Data Sources

Official UN Security Council press coverage including resolutions, presidential statements, and meeting readouts. Direct proxy for diplomatic consensus or breakdown on major conflicts. Covers sanctions regime changes, peacekeeping mandates, and Chapter VII actions.

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.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre publishes cyber threat advisories, alerts, and incident reports covering Australia and the Indo-Pacific region. Particularly valuable for Chinese state-sponsored threat actor signals in the Asia-Pacific.

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

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.

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.

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.

BIS publishes research on financial stability, currency crises, sovereign debt, and macroprudential risk. Feeds the economic/currency_crisis_v1 and economic/sovereign_debt_v1 rules. High-quality signal on systemic financial risk.

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.

Bellingcat publishes open-source intelligence investigations covering conflict attribution, disinformation campaigns, war crimes documentation, and sanctions evasion. High-value source for hybrid warfare and information operation signals across all 32 tracked regions.

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.

Bleeping Computer is one of the highest-volume English-language sources for ransomware incidents, data breaches, zero-day vulnerabilities, and malware campaigns. Broad global coverage makes it a leading early-signal source for cyber incidents before government advisories are issued.

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.

Canada's national cybersecurity authority publishes alerts, advisories, and threat bulletins on active campaigns targeting Canadian and allied infrastructure. Five Eyes intelligence sharing makes this a leading indicator of emerging threats.

CERT-EU is the cybersecurity service for the EU institutions, bodies, and agencies. Publishes advisories, threat reports, and incident alerts covering attacks on European governmental infrastructure. Primary signal for cyber threats targeting EU-level targets.

Ukraine's Computer Emergency Response Team publishes real-time alerts on cyberattacks targeting Ukrainian government, military, and critical infrastructure. One of the highest-signal sources for Russian state-sponsored cyber operations during the ongoing conflict.

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.

CrowdStrike publishes threat intelligence reports tracking named adversary groups (FANCY BEAR, COZY BEAR, LAZARUS, etc.). Provides early attribution of state-sponsored cyberattacks and tracks geopolitically motivated campaigns across all tracked regions.

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.

EU DisinfoLab investigates disinformation campaigns, fake media networks, and influence operations targeting European political processes. Particularly strong on pro-Russian and pro-Chinese narratives in EU member states. Feeds information/operation signals.

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.

UN Food and Agriculture Organization publishes news on food security, crop reports, commodity prices, and humanitarian food crises. Primary data source for the economic/food_security_v1 rule. Covers all 32 tracked regions with particular depth in Africa, Middle East, and Asia.

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.

The Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center publishes threat intelligence on cyber attacks targeting financial infrastructure including payment systems, banks, and SWIFT. Feeds the information/financial_system_cyber_v1 rule.

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.

UN nuclear watchdog press releases covering safeguards inspections, nuclear security alerts, and non-proliferation findings. Critical for detecting North Korea, Iran, and other nuclear programme developments. Feeds military and information dimensions.

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.

Israel's national cyber authority publishes alerts and advisories on attacks targeting Israeli critical infrastructure, often by Iranian state-sponsored groups. Provides leading indicators of Iranian cyber escalation and cyber-physical attacks on industrial systems.

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.

Leading independent conflict research organisation. Publishes situation updates (CrisisWatch), conflict alerts, and in-depth analyses. Covers active and latent conflicts worldwide with high analytical depth. Key for diplomatic and humanitarian dimensions.

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

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.

Japan's CERT publishes advisories on vulnerabilities, malware campaigns, and cyber incidents targeting Japanese organisations and regional partners. Key source for Chinese and North Korean cyber threat actor activity in East Asia.

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

South Korea's national CERT publishes alerts on North Korean Lazarus Group operations, cryptocurrency theft campaigns, and attacks on financial and defence sector targets. Essential for Korean Peninsula cyber threat signals.

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.

Microsoft's Security Response Center publishes Patch Tuesday advisories, zero-day disclosures, and threat actor reports. Critical for tracking nation-state exploitation of Windows infrastructure, especially Volt Typhoon, Midnight Blizzard, and similar campaigns.

Official NATO press releases, summit declarations, and ministerial statements. Primary source for alliance-level military decisions, Article 5 invocations, force deployments, and collective defence posture changes. High signal-to-noise for military and diplomatic dimensions.

NetBlocks monitors and reports internet outages and shutdowns worldwide in real time. Their reports identify state-ordered connectivity disruptions — a documented pre-conflict tool used to suppress communication before or during political crises. Feeds the information/internet_shutdown_v1 rule.

