A checked directory of 99 sources worth knowing when you follow geopolitics, warfare and world news: news outlets, research institutes, rights monitors, open-source investigators and independent analysts, grouped by region and topic. Every link below was checked on October 4, 2026; a few sites that block automated checkers are marked †.
Listing is not endorsement. Peter’s World has not independently verified every claim these outlets and people publish. They are included to show a range of regions and perspectives, and some disagree with each other. Read widely, compare accounts, and check primary sources. See our Editorial Standards for how we handle our own reporting.
How to read the tags
- Ownership/funding says who pays for or owns the outlet, where that is public and easy to verify. “State-funded” and “Public” mean government budgets or a public fee finance it; that is not the same as government control, and editorial independence varies by outlet.
- Nonprofit, Independent and Commercial describe organizations that are not state-funded. “Independent” here means a privately owned, donor-funded or reader-funded outlet; it is not a rating of accuracy or bias.
- Entries are listed alphabetically inside each section. State propaganda outlets are not listed. Questions about a listing? Use the suggestion link at the bottom of the page.
Part A: Outlets and research organizations
Tap a region or topic to open it. Each entry links to the organization’s official website.
Middle East and North Africa (16)
Israel, Palestine, Iran, the Gulf, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and the wider region.
- +972 Magazine
News site · 972mag.com
Israeli-Palestinian outlet publishing reporting and commentary from Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Ownership/funding: Independent
- Al Arabiya English
News channel website · english.alarabiya.net
English-language site of the Saudi-based Al Arabiya news channel.
Ownership/funding: Commercial (MBC Group)
- Al Jazeera English
Broadcaster · aljazeera.com
Doha-based international news network with English-language coverage of the Middle East and beyond.
Ownership/funding: State-funded (Qatar)
- Al-Monitor
News site · al-monitor.com
US-based news and analysis site focused on the Middle East, with regional contributors.
Ownership/funding: Independent (privately owned)
- Al-Shabaka
Think tank · al-shabaka.org
Palestinian policy network that publishes analysis by Palestinian researchers on politics, law and economics.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Critical Threats Project
Research project · criticalthreats.org
American Enterprise Institute project tracking Iran, its partners and regional security, with regular situation updates.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit (AEI project)
- Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Think tank · fdd.org
Washington think tank publishing research on Iran, sanctions, terrorism financing and Middle East security.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Haaretz
Newspaper · haaretz.com
Israeli daily with an English edition covering Israel, the Palestinian territories and the region.
Ownership/funding: Independent (privately owned)
- Institute for National Security Studies (INSS)
Think tank · inss.org.il
Tel Aviv-based research institute publishing analysis on Israeli security, Iran and regional strategy.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- IranWire
News site · iranwire.com
Iran-focused news site run by exiled and domestic journalists, publishing in English and Persian.
Ownership/funding: Independent
- The Jerusalem Post
Newspaper · jpost.com
Israeli English-language daily covering Israel, Jewish communities worldwide and the Middle East.
Ownership/funding: Independent (privately owned)
- L’Orient Today
Newspaper · today.lorientlejour.com
English-language edition of the Lebanese daily L’Orient-Le Jour, covering Lebanon and the region.
Ownership/funding: Independent (privately owned)
- Middle East Eye
News site · middleeasteye.net
London-based news site covering the Middle East and North Africa; describes itself as editorially independent.
Ownership/funding: Self-described independent
- Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies
Think tank · sanaacenter.org
Independent think tank publishing research and analysis on Yemen’s politics, economy and conflict.
Ownership/funding: Independent
- The Times of Israel
News site · timesofisrael.com
Israel-based English-language news site with live coverage of the region.
Ownership/funding: Independent (privately owned)
- The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Think tank · washingtoninstitute.org
Washington think tank publishing policy research on US Middle East policy, Israel, Iran and the Gulf.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia (9)
The war in Ukraine, Russian politics and the post-Soviet region.
- The Insider
Investigative outlet · theins.press
Russian-language investigative outlet based in Europe, with an English edition covering Russia.
Ownership/funding: Independent
- Institute for the Study of War (ISW)
Think tank · understandingwar.org
Washington research institute publishing daily maps and assessments of the war in Ukraine.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Kyiv Independent
News outlet · kyivindependent.com
Kyiv-based English-language news outlet covering Ukraine and the war.
Ownership/funding: Independent
- Meduza
News outlet · meduza.io
Russian-language outlet based in Latvia with an English edition covering Russia and the war.
Ownership/funding: Independent (reader-supported)
- The Moscow Times
News outlet · themoscowtimes.com
English and Russian-language outlet, now based in Amsterdam, covering Russia.
