The News is a part of Plague Inc. in which world news is displayed. There are some headlines which affect the plague and others which are entirely random. There are also CDC, WHO (formerly RMS) news headlines. For more information, please see List of references.
These news popups appear on the newsreel whenever something related to the player's plague happens. As the game progresses, they tend to become more common, to the point of them becoming the only news displayed.
<plague name> begins in <starting country>
<plague type here> DNA detected! (applies to all standard plague types other than bacteria)
<plague name> infecting more countries
New disease spotted in <country>: New minor disease spreading:In a normal check-up, a doctor in <country> found a new disease which has been named <plague name>. It appears to be mostly harmless but must be investigated further. Other countries are also reporting this disease
(Variation, if there's sufficiently high severity): New worrying disease spreadingA diagnostic team in <country> has identified a new disease which has been named <plague name>. It is quite severe and must be investigated further.
(Variation, if no other countries are infected by the time your disease is discovered): No other countries have reported this disease.
Scientists concerned over <plague name>
Riots in <country> over 'Mystery Plague': Severe riots have erupted in <country> over the so called 'Mystery Plague'. The government pledges to fund a medical investigation.
'Mystery Plague' is real: Investigations prompted by recent riots in <country> find that the Mystery Plague is real and spreading fast. It has been named <plague name>.
<plague name> placed on Watch List: <plague name> has been placed on watchlist. Already dangerous, governments are warned that it could become unstoppable
(Variation, if there's sufficiently low severity): Although not very dangerous, governments are warned that a more deadly strain could appear
Experimental cure for <plague name> lethal
<plague name> mutation pattern extraordinary
<country> starts cure research
<country> starts work on cure: <country> is first to instruct doctors to begin research into a cure for <plague name>. Without greater funding, it is expected to take a long time
New aid programme for Poor countries: The UN announced a new aid initiative for poor countries - making them less vulnerable to disease
First death in <country>: First death from <plague name> has been confirmed in <country>. Bad luck or the beginning of something terrible?
Scientists increase understanding of Fever: Scientists have had a breakthrough in their understanding of Fever and will be able to cure diseases with it more easily
Scientists increase understanding of Tumours: Scientists have had a breakthrough in their understanding of Tumours and will be able to cure diseases with it more easily
Airplanes use new sterilisation air filters:New air filters are now being used tostop airplanes transmitting any disease between countries. Only advanced airborne diseases can survive on them
Upgrade lets airplanes be infected again
Extreme bird migration event expected
Festival of Love in <name of country>: <name of country> celebrates the Festival of Love. Fans praise the replacement of International Kissing Day. Critics question hygiene standards
Tokyo olympics mystery: Mystery still surrounds the decision to postpone the Tokyo Olympics. Organisers promise it will happen soon but no reason has been given for the change
Tokyo Olympics infect Japan!: People infected with [plague name] came to Tokyo and spread their disease. It should have never went on!
Global warming: Hot countries getting hotter: Latest research shows that hot countries are getting significantly hotter due to global warming
<country> shuts down seaports: <country> has become the first country to try to limit the spread of <plague name> by limiting access into and out of the country. Time will tell if this will work.
Increased rainfall in humid countries
There are no healthy people left in the world: The last healthy person on the planet recently became infected with <plague name>
(if Bird I or other Bird stages are evolved) <country> exterminates pigeons
<country> exterminates all birds (requires Bird 2)
<country> shuts land borders
<country> issues pandemic alert
<country> declares martial law
<country> approves human experimentation
<country> mobilises infectious disease teams
<country> bans all flights
<country> bans movement of livestock (requires Livestock 1)
<country> culls all livestock (requires Livestock 2)
<country> prioritising cure research
<country> declares national emergency
<country> closes all ports
(if Air transmission is evolved) <country> distributes face masks
(if Water transmission is evolved) <country> dispenses bottled water
<country> prioritises healthcare for the infected
<country> starts central corpse disposal
<country> uses mass graves
<plague name> placed on watchlist
(if Rodent transmission evolved) <country> starts rat extermination campaign
<plague name> genes manipulated: Scientists have introduced synthetic genes into <plague name>. WHO researchers say that this breakthrough will help cure efforts
<plague name> about to eradicate humans
<country> shuts down mobile networks
New dry winds in arid countries: Latest research shows that strong dry winds are sweeping through arid countries due to global warming
ICURE DEVICE ANNOUNCED: AppleSoft announces new iCure device to help cure <plague name>. Release date TBA.
