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Heat Mortality Surges In Europe

Heat-related mortality in Europe has surged over the last couple of decades.

As Statista's Katharina Buchholz reports, according to the latest available data published by the Lancet Countdown 2025 Report, between 2012 and 2021, 5.5 people per 100,000 population died of heat-related causes per year on the continent.

This is almost double the annual rate observed between 1992 and 2021.

You will find more infographics at Statista

Similarly rapid surges were observed over the same time period in Asia-Pacific as well as in the Americas.

However, heat deaths stayed on a lower level in these regions and reached only an annual 3.4 and 2.1 in 100,000, respectively, during the last decade.

All three continents in question have an aging population, making heatwaves more deadly as it is older people who predominantly succumb to heat-related causes.

But Europe is also less prepared than other continents for a changing climate as its many temperate regions have not built for the heat and have traditionally neither been equipped for it, may that be in terms of air conditioner ownership or knowledge of ways to stay cool.

Hotter (and younger) regions of the globe have not seen the same developments in heat-related mortality, even though they do experience consistently higher levels of it.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and the Middle East as well as South and Southeast Asia, brutal heatwaves claim the lives between nine and 14 people per 100,000 every year.

In all three regions, this figure has changed by at most 10 percent since the 1990s.

Tyler Durden Wed, 07/01/2026 - 04:15

The state of Christian Pulisic’s left calf has all but disappeared as a story headed into the USMNT's Round of 32 clash against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"So disappointing to find out he is such a coward."

"So disappointing to find out he is such a coward."

Prosecutors say one defendant purchased at least 22 firearms over 10 months, with some converted to fully automatic weapons.

The brother of Baltimore Ravens star Calais Campbell was charged with murder after their mother was found dead inside her Atlanta home.

Clay Holmes is progressing to a mound in his rehab, but still weeks away from rejoining the Mets.

Ukraine's Desperate Propaganda Campaign While Russia Advances Along The Entire Front

Authored by Larry Johnson via Sonar21.com

Volodymyr Zelensky and his Western backers have launched a desperate 40-day "campaign of terrors" — which includes a mix of military escalations and a massive information/psyops operation designed to portray Russia as collapsing and Putin as facing an imminent uprising or coup. The goal is to force Russia into a ceasefire. Western audiences are being flooded with social media and regular media articles that paint a dire picture of Russia’s military campaign, while touting Ukraine’s incredible accomplishments. It is all a load of crap, but that is all the West has left in its quiver as Russia’s campaign of attrition continues to pulverize Ukraine.

The Western-led propaganda campaign consists of the following elements:

• Information Warfare — Heavy push of 24/7 propaganda about Putin’s “imminent downfall,” including staged videos of supposed Russian soldiers announcing a mutiny.
• Fake Psyops — Coordinated attempts to stoke panic in Russia (e.g., false claims of fuel/gas shortages, which were partly caused by panic buying triggered by the rumors).
• Symbolic Actions — Staged drone flag-drops (e.g., on the Kinburn Spit near Crimea) meant to symbolize Russian retreat and collapse — quickly debunked and mocked.
• Broader Objective — Combine these narratives with actual strikes on Russian infrastructure to create the impression of regime instability, pressuring Putin politically.

Now for the reality. Yes, Ukraine has hit some Russian refineries and created some spectacular visuals of billowing smoke and fire. However, this is nothing more than military political theater that is intended to distract from Ukraine's setbacks all along the front. As a side note, Russian oil exports have increased during this same period, putting to bed the narrative that Russia’s oil industry in suffering catastrophic losses.

via Reuters

Here is a summary of Russian activity, starting in the Northern section of the front:

Sumy Direction

In the Sumy direction, the “North” assault groups advanced on 19 sectors, and some units of Ukraine’s 104th Territorial Defense Brigade abandoned their positions in Bachevsk. Russian forces continued active operations along the border, conducting strikes on Ukrainian positions and logistics. They reported repelling multiple Ukrainian attempts to cross into Russian territory and inflicting significant losses on enemy manpower and equipment. Russian soldiers are now only a few kilometers from Sumy itself.