Ownership/funding: Independent
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
News outlet · novayagazeta.eu
Russian-language outlet founded by former Novaya Gazeta journalists working from exile.
Ownership/funding: Independent
- OSW Centre for Eastern Studies
Research institute · osw.waw.pl
Polish government research institute analyzing Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Central Europe.
Ownership/funding: Government-funded (Poland)
- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
International broadcaster · rferl.org
Prague-based broadcaster covering Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia and the Caucasus in dozens of languages.
Ownership/funding: Government-funded (US Congress)
- Ukrainska Pravda
News outlet · pravda.com.ua
Ukrainian online news outlet with an English-language section on Ukrainian politics and the war.
Ownership/funding: Independent
Asia-Pacific (12)
China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, South and Southeast Asia, Australia.
- Channel NewsAsia
Broadcaster · channelnewsasia.com
Singapore-based English-language news channel and site covering Asia.
Ownership/funding: State-owned (Mediacorp/Temasek)
- Dawn
Newspaper · dawn.com
Pakistan’s long-running English-language daily, covering Pakistan, South Asia and Afghanistan.
Ownership/funding: Independent (privately owned)
- The Diplomat
Magazine · thediplomat.com
Online magazine covering politics, security and society across the Asia-Pacific.
Ownership/funding: Independent
- Global Taiwan Institute
Think tank · globaltaiwan.org
Washington think tank publishing research on Taiwan’s security, politics and economy.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- The Hindu
Newspaper · thehindu.com
Indian English-language daily covering India, South Asia and international affairs.
Ownership/funding: Independent (privately owned)
- Hong Kong Free Press
News outlet · hongkongfp.com
Hong Kong-based English-language outlet covering Hong Kong and China.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- The Irrawaddy
News outlet · irrawaddy.com
Myanmar-focused outlet covering Myanmar and Southeast Asia, publishing in English and Burmese.
Ownership/funding: Independent
- Lowy Institute
Think tank · lowyinstitute.org
Sydney think tank publishing research and the Interpreter blog on Asia-Pacific affairs.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- NHK WORLD-JAPAN
Public broadcaster · www3.nhk.or.jp
International service of Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, in English and other languages.
Ownership/funding: Public (viewer fees)
- Nikkei Asia
News outlet · asia.nikkei.com
English-language business and politics coverage of Asia from the Nikkei group in Tokyo.
Ownership/funding: Commercial (Nikkei Inc.)
- Observer Research Foundation
Think tank · orfonline.org
New Delhi think tank publishing research on Indian foreign policy, security and the Indo-Pacific.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- South China Morning Post
Newspaper · scmp.com
Hong Kong English-language daily covering Hong Kong, China and Asia.
Ownership/funding: Commercial (privately owned)
Africa (7)
Sahel, Sudan, the Horn, West, East and Southern Africa.
- Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Research institution · africacenter.org
US Department of Defense institution publishing research and analysis on African security.
Ownership/funding: Government (US Department of Defense)
- The Africa Report
Magazine · theafricareport.com
Pan-African political and business news site published from Paris.
Ownership/funding: Commercial (Jeune Afrique Media Group)
- Dabanga Sudan
News outlet · dabangasudan.org
Radio and online outlet reporting on Sudan and Darfur, with English-language coverage.
Ownership/funding: Independent
- Daily Maverick
News outlet · dailymaverick.co.za
South African news and analysis outlet covering politics, business and investigations.
Ownership/funding: Independent (privately owned)
- Institute for Security Studies (ISS Africa)
Research institute · issafrica.org
Pan-African research organization publishing analysis on conflict, crime and governance.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Mail & Guardian
Newspaper · mg.co.za
South African weekly newspaper covering politics, investigations and Africa.
Ownership/funding: Independent (privately owned)
- Premium Times
News outlet · premiumtimesng.com †
Nigerian online newspaper known for investigative and political reporting.
Ownership/funding: Independent (privately owned)
Global news, security and think tanks (18)
Wire services, public broadcasters, international affairs outlets and research institutes.
- Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Wire service · afp.com
Global news agency headquartered in Paris with multilingual text, photo and video services.
Ownership/funding: Independent (statutory status in France)
- Associated Press
Wire service · apnews.com
US-based news cooperative supplying text, photo and video to media worldwide.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit cooperative
- BBC News
Public broadcaster · bbc.com
UK public service broadcaster with international news coverage.
Ownership/funding: Public (UK licence fee)
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Think tank · carnegieendowment.org
Global think tank with research centers in several world regions, including the Middle East and Europe.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Think tank · csis.org
Washington think tank publishing research on defense, geopolitics and regional security.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Chatham House
Think tank · chathamhouse.org
London-based policy institute publishing research and events on international affairs.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
Think tank · cfr.org
US membership organization and think tank publishing Foreign Affairs and research.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Deutsche Welle (DW)
Public broadcaster · dw.com
German international broadcaster publishing in English and dozens of other languages.