ICURE RELEASED GLOBALLY! People rush to buy new touchscreen device that can help cure <plague name>
ICURE A FAILURE! People with <plague name> are sweating so much that the iCure touchscreen breaks.
The Neurax Worm is one of those plagues that, as soon as the first case was reported, several governments and health institutions will start sending out reports about how alarming it is as evidence shows that the pathogen can alter the psychological functioning of the infected population.
The special plague of Necroa Virus is characterised by its ability to regenerate dead bodies through Cytopathic Reanimation, subsequently there will be a lot of reports of people who have died either from the disease or other causes coming back to life as zombies, as well as reports of infected people biting healthy people. This will cause a huge alarm by governments and health institutions after the disease is detected.
The special plague of Simian Flu is characterised by causing strong modifications to the neural structure of Apes, making them remarkably intelligent but at the same time making all humans who possess the disease much more vulnerable to becoming ill and subsequently dying.
The special pathogen of Shadow Plague has unique abilities that increase the vampire's strength. During the course of the game, the human population will try to defend themselves from the vampire's attacks by distributing garlic or holy water to the civilian population's armament. In addition, Templar bases will try to arm certain countries to prevent vampire expansion.
Humans becoming Neanderthals: People infected with <plague name> are now fully regressing mentally and physically to a Neanderthal species. The world as we know it is about to change...
<plague name> begins new Neanderthal era: Every human on Earth has regressed physically and mentally to a Neanderthal state. Homo sapiens are no more...
Patient Zero infected India!: You are endemic in Indian fruit bat colonies and a chance encounter infects Patient Zero. Zoonotic transmission is essential...
Red truck delivering soft drinks stopped by police
Politician denies accusations of laughing
Theme park closed by government for being 'too fun'
Partridge shot down from a pear tree
'Anti-fun squad' wins uncontested re-election
Child arrested for gravely injuring two robbers
Christmas Tree stock burnt due to lack of demand
<country> sets compulsory hair length
Illegal Activity list updated to include winking
34th street closed off amid rumors of miracle
Turkey Extermination Programme almost done
Chef 'crossed the line' by adding pumpkin to pie
Banker attempts suicide - 'haunted by 3 ghosts'
New 'happiness' disease spreading - An anti-fun squad in <country> has identified a new disease which has been named <disease name>. It is making people happy and is a threat to society. Other countries are also reporting this disease
Playgrounds demolished in <country>
Parents fined over child's birthday party
Taxes raised in <country>
<country> bans playing sports
Pensions cut in <country>
<country> bans bright clothing
99 percent of adults can't recognize mistletoe
Forced weekend working in <country>
'Snowman' shot during child abduction attempt
<country> bans coloured lights
<country> cancels net neutrality
<country> lifts ban on foreign travel (only if at least Digital Elf is evolved)
Selfie fines imposed in <country> (only if Digital Elf is evolved)
Facebook blocked in <country> (only if Digital Herald is evolved)
YouTube banned in <country> (only if Digital Angel is evolved)
<country> expands public surveillance
Snowball fights illegal in <country> (only if Snowballs 1 is evolved)
Protests against cure in <country> (only if Appreciation is evolved)
Anti-joy flyers distributed in <country>
Anti-joy propaganda begins in <country>
Cure sabotaged in <country> (only if Harmony is evolved)
Cure development slows in <country> (only if Contentedness is evolved)
cheat detected! - <Plague Name> is a cheat! For obvious reasons, you will not be given a score.
Random News
These News popups appear randomly on the newsreel, but towards the end of the game, they become much rarer and will eventually stop appearing due to the newsreel becoming flooded with the above listed news popups and conditions for these news events being denied.
Stairs foil rolling robot escape
Suicide rates still increase after the removal of 'flappy bird'
'Crazy Dave' convicted of Garden Centre robbery
Blue hedgehog breaks land speed record
Millions of pre-orders for latest smartphones
University debate controversy- Huge controversy erupts over university debate on whether it is fair for parents living off state benefits to give birth to children which they can't support
Machine gun-powered jetpack banned over safety concern
Writitors demand site paywall: A group of Writitors, unsatisfied with their working conditions, have put forward a motion to require readers to subscribe to a paywall. Community 'fully supportive'...
