Zero Hedge

Rolls-Royce Bags Third European SMR Deal While Adding Gas-Cooled Reactor Design

Rolls-Royce Bags Third European SMR Deal While Adding Gas-Cooled Reactor Design

Rolls-Royce SMR just added its third major European contract. Videberg Kraft, backed by Sweden’s utility Vattenfall, selected the UK design for three units on the west coast, making it Sweden’s first new nuclear plant in more than forty years. 

The multibillion-pound export win, actively supported by UK government trade efforts, lands on top of existing deals in the UK and Czechia and makes Rolls-Royce the only SMR developer with multiple binding commitments across the continent.

We tracked when the UK advanced its own program, Great British Energy – Nuclear signed a contract earlier this year to move forward with initial units at Wylfa in North Wales. CEZ in the Czech Republic had already inked an early works agreement for deployment at Temelin, with plans ultimