Data Sources

Radio Free Asia Korean Service provides Korean-language reporting from North Korea, using sources inside the DPRK and defector networks. Covers missile tests, nuclear events, food and humanitarian conditions, political purges, and economic sanctions impact. Complements 38 North with ground-level signals not available from satellite analysis alone.

SecurityWeek provides broad information security coverage including vulnerability disclosures, threat intelligence, incident reports, and ICS/SCADA security news. Strong on critical infrastructure threats, industrial control system vulnerabilities, and supply chain attacks. Complements Bleeping Computer and The Hacker News with more in-depth analysis and vendor-specific vulnerability coverage.

Voice of America Korean Service provides Korean-language reporting on North Korea, covering missile and nuclear tests, military provocations, inter-Korean relations, humanitarian conditions, and defector accounts. Reaches audiences inside DPRK via shortwave. Catches missile test announcements and KCNA response signals that may not reach English feeds.

+972 Magazine is an independent Israeli-Palestinian online magazine providing in-depth reporting on the occupation economy, settlement expansion, Palestinian displacement, and international diplomatic responses. Provides diplomatic and economic signals on Palestine covering ICC proceedings, settlement sanctions, and aid flows.

14ymedio is Cuba's leading independent digital newspaper, founded by dissident journalist Yoani Sánchez. Publishes in Spanish covering political repression, economic crisis, food and energy shortages, protests, and mass emigration. Primary Spanish-language source for Cuba's information, economic, and humanitarian dimensions.

38 North is the authoritative English-language platform for North Korea analysis, published by the Stimson Center. Covers missile and nuclear programme developments, satellite imagery analysis, economic conditions, leadership signalling, and diplomatic posture. The primary open-source intelligence feed for DPRK military-strategic signals.

Johns Hopkins SAIS programme tracking North Korean missile tests, nuclear programme, economic conditions, and leadership signals.

ABC Australia's world news covering Indo-Pacific security, South China Sea, Pacific Islands, and Australian diplomatic activity.

ACAPS (Assessment Capacities Project) produces independent humanitarian needs assessments and crisis severity analyses. Publishes INFORM risk indices and country-level crisis overviews. Complements OCHA/ReliefWeb with analytical severity scores rather than raw situation reports.

Ethiopia's leading independent English-language news covering Tigray conflict aftermath, Amhara crisis, and Horn of Africa diplomacy.

The Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) produces the most rigorous independent English-language analysis of Afghan politics, Taliban governance, security incidents, and humanitarian conditions. Provides high-quality analytical signals on Taliban military operations, IS-K attacks, resistance activity, and diplomatic engagement.

The Arab Gulf States Institute publishes policy analysis on Gulf diplomacy, Saudi Vision 2030, oil market dynamics, Yemen conflict, Iran-Saudi relations, and US-Gulf security cooperation. Provides high-quality analytical signals for Saudi Arabia's diplomatic and economic dimensions, including OPEC decisions and normalization talks.

Independent news on Turkey: Erdogan policy, Kurdish conflict, NATO relations, Syrian operations, and press freedom.

Al Jazeera English provides extensive coverage of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia that is underrepresented in Western wire services. Particularly strong on Gulf state dynamics, Palestinian territories, Sudan, Somalia, and South/Southeast Asian conflicts. Essential for balancing AP/Reuters perspective on non-Western theatres.

Al-Monitor provides in-depth coverage of Middle Eastern politics, security, and diplomacy with local correspondent networks in Iran, Israel, Turkey, Gulf states, and the Levant. Essential for Iran nuclear developments, Israeli-Palestinian dynamics, and Gulf tensions.

Al-Monitor's Iraq Pulse covers Iraqi politics, Iran-aligned militia activity, US troop presence, Kurdish autonomy issues, and sectarian dynamics. Provides diplomatic and military signals on Iraq's role as a battleground for US-Iran proxy conflict and regional influence.

AllAfrica aggregates news from over 130 African news organisations and provides the broadest English-language coverage of African conflicts, political crises, and humanitarian emergencies. Fills significant coverage gaps for Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Mali, and Libya that Reuters/AP often miss.

Alterpresse is Haiti's leading independent news agency publishing in French and Haitian Creole. Covers gang violence, displacement, humanitarian conditions, political crisis, and human rights. Provides ground-level humanitarian signals from inside Haiti that complement English-language Haiti Libre with local-language coverage.