Ownership/funding: State-funded (German federal budget)
- France 24
Broadcaster · france24.com
French international news channel and site run by France Médias Monde.
Ownership/funding: State-funded (France)
- Hudson Institute
Think tank · hudson.org
Washington think tank publishing research on US foreign and defense policy.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- International Crisis Group
Conflict-prevention NGO · crisisgroup.org
Independent organization publishing field-based conflict analysis and policy recommendations.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)
Think tank · iiss.org
London-based institute publishing The Military Balance and security analysis.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
Think tank · quincyinst.org
Washington think tank publishing research advocating restraint in US foreign policy.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Reuters
Wire service · reuters.com †
International news agency owned by Thomson Reuters.
Ownership/funding: Commercial (Thomson Reuters)
- Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
Think tank · rusi.org
London defense and security think tank, founded in 1831.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Stimson Center
Think tank · stimson.org
Washington think tank publishing research on arms control, security and conflict.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
Research institute · sipri.org
Swedish institute publishing data and research on armaments, arms control and conflict.
Ownership/funding: Independent institute (Swedish government core funding)
- War on the Rocks
Online magazine · warontherocks.com
Online outlet publishing defense, security and foreign-policy analysis and podcasts.
Ownership/funding: Independent
Human rights and open-source verification (13)
Rights monitors, press-freedom groups and open-source investigators.
- Airwars
Monitoring NGO · airwars.org
UK-based nonprofit that tracks and assesses civilian harm from airstrikes and conflicts.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Amnesty International
Human rights NGO · amnesty.org
Global human rights organization publishing country reports and investigations.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- B’Tselem
Human rights NGO · btselem.org †
Israeli human rights organization documenting conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Bellingcat
Investigative collective · bellingcat.com
Netherlands-based collective doing open-source investigations and training.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT)
Investigative group · citeam.org
Russian-language open-source group analyzing Russian military activity.
Ownership/funding: Independent
- DFRLab
Research lab · dfrlab.org
Atlantic Council lab that investigates disinformation and conflict using open sources.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit (Atlantic Council)
- Forensic Architecture
Research agency · forensic-architecture.org
Goldsmiths, University of London research group reconstructing incidents with spatial and video evidence.
Ownership/funding: University
- HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency)
Human rights monitor · en-hrana.org
Documents human rights incidents in Iran and publishes English-language reports.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Human Rights Watch
Human rights NGO · hrw.org
International human rights organization publishing country reports and investigations.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO)
Human rights NGO · iranhr.net
Oslo-based group documenting executions and the death penalty in Iran.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Oryx
Equipment-loss tracker · oryxspioenkop.com
Open-source blog that tallies visually confirmed equipment losses in wars, including in Ukraine.
Ownership/funding: Independent
- OVD-Info
Human rights project · ovd.info
Rights monitoring project documenting political persecution and protest-related detentions in Russia.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR)
UN body · ohchr.org
United Nations office that monitors and reports on human rights worldwide.
Ownership/funding: UN body (regular budget and voluntary funding)
Data and trackers (7)
Conflict, arms, sanctions and displacement datasets you can check yourself.
- ACLED
Conflict data project · acleddata.com
Collects and maps political violence and protest events worldwide with weekly updates.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Council on Foreign Relations Global Conflict Tracker
Tracker · cfr.org
Interactive guide to ongoing conflicts and their US policy dimensions.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- DeepStateMap
Conflict map · deepstatemap.live
Ukrainian open-source project mapping front lines in the war in Ukraine.
Ownership/funding: Independent
- FAS Status of World Nuclear Forces
Reference database · fas.org
Federation of American Scientists estimates of the world’s nuclear arsenals.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit
- Kiel Ukraine Support Tracker
Tracker · kielinstitut.de
Kiel Institute database of military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Ownership/funding: Nonprofit research institute
- SIPRI Databases
Reference database · sipri.org
Data on military expenditure, arms transfers and multilateral peace operations.
Ownership/funding: Independent institute (Swedish government core funding)
- Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP)
Conflict data project · ucdp.uu.se
Uppsala University project providing conflict and organized-violence datasets.
Ownership/funding: University
Part B: Independent journalists and analysts
People with a verifiable professional record and a current public page, whether their own newsletter or website, or an official profile at their newsroom, university or research institute. Their views are their own, and some write for or work at the organizations listed above. Sorted by surname.
Middle East and North Africa (3)
Israel, Palestine, Iran, the Gulf, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and the wider region.
- Emma Graham-Harrison
Journalist · theguardian.com
The Guardian’s chief Middle East correspondent, based in Jerusalem.