OpenSanctions unified sanctions dataset aggregating 120+ sanctions lists worldwide: OFAC SDN/CONS, EU Consolidated, UN Security Council, UK OFSI, Swiss SECO, Australian DFAT, and many more. Each newly designated entity produces an economic/sanction signal. Uses delta files — no authentication required, free for non-commercial use.

U.S. Treasury OFAC Specially Designated Nationals list via OpenSanctions. OFAC is the world's most active sanctions authority, updating the SDN list multiple times per week. Faster polling than the global sanctions feed to surface U.S. designations sooner. Feeds the economic dimension.

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Covers ceasefire monitoring, election observation, arms control, confidence-building measures, and conflict early warning in Europe and Central Asia. Key source for Ukraine/Russia and South Caucasus signals.

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.

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.

UN OCHA ReliefWeb — situation reports, displacement figures, and crisis updates from UN agencies, ICRC, and major NGOs worldwide. Primary signal source for humanitarian dimension: refugee flows, aid obstruction, civilian displacement, and food insecurity. No authentication required.

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

SecurityWeek publishes professional security news, threat intelligence analysis, and incident reports with a focus on enterprise and nation-state threats. Strong coverage of ICS/OT security, APT campaigns, and critical infrastructure attacks.

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

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 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.

U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control — the most active sanctions authority globally. Covers SDN list additions/removals, new sanctions programmes, civil penalties, and general licences. Primary signal for economic coercion and diplomatic isolation events.

Uppsala Conflict Data Program — peer-reviewed, geolocated conflict events covering state-based armed conflict, non-state conflict, and one-sided violence against civilians. Higher confidence than automated codings (GDELT) but with a lag of days to weeks. Covers 1989 to present. Requires a free API token from ucdp.uu.se.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees news and situation updates. Covers new displacement crises, refugee camp conditions, protection emergencies, and returns. Authoritative source for the humanitarian dimension — displacement, aid obstruction, and civilian protection.

The U.S. Trade Representative publishes press releases on tariff actions, Section 301 investigations, trade disputes, and WTO cases. High-value for trade_war signals affecting US-China, US-EU, and other major bilateral relationships.

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.

Amnesty International press releases covering human rights violations, political prisoners, executions, enforced disappearances, and conflict-related abuses. Complements HRW coverage with different regional focus.

Open-source intelligence investigation outlet. Covers weapons identification, geolocated conflict footage verification, disinformation tracking, and hybrid warfare tactics. High value for information dimension: cyber, propaganda, and information operations.

India's national CERT publishes vulnerability notes, advisories, and incident reports on attacks targeting Indian government and private sector infrastructure. Important source for South Asian cyber threat signals.

CAR traces weapons and military materiel in conflict zones, documenting sanctions evasion, illicit arms flows, and supply chain violations. Feeds economic/sanctions_regime_v3 and military/defense_procurement_v1 rules.

Dutch central bank and prudential supervisor. Publishes monetary policy commentary, financial stability reports, and systemic risk assessments for the Netherlands and eurozone.

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

Freedom House publishes annual Freedom on the Net and Freedom in the World reports, plus news on internet censorship, digital repression, and democratic backsliding. Useful for long-horizon internet shutdown and information operation signals.

EU Joint Research Centre Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System. Near real-time Orange and Red alerts for earthquakes, cyclones, floods, volcanoes, and wildfires with estimated population impact. Feeds the humanitarian dimension for natural disaster-driven displacement signals. No authentication required.

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.

Dutch strategic studies think tank advising NATO and EU institutions. Covers strategic deterrence, hybrid warfare, energy security, and transatlantic defence from a Netherlands/Benelux perspective.

Netherlands National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism. Publishes the Dutch national terrorism threat level (DTN), extremism reports, and critical infrastructure protection guidance.

Independent English-language news outlet covering Dutch current affairs. Aggregates political, economic, security, and social developments in the Netherlands for an international audience.

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.

Dutch Red Cross emergency and humanitarian news. Covers domestic emergency response, international relief operations, refugee assistance, and disaster preparedness in and involving the Netherlands.

SANS ISC publishes daily cyber threat briefings covering active exploits, malware campaigns, and infrastructure attacks. Provides early signal on cyber incidents before attribution is established. Feeds information/cyber_attack_v3.

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.

UN Conference on Trade and Development publishes reports on trade disputes, supply chain disruptions, commodities, and investment flows. Feeds economic/trade_war_v1 and economic/supply_chain_v1 rules.

Netherlands' largest refugee support organisation. Covers asylum policy, reception conditions, integration, and international protection trends — key for Dutch humanitarian dimension signals.