Italy's national wire service covering Italian foreign policy, Mediterranean security, and EU affairs.

Saudi Arabia's leading English-language daily. Covers Gulf diplomacy, oil policy, Yemen war, and Saudi foreign policy positions.

BBC World News is one of the most widely distributed English-language news services globally. Strong on Europe, Middle East, and Africa with significant field correspondent presence. Provides authoritative second source for AP/Reuters conflict events.

BenarNews (RFA-affiliated) provides English-language coverage of Southeast Asian conflicts, territorial disputes, and human rights issues. Strong on South China Sea tensions, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Bangladesh — regions with significant Chinese maritime pressure.

Bianet is an independent Turkish news agency focused on press freedom, human rights, Kurdish conflict, LGBTI+ rights, and civil society. Provides information dimension signals on Turkish state repression, media censorship, internet shutdowns, and the suppression of Kurdish political movements. Key source for Turkey's information environment.

Bleeping Computer is the highest-volume English-language source for ransomware, data breaches, and cybercriminal group activity. Covers ShinyHunters, LockBit, Cl0p, ALPHV/BlackCat, Scattered Spider and all major groups in near-real time. Also covers zero-day vulnerabilities, malware campaigns, and nation-state intrusions. Essential for information/cyber dimension signal volume.

Breaking Defense covers US defence policy, NATO strategy, Pentagon decisions, and allied defence cooperation. Strong on Congressional defence budget debates, AUKUS, and US-China military competition. Feeds military/defense_procurement and military/troop_movement signals.

Independent Chinese financial and political journalism. Covers PLA modernisation, trade disputes, economic coercion, and Taiwan Strait tensions.

Venezuela's leading independent English-language political analysis covering Maduro regime, economic collapse, migration crisis, and opposition.

Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs) is the UK's leading foreign policy think tank. Publishes research on Russia, China, Middle East, Africa, and international security. High-credibility analytical source for long-horizon diplomatic and military signals.

The Citizen Lab at University of Toronto investigates targeted digital surveillance, spyware (Pegasus, Predator), censorship infrastructure, and information controls used by authoritarian states. Primary research source for internet shutdown and surveillance signals in Iran, China, Russia, and Gulf states.

The CFR is the US foreign policy establishment's primary analytical institution. Publishes analysis on all 36 tracked regions with particular depth on US-China competition, Russia, Middle East, and nuclear proliferation. Feeds diplomatic and military dimension signals.

Source network inside North Korea covering regime decisions, economic conditions, and military activities not visible from outside.

Pakistan's newspaper of record. Covers civil-military relations, nuclear doctrine, India-Pakistan tensions, Afghan border, and US-Pakistan relations.

Defense News covers global defence procurement, military strategy, and armed forces news. Particularly strong on arms deals, defence budgets, and military modernisation programmes — key signals for the defence procurement indicator.

Germany's international broadcaster covering German foreign policy, EU affairs, Russia, and global news.

Dragos is the leading OT/ICS cybersecurity company. Publishes research on attacks targeting industrial control systems, power grids, water treatment, and manufacturing. Critical for tracking cyber-physical attack signals — a documented escalation precursor in modern conflict.

Efecto Cocuyo is a Venezuelan independent news outlet covering human rights violations, political prisoners, mass emigration, and the economic and humanitarian crisis under Maduro. Provides Spanish-language signals on Venezuela's humanitarian collapse, arbitrary detentions, election manipulation, and mass exodus to neighbouring countries.

Enab Baladi is a Syrian independent media outlet founded in 2011. Its English edition covers civilian casualties, displacement, human rights violations, and humanitarian conditions across Syria. Provides grassroots humanitarian signals from inside Syria that institutional sources often miss.

ESET's security research blog publishes APT malware analysis, nation-state campaign tracking, and threat intelligence from a European perspective. Strong coverage of Russian APTs (Sandworm, Turla, Gamaredon), Eastern European cybercrime, and threats to European critical infrastructure. ESET has strong sensor coverage across Eastern Europe, providing unique visibility into Russian cyber operations affecting Ukraine and EU members.

ECFR is Europe's leading pan-European foreign policy think tank, with offices in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Rome, Sofia, and Warsaw. Strong analytical output on Russia, China, Turkey, Middle East, and EU external policy. Key source for European diplomatic dimension signals.