Llama collecting is 'the new craze'
Lemur fur toilet paper 'inhumane'
New Malaria drug in testing
Phone maker asks trendy singer to be CEO
Major filesharing website banned
Hi tech camouflaged tank 'lost' by army
Greece may exit eurozone
Water shortages causing conflict
New social network launches: There is a new social network on the scene for people without friends. Blankbook+ is expected to attract billions of people within days
Expert warns invisible horse riding can cause hair loss
FTL developer sued over 'permadeath' emotional trauma
Concern over East Asian financial distortions
Goldman Stanley Bank Crisis: The investment bank reported catastrophic losses today due to a technical error in their random number generator
Canadians Celebrate Hay-Herbert Treaty: Canadians celebrate the anniversary of the famous Hay-Herbet Treaty which saw Alaska became part of Canada. Americans outgraged.
New Zealand centre of magnetic field shift: A recent fluctuation in the earth's magnetic field is claimed by scientists to be strong to be harnessed by New Zealand as a source of power.
Dictator demands solar eclipse on birthday
Nurse wages soar due to global shortage
Top notch mine opens in Sweden: Miners and crafters look forwards to the opening of a new, top notch diamond mine which is expected to revitalise the Swedish economy
Evidence 'shows that Julius Caesar plated Outwitters'
Caesar voted most popular pet name
Danish Mafia becoming 'too powerful': Recent events involving the Danish mafia have prompted the German Chancellor to commission a new investigation into organised crime and anti-social behaviour
Famine feared in South Asia
Experts concerned that children not reading enough
Warcrimes trial launched in The Hague
Man freed after 12 years stuck in hole
Child reinvents wheel. Engineers baffled
Driver in hospital after 'Zombie Highway' incident
North Korea rescues Space Station: North Korea uses Peace Rockets to save the International Space Station from space junk collision. Significant debris caused by explosion
Valve Timer slower than thought: Researchers have calculated that it takes longer than expected for radioactive fluids with a half-life of 3years to pass through valves. Reason unknown
Nuclear explosion in <country>: Huge nuclear explosion in <country> has released a vast cloud of radioactive particles, cause unknown but location suggests failure/sabotage of nuclear powerplant containment systems
Fidget Spinning declared a war crime
Child rescues clown from sewer. Parents can't believe It.
'Porgs not cool' says Ewok
Compromise voted 'most insulting word ever'
Large Social Network IPO doesn't meet expectations
Sanctions on Burma lifted
Chaos as tick escapes from conference on ticks
Democracy decides all humans 'are equal'
'Boaty McBoatface' sinks without trace
Juggler smiles at camera, becomes popular
PewDiesm found to be the fastest-growing religion
Crucifix sales surpass all expectations
Old car tires 'a key ingredient in children's sweets'
President accused of miming inaugural address
Miami police establish hotline to find killer
Activision CEO's child spends $6bn on IAPs
British MP wins right to wear sword in parliament
India Current Account surplus grows
Missing woman 'entered police box with strange man'.
Man covered in essential oils bursts into flames
Aspiring thief enters theatre. Steals spotlight
Child saves clown from sewer. Parents can't believe It
Cartoonist found dead at home. Details are sketchy.
COVID-19
COVID-19 "Stay Inside - Save Lives"
Child tells President that 'injecting disinfectant is Not Good'
Zynga 'looking to buy Clash of Clans'
First car in space gets speeding ticket
Disrespectful funeral-goer 'forget to press X'
Nintendo to pixelate Toad in future
New 3D TV sets may 'enhance brain power'
Kim and Don livestream Fornite from Singapore
US President buys condo in Greenland - claims "victory"
Shoe factory burns down. No soles lost
Astronaut ejected from airlock on ISS. Crew claimed he acted 'sus'[1]
Lady Dimitrescu much easier to find in a crowd claims Blood Cult Member[1]
England team return home without football
Pylons 'vital to high-tech society': A new energy report confirmed the need to construct additional pylons in order to ensure a sustainable electricity supply in the future
Developer says Rebel Inc. is 'best game ever'
Tailoring competition ends in a tie
Updates to Plague Inc. indefinitely delayed until someone sends us an ice cream[2]
Disaster News
Tsunami hits <country>: Extreme tsunami hits <country>. WHO analysts expect significant property damage and electricity shortages
Severe storms strike <country>: Severe storms strike heavily populated area in <country>. WHO analysis warn of crop and property damage
<country> experiences heavy flooding: WHO analysis warns of increased risk of disease due to heavy concentration of people in refugee camps.