Kharkiv Direction

Russian troops advanced in several sectors north and northeast of Kharkiv. The MOD reported the liberation of additional border settlements and improvement of tactical positions. Russian Geran drones conduct a series of high-precision strikes on gas infrastructure in Kharkiv region overnight. A gas distribution station near Panyutino was struck — disabling gas storage tanks, gas pumping plants, and a gas treatment facility. The Skvortsovskaya gas treatment system near Kosogorovka was also hit.​​ Ukrainian counterattacks were repelled, with Russian artillery and aviation playing a key role in degrading enemy capabilities.

Donetsk Direction (Primary Focus)

Donetsk remains the main direction of Russian offensive operations. Russian troops are steadily advancing on the Pokrovsk axis, with Russian forces capturing multiple settlements and pushing toward key logistical nodes. The most notable achievement is in Konstantinovka, where Russian units have taken control of most of the city and disrupted Ukrainian supply lines. With both Pokrovsk and Konstantinovka gone, Russia controls the two southern and eastern approaches that previously buffered the Kramatorsk-Sloviansk agglomeration. The H-32 Pokrovsk-Konstantinovka highway and the T-0504 Bakhmut-Pokrovsk highway — both of which Russian forces had been fighting to seize specifically to link these two axes — now forms a contiguous corridor under Russian control, allowing logistics and force concentration to flow directly toward Druzhkivka and Kramatorsk without contesting two separate urban battles.The Russians also are advancing around Chasiv Yar and Toretsk, including gains in urban fighting and elevated positions.

Overall, the Russian MOD described consistent liberation of territory, high daily Ukrainian losses, and effective use of glide bombs, drones, and artillery to support ground advances.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (Dnipro region)

In the Dnipropetrovsk direction, the 36th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade captured Bogodarivka, the third settlement in three days since crossing the Dnieper River. Russian forces continue conducting regular long-range strikes (missiles and drones) on military-industrial targets, energy infrastructure, and logistical hubs in the oblast. Key targets included defense factories, repair facilities, and rail nodes supporting the Ukrainian front.

Zaporizhzhia Direction

In the Zaporozhye area, Russian forces have blocked a Ukrainian bridgehead in Aleksandrovka and have reached the southern outskirts of Pokrovskoye. After Russian forces took control of Novy Donbass, they advanced towards Shevchenko and Svetloye, isolating Ukrainian forward positions with drones. Russian forces maintain pressure through artillery, drone strikes, and localized assaults, destroying Ukrainian strongholds and equipment while holding defensive lines.

Kherson Direction

Operations remained largely positional along the Dnipro River. The Russian MOD highlighted successful strikes on Ukrainian crossings, logistics, and manpower concentrations on the right bank. Russian units conducted raids and maintained control over left-bank positions.

In other words, the Russian summer offensive is underway and Ukraine, despite its propaganda offensive, is retreating to the west.

*  *  *

Disclaimer: Contributor posts published on Zero Hedge do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Zero Hedge.

Tyler Durden Wed, 07/01/2026 - 03:30

Energy grids and train services are among the vital services that are vulnerable to very hot weather.

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These Countries Are Building The Most Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

The U.S. is leading the world in small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) development with 28 siting announcements, as of 2026.

This graphic, via Visual Capitalist's Cody Good, in partnership with the National Public Utilities Council, shows which countries are building the most SMRs.

The U.S. Leads Global SMR Development

With 28 siting announcements, the U.S. has more SMR projects in development than the next four countries combined.

 

Source: The Nuclear Energy Agency

Only 78 of 129 SMR designs being tracked by the NEA are publicly reported in the digital dashboard. The rest have either requested not to be included or are not under active development.