Executive Magazine covers Lebanon's financial sector, banking crisis, sovereign default, capital controls, and economic reconstruction. Provides economic dimension signals on the Lebanese pound collapse, Eurobond default, central bank failures, and the IMF programme negotiations that are central to Lebanon's stability outlook.

FEWS NET (USAID-funded) provides the earliest systematic warning of food security crises and famine conditions. Publishes country-level food security outlooks, acute food insecurity classifications (IPC scale), and emergency alerts. Primary source for food_security_v1 rule.

Taiwan's Central News Agency English service. Covers cross-strait tensions, PLA incursions, US-Taiwan relations, and Taiwanese defence policy.

France's international news broadcaster covering French foreign policy, Sahel operations, EU affairs, and global conflict zones.

Somalia's primary English-language news portal covering Al-Shabaab operations, clan politics, government stability, and piracy.

Haitian news portal in English covering gang violence, political vacuum, humanitarian crisis, and international intervention.

Hiiraan Online is one of Somalia's most visited news sites, providing comprehensive Somali news in English and Somali. Covers Al-Shabaab attacks, clan conflict, piracy, humanitarian conditions, and political developments. Complements Garowe Online with broader national coverage including South-Central Somalia and Mogadishu.

India's premier defence think tank publishes analysis on Indian military doctrine, nuclear issues, China-Pakistan threat assessments, and regional security. IDSA publications provide high-quality analytical signals for India's military and diplomatic dimensions, particularly on the nuclear triad and conventional force posture.

IISS publishes the Military Balance, Armed Conflict Survey, and strategic dossiers on military capabilities, arms proliferation, and nuclear doctrine. Authoritative source for military dimension signals on force structure, capability assessments, and arms control compliance.

InSight Crime investigates organised crime, armed groups, and criminal governance across Latin America and the Caribbean. Primary source for Venezuela, Haiti, Colombia, and Mexico — regions where criminal actors directly challenge state stability.

ISW publishes daily situational updates on the Russia-Ukraine war and periodic assessments of Middle East conflicts including Gaza and Syria. One of the most cited open-source conflict monitoring organisations, with daily maps and battle-line assessments.

Independent investigative journalism on Iran: nuclear programme, IRGC operations, protests, sanctions, and cyber operations.

Iraq Oil Report provides specialist coverage of Iraq's oil sector, OPEC negotiations, Kurdish oil exports, pipeline politics, and the revenue flows that fund Iraqi government operations and militias. Essential economic dimension source for Iraq — oil represents over 90% of government revenues and is the key geopolitical leverage point.

The Institute for Security Studies (Africa) publishes analysis on African peace and security, terrorism, organised crime, and governance crises. Strong on Sahel, East Africa, and Southern Africa with field offices in Addis Ababa, Dakar, Nairobi, and Pretoria.

Important Stories (iStories) is an independent Russian investigative news outlet in exile. Publishes investigations into Russian military casualties, defence spending, oligarch assets, corruption, and state repression. Provides information dimension signals on Kremlin decision-making and military economy that state-adjacent Russian media suppresses.

JAMnews covers South Caucasus security and politics across Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Provides military signals on Russia-Georgia tensions, South Ossetia/Abkhazia occupation, Nagorno-Karabakh aftermath, and Georgian democratic backsliding. Key regional supplement to Civil.ge for military and diplomatic dimension coverage.

Jeune Afrique is the leading Pan-African French-language magazine covering African politics, economics, and diplomacy. Strong coverage of Mali's junta, Sahel geopolitics, AES alliance (Mali-Burkina-Niger), France-Africa relations breakdown, and Wagner/Russia influence. Primary French-language diplomatic and economic signal source for Mali.

South Korea's leading English-language daily covering North Korean provocations, US-ROK alliance, and Korean Peninsula security.

Krebs on Security, by journalist Brian Krebs, provides investigative reporting on data breaches, cybercriminal groups, and underground market activity. Strong track record on breach disclosures before official notifications, criminal group profiles, and ransomware ecosystem analysis. Particularly strong on financial cybercrime and US critical infrastructure threats.

Ukraine's leading English-language wartime news source covering frontline updates, Russian attacks, Ukrainian policy, and Western aid.

Lebanon's leading English-language daily covering Hezbollah, political crisis, economic collapse, and Lebanese diplomacy.