Affiliation/funding: Newsroom staff (The Guardian)
- Mehul Srivastava
Journalist · ft.com
Financial Times senior foreign-affairs correspondent covering Israel, the Palestinian territories and the region.
Affiliation/funding: Newsroom staff (Financial Times)
- Ali Vaez
Analyst · crisisgroup.org
Iran Project Director at International Crisis Group; writes on Iran’s politics, nuclear file and diplomacy.
Affiliation/funding: Think-tank staff (Crisis Group)
Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia (4)
The war in Ukraine, Russian politics and the post-Soviet region.
- Mark Galeotti
Analyst and author · inmoscowsshadows.wordpress.com
Russia scholar and author of the In Moscow’s Shadows blog and podcast on Russian politics and security.
Affiliation/funding: Self-published
- Michael Kofman
Analyst · carnegieendowment.org
Carnegie senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program who studies the Russian military and the war in Ukraine.
Affiliation/funding: Think-tank staff (Carnegie)
- Rob Lee
Analyst · fpri.org
Senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and former US Marine officer who researches Russia’s military and the war in Ukraine.
Affiliation/funding: Think-tank staff (FPRI)
- Phillips P. O’Brien
Professor and writer · phillipspobrien.substack.com
University of St Andrews professor of strategic studies; writes Phillips’s Newsletter on Substack about the war in Ukraine.
Affiliation/funding: Self-published (Substack)
Asia-Pacific (3)
China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, South and Southeast Asia, Australia.
- Bill Bishop
Newsletter author · sinocism.com
Writes the Sinocism newsletter on China, with analysis and curated news links.
Affiliation/funding: Self-published (Substack)
- Bonnie Glaser
Analyst · gmfus.org
Managing director of the German Marshall Fund’s Indo-Pacific Program; works on China, Taiwan and regional security.
Affiliation/funding: Think-tank staff (GMF)
- Jordan Schneider
Newsletter author · chinatalk.media
Founder of ChinaTalk, a Substack newsletter and podcast on China, technology and US policy.
Affiliation/funding: Self-published (Substack)
Africa (2)
Sahel, Sudan, the Horn, West, East and Southern Africa.
- Alex de Waal
Researcher · worldpeacefoundation.org
Executive director of the World Peace Foundation at Tufts; writes on Sudan and the Horn of Africa.
Affiliation/funding: University (Tufts)
- Declan Walsh
Journalist · nytimes.com †
New York Times chief Africa correspondent, based in Nairobi.
Affiliation/funding: Newsroom staff (The New York Times)
Global news, security and think tanks (3)
Wire services, public broadcasters, international affairs outlets and research institutes.
- Lawrence Freedman
Academic · samf.substack.com
Emeritus professor of war studies at King’s College London; co-writes the Comment is Freed Substack with Sam Freedman.
Affiliation/funding: Self-published (Substack)
- Jeffrey Lewis
Academic · middlebury.edu
Professor at the Middlebury Institute’s James Martin Center; founded the Arms Control Wonk blog and podcast.
Affiliation/funding: University (Middlebury Institute)
- H I Sutton
Analyst · hisutton.com
Covert Shores: independent open-source analysis of submarines, naval special forces and seabed warfare.
Affiliation/funding: Self-published
Human rights and open-source verification (2)
Rights monitors, press-freedom groups and open-source investigators.
- Eliot Higgins
Investigator · bellingcat.com
Founder of Bellingcat and author of We Are Bellingcat; open-source investigation.
Affiliation/funding: Nonprofit (Bellingcat)
- Christiaan Triebert
Journalist · nytimes.com †
New York Times Visual Investigations reporter; formerly at Bellingcat and Airwars; open-source verification.
Affiliation/funding: Newsroom staff (The New York Times)
How we chose and checked these sources
- Real and official. We list each organization’s own website, or a person’s own page or official newsroom, university or institute profile.
- Checked on October 4, 2026. Every link was opened with an automated check that follows redirects. A few sites (marked †) block automated checkers, so we confirmed those addresses by other means.
- A range of views. The list includes public broadcasters, wire services, commercial and nonprofit newsrooms, exile media, and research groups from different regions and policy traditions.
- No propaganda outlets. We do not list state propaganda outlets or people whose main output is disinformation. We may leave out good sources, and listings can change if an outlet’s ownership, funding or practices change.
Suggest a resource
Know a reliable outlet, researcher or tracker we are missing, or a link that has gone stale? Tell us who it is, the official web address and why it is useful. We check every suggestion before adding it.
Related: Russia and Ukraine hub, Iran News Hub, Taiwan-China hub, Gaza, Israel and Lebanon hub and Investigations.