Riftrate · 19–25 October 2026 and the 3 weeks before
The week in world tension: 19–25 October 2026
In week 43 of 2026 (19–25 October 2026), Riftrate averaged 64.6 (Tension), down 8.4 points from the week before. It peaked at 70.3 on 19 October 2026.
Average64.6Tension
Vs the week before▼ −8.4average to average
High70.319 October 2026
Low60.725 October 2026
The week in brief
The signals that moved most: economic coercion (▼ −33.1) and escalation momentum (▼ −19.6). Most intense: Yemen (33.0%), Gaza and the West Bank (30.1%), Saudi Arabia (18.9%). Biggest riser: Mali, up 12.4 points to 18.7% of its news about armed violence. Market risk at the end of the week: energy supply 82 (▼ −10.9), oil shipping routes 85 (▼ −9.3), major economies 25 (▼ −50.1).
Day by daythe daily briefs
| Day | Riftrate | Top story |
|---|---|---|
| 19 October 2026 | 75.5 | France: Paris, Lyon and Marseille count the cost after violent protests |
| 20 October 2026 | 73.7 | Zelensky, U.S. envoys hold Oslo talks as Ukraine claims U.S. missile holdup |
| 21 October 2026 | 65.7 | Russia frees jailed American as Putin meets US envoy for Ukraine talks |
| 22 October 2026 | 64.0 | Russian strikes kill 7 in Ukraine after US envoy meets Putin |
| 23 October 2026 | 63.7 | Masked gunmen kill seven in attack on church funeral in Jordan |
| 24 October 2026 | 67.0 | France protests: Police say 1,10,000 marched in Paris |
| 25 October 2026 | 67.0 | Serbia’s Vucic concedes election defeat to student-led movement |
Frequently asked questions
How tense was the world in week 43 of 2026?
Riftrate, the index of world tension from 0 (calm) to 100 (crisis), averaged 64.6 (Tension) from 19–25 October 2026, down 8.4 points from the week before.
Which countries were most tense in week 43 of 2026?
Yemen (33.0% of its news about armed violence), Gaza and the West Bank (30.1% of its news about armed violence), Saudi Arabia (18.9% of its news about armed violence).