Primary English-language source for Libyan conflict, militia activity, oil sector, and diplomatic developments.

Independent Egyptian investigative news covering security, political repression, economic crisis, and Egypt's regional role.

Myanmar Now is an independent news outlet covering the military coup, resistance forces (PDF, EAOs), civilian casualties, and humanitarian conditions in Myanmar. Provides military clash signals, displacement data, and information on the civil war between the junta and resistance forces that major wire services often underreport.

The UK National Cyber Security Centre publishes threat advisories, malware analysis reports, and attribution statements on state-sponsored cyber operations. Has published attribution on Russian GRU (Sandworm), APT28, APT29, Chinese APT groups, Iranian cyber operations, and North Korean Lazarus Group. UK NCSC advisories are highly authoritative and often coordinated with Five Eyes partners for maximum signal value.

NK News is the most comprehensive English-language news outlet dedicated to North Korea. Covers DPRK leadership, military provocations, nuclear and missile activities, inter-Korean relations, economy, and sanctions enforcement. Uses a network of regional correspondents and open-source analysis. High-frequency updates on diplomatic and military events.

Unit 42 is Palo Alto Networks' threat intelligence team. Publishes in-depth research on nation-state threat actors, malware families, ransomware groups, and zero-day exploits. Strong coverage of Chinese, Russian, Iranian, and North Korean APT activity.

Unit 42 is Palo Alto Networks' threat intelligence team, publishing in-depth research on APT campaigns, malware families, and nation-state operations. Strong coverage of Iranian APT groups (Charming Kitten, OilRig/APT34), Chinese APTs (Volt Typhoon, Salt Typhoon), and criminal ransomware groups. Technical malware analysis provides early warning of new campaign tooling before wider media coverage.

Independent radio and news service providing ground-level reporting on Sudan's civil war, Darfur, RSF operations, and humanitarian crisis.

RFE/RL provides ground-level reporting on Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Iran. Primary open-source for Russian domestic political signals, protest movements, and regime-change indicators in the post-Soviet space.

Kurdish-Iraqi media covering Iraq security, Islamic State remnants, Iran-Iraq relations, and Kurdish autonomy.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitors and documents armed clashes, airstrikes, casualty counts, and military movements across all factions in Syria. Despite limitations, it is the most consistently updated source for Syrian military activity and one of the most cited by international media and researchers.

Studio Tamani is the leading independent Malian radio news outlet, broadcasting in French and local languages. Covers jihadist attacks (JNIM, ISGS), Wagner Group/FAMA operations, inter-communal violence, Malian political developments, and humanitarian conditions in the Sahel. Primary Mali-specific signal source.

Sudan Tribune provides English and French coverage of the Sudanese civil war between SAF and RSF, Darfur atrocities, displacement, famine, and political negotiations. Complements Radio Dabanga with broader national political coverage and international diplomatic dimensions of the Sudan conflict.

Syria Direct is an Amman-based news outlet providing independent, on-the-ground English-language reporting on the Syrian conflict. Covers military clashes, humanitarian conditions, displacement, reconstruction, and political developments. Primary English-language source for Syrian military and humanitarian signals.

The Guardian's world news feed covering UK foreign policy, investigative security journalism, and global affairs.

The Hacker News provides broad, high-frequency cybersecurity coverage including APT campaigns, nation-state hacking operations, zero-day exploits, supply chain attacks, and data breaches. Covers Iranian APT groups (Charming Kitten, MuddyWater), North Korean Lazarus Group, Russian Sandworm and Fancy Bear, and Chinese Volt Typhoon. One of the highest-volume cybersecurity RSS feeds available.

The Irrawaddy is the leading independent English-language news publication for Myanmar. Since the 2021 military coup it is the primary source for conflict updates, resistance operations, junta actions, and civilian casualties. Essential for Myanmar signals.

The News International is Pakistan's largest English-language daily. Covers civil-military relations, India-Pakistan tensions, Afghanistan border incidents, US-Pakistan relations, nuclear developments, and the IMF crisis. Provides comprehensive military and diplomatic signals for Pakistan across all dimensions.

The Print is an Indian digital news outlet with strong coverage of Indian defence policy, India-China border tensions, India-Pakistan relations, strategic affairs, and geopolitics. Provides military and diplomatic signals from an Indian perspective, covering LAC incidents, nuclear posture, and Indo-Pacific security dynamics.