Across the U.S., national laboratories lead in siting announcements (7), followed by a three-way tie among utilities, universities, and SMR developers (5 each).

Why Small Modular Reactors Matter

SMRs are a critical clean-energy technology that are cheaper and more flexible than traditional nuclear power generation.

• Small: SMRs can produce up to 300 MWe, far less than traditional reactors, which typically produce around 1,000–1,400 MWe. 
• Modular: SMRs are designed for mass factory manufacturing to reduce cost and build time.
• Reactor: The four main reactor types are light water reactors, fast neutron reactors, graphite-moderated high temperature reactors, and molten salt reactors.

Their compact, modular design enables easier transport and deployment ideal for data centers or remote sites where grid connection is costly or unnecessary.

The Role of SMRs in the Future of Power

As electricity demand accelerates, SMRs are becoming an increasingly important part of conversations around grid reliability, energy security, and clean firm power. 

For utilities and policymakers, tracking where these projects are emerging can help inform planning, policy, and long-term strategy.

Tyler Durden Wed, 07/01/2026 - 02:45

Mauricio Pochettino apologized to reporters after his emotional post-Turkey comments as the USMNT shifts its full focus to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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The massive win occurred in the airport's C Gates after the traveler placed a $10 bet.

Will Denmark Really Ban The Islamic Call To Prayer?

Via Remix News,

Denmark’s government, led by the center-left Social Democrats, has once again announced plans to pursue a nationwide ban on the public broadcast of the Islamic call to prayer via loudspeakers. This now amounts to the third time the center-left government is trying to ban the call to prayer.

Immigration and Integration Minister Morten Bødskov stated that the government is investigating a legal framework to prohibit amplified calls to prayer from mosques.

“The call to prayer should not ring out above the Danish rooftops. It has no place in Denmark; one should not wonder if one is in a suburb of Islamabad when walking around the country,” he told the press.

However, this is the third attempt by the ruling party, with previous efforts in 2020 and 2025 failing to pass. Will the third time be a charm?

One of the major hurdles is that Danish law protects religious freedom, and any blanket national ban on amplified calls to prayer has raised concerns about violating the rights of Muslims. The government needed to investigate whether such a prohibition could withstand legal scrutiny when balanced against residents’ rights to a quiet environment. Past efforts stalled during this review process without advancing to enforceable legislation.

Furthermore, many areas of the country have already banned the call to prayer, such as the biggest city, Copenhagen. These areas have achieved this through existing local noise bylaws or municipal regulations, reducing the urgency for a sweeping national law. This has historically made a new nationwide framework harder to justify or pass.

One attempt to ban the call to prayer was also reportedly interrupted by parliamentary elections, which led to a shift in government priorities at the time.

Denmark is arguably the Scandinavian nation most hostile to mass immigration, with the left-wing parties there considered to have right-wing policies on the issue. However, parties to the right, which call for remigration and even stricter action, argue that legal migration, including from Third World and Muslim countries, has been steadily increasing under the left-wing Social Democrat government.

The current immigration minister, Bødskov, is actually considered “softer” on immigration than his predecessors, such as Rasmus Stoklund and Kaare Dybvad Bek, who were known for their harsher rhetoric against mass immigration. His tough public statements are often viewed as necessary political positioning to align with the party’s established tough stance towards immigration under Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, rather than his personal views on the subject.

Nevertheless, it remains unclear how far Bødskov is willing to go or if this announcement is more political posturing. The Danish government is reviewing legality, including compatibility with religious freedom protections in the constitution. The current effort would move beyond local noise regulations to a national prohibition, but no final bill has been introduced yet, and implementation details, such as the exact scope and potential penalties, are still at the discussion phase.

While this renewed push builds on Denmark’s stricter immigration and integration policies, including a recent ban on Islamic full-face veils like the niqab and burqa, it remains to be seen if the government can pull this new proposal off.

Read more here...

Tyler Durden Wed, 07/01/2026 - 02:00