
| 8 October 2026 | 53.6 | At least 33 people killed in strikes on Ukrainian public buses |
| 9 October 2026 | 54.9 | US sanctions the International Criminal Court hours after a former judge wins the Nobel Peace Prize |
| 10 October 2026 | 61.9 | Trump says Ukraine needs a new leader after diesel deal with Russia |
| 11 October 2026 | 66.0 | Riyadh airport strikes claimed by Yemen's Houthi day after deadliest attack in Saudi soil in ten years |
Frequently asked questions
How tense was the world in week 41 of 2026?
Riftrate, the index of world tension from 0 (calm) to 100 (crisis), averaged 56.8 (Tension) from 5–11 October 2026, up 11.1 points from the week before.
Which countries were most tense in week 41 of 2026?
Yemen (35.2% of its news about armed violence), Gaza and the West Bank (30.9% of its news about armed violence), Saudi Arabia (18.8% of its news about armed violence).