Sahel Intelligence provides in-depth English-language analysis of security dynamics across the Sahel, covering Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad. Focuses on jihadist groups (JNIM, ISGS), state fragility, Wagner Group influence, and military coups. Key analytical source for Mali and broader Sahel threat signals.

The Syria Report provides detailed economic analysis covering Syrian reconstruction, sanctions impacts, currency crisis, trade, and business conditions. Essential for economic dimension signals on Syria — covers hyperinflation, capital flight, sanctions enforcement, and reconstruction financing.

The War Zone (The Drive) is the leading open-source military analysis publication. Covers weapons systems, doctrine, electronic warfare, hypersonics, naval and air power. Provides detailed early analysis of military incidents before official statements. Essential for military dimension signals across all 36 tracked regions.

Independent Indian investigative journalism covering security, Hindu nationalism, India-China border, India-Pakistan relations, and surveillance.

Leading English-language Israeli news covering security, diplomacy, Iran, Gaza, and regional affairs. Essential for Israeli diplomatic and information dimension signals.

Afghanistan's leading independent broadcaster. Primary source for Taliban governance, security incidents, and humanitarian conditions post-2021.

Ekonomichna Pravda (Economic Truth) covers Ukraine's war economy, hryvnia stability, central bank policy, reconstruction financing, Western financial aid, and sanctions enforcement. Essential for economic dimension signals on Ukraine — covers IMF programme, REPO asset seizure, and post-war reconstruction finance.

Ukrinform is Ukraine's official state news agency providing real-time English-language coverage of frontline military developments, air defence, weapons deliveries, diplomatic engagements, and sanctions implementation. As the official state source it provides authoritative Ukrainian military reporting and diplomatic positions.

Voice of America provides English-language news with particular depth in conflict zones and authoritarian states where local press is suppressed. Strong on North Korea, Iran, China, Russia, and African conflicts. US government-funded but editorially independent.

Palestine's official news agency. Primary source for Palestinian Authority diplomatic positions, Israeli military operations, and humanitarian conditions.

English-language Yemen conflict monitoring covering Houthi operations, Saudi coalition, humanitarian crisis, and ceasefire negotiations.

Daily Sabah's economy section covers Turkish monetary policy, lira exchange rate developments, inflation, trade relations, and energy deals. While editorially close to the government, it provides valuable economic signals on Turkey's currency crisis, central bank decisions, and trade relationships with Russia, the EU, and the Gulf.

Deep-analysis journalism on Ethiopian politics, ethnic conflict, Tigray war, and Horn of Africa geopolitics.

Frontier Myanmar covers Myanmar's political economy, business environment, ethnic conflict, and social affairs. Provides economic signals including currency collapse, sanctions impact on the kyat, capital flight, and business disruption caused by the ongoing civil conflict.

Global Voices Advox tracks internet censorship, digital rights violations, social media shutdowns, and online repression worldwide. Provides ground-level reporting on internet shutdowns in regions where NetBlocks may lack local contacts.

Journal du Mali is a Bamako-based French-language daily covering Malian domestic politics, security incidents, economic conditions, and social affairs. Provides ground-level Malian news across all dimensions including military operations, diplomatic developments, and humanitarian conditions.

Libya Observer provides English-language coverage of Libyan political developments, militia activity, oil field conflicts, and international diplomatic efforts. Complements Libya Herald with alternative editorial perspective on the GNU/HoR divide, Haftar's LNA operations, and Turkish/Russian military presence.

Oryx tracks visually confirmed military equipment losses in active conflicts, primarily Russia-Ukraine. Provides ground-truth data on tank, artillery, aircraft, and vehicle attrition rates that correlate with military operational capacity signals.

RAND publishes quantitative defence and security research covering military balance, deterrence, arms control, and conflict prevention. Provides analytical depth for long-horizon military and diplomatic scoring signals across all tracked regions.

Bruce Schneier's security blog covers cryptography, surveillance policy, critical infrastructure vulnerabilities, and the intersection of security and geopolitics. High-quality analytical content for long-horizon information dimension signals.

The Reporter is Ethiopia's leading English-language business and political newspaper. Covers Ethiopian economic policy, birr depreciation, IMF/World Bank relations, Tigray/Amhara conflict economic impacts, and trade with China and Gulf states. Provides economic dimension signals for Ethiopia complementing conflict-focused sources.