NASA/CDC discuss benefits of space science research
CDC finds 'frequent' fecal contamination in pools
Trivia
These news refer to corresponding game contents or other contents.
"Script approved for 'Episode 7 - Taking the Mickey" is a reference to Disney making the new Star wars: The Force Awakens.
"AC-130 'safest place in event of 'zombie attack'." is a reference to the Dead Air campaign of Left 4 Dead.
"Missing woman 'entered police box with strange man'." is a reference to the TV series Doctor Who.
" 'Crazy Dave' convicted of Garden Centre robbery." is a reference to a character in Plants Vs. Zombies's character: Crazy dave, and the ‘Garden centre’ is also likely a reference to a map of the same name in Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare.
"Blue hedgehog breaks land speed record" is a reference to the Sonic the Hedgehog games developed by SEGA.
"Top notch mine opens in Sweden: Miners and crafters look forwards to the opening of a new, top notch diamond mine which is expected to revitalise the Swedish economy" is a reference to Minecraft, which was created by Markus Persson AKA "Notch" and founder of Swedish video game developer Mojang, valued at $2.5 billion USD in 2014. And the "Top notch mine" may refers the diamond mine.
"Creeper arrested for destruction of virtual property" is a reference to a Creeper from Minecraft, which is known for detonating when it gets too close to you.
"Microsoft saves sheepish miner, rides into sunset" is a reference to the fact that Microsoft bought minecraft.
"Machine-gun powered jetpack banned over safety concern" is referencing the webcomic XKCD's What If section, where the author gives serious answers to absurd questions, such as "Can you make a jetpack out of machine guns?" This can also be a reference to Jetpack Joyride, an iOS endless arcade game where you start off with a machine-gun jetpack.
"Adventure fakes arrow to the knee trauma." Is a reference to Skyrim, in which hold guards often say: "I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow in the knee."
"Italian plumber fined for killing turtles" is a reference to Mario Bros. as Mario is a Italian plumber and Koopa Troopas look remarkably like turtles.
"Pop singer told to shake it off" is a reference to Taylor Swift's hit song of the same name.
"Gamers worldwide begin worshipping helix fossil" is a reference to Twitch Plays Pokemon, where Omanyte, the fossil Pokemon within the Helix Fossil, is seen as a god.
"Goat union demands royalties from game dev" is a reference to the video game Goat Simulator published by Coffee Stain Studios.
"Valve Timer slower than thought: Researchers have calculated that it takes longer than expected for radioactive fluids with a half-life of 3years to pass through valves. Reason unknown" is a reference to video game company Valve, and half-life here are both reference to actual half-life, and Half-Life 3, which was never released despite being promised and highly anticipated.
"Child saves clown from sewer. Parents can't believe It" is a reference to the movie It, where the main antagonist is a sewer-dwelling clown named Pennywise who returns to torment children every 27 or so years. Take note of how 'It' is capitalized.
"Mankini not funny, says Kazakh professor" is a reference to Borat, a Kazakh journalist character created by the comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, known for wearing a characteristic green mankini. The character got very badly received by Kazakh people, considered racist and offensive by them.
'Hot single looking for you in this area" refers to advertisements using a similar slogan.
"Canadians Celebrate Hay-Herbert Treaty" This news refers to a joke put in by the game designers because an error in the game made it impossible for Alaska to be part of the USA.
'Nintendo to pixelate Toad in future' is a reference to Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, a Nintendo game.
'Miami police establish hotline to find killer' is a reference to Hotline Miami, a video game.
"Pylons 'vital to high-tech society': A new energy report confirmed the need to construct additional pylons in order to ensure a sustainable electricity supply in the future" is a reference to the Starcraft franchise from Blizzard Entertainment, more specifically the Protoss Pylons and the phrase : "You must construct additional pylons"
'Astronaut ejected from airlock on ISS. Crew claimed he acted 'sus'' is a reference to Among Us.
'England team return home without football' is a reference to UEFA Euro 2020, where England lost in the finals.
"Girl returns from valley of monuments inside out" is a reference to Monument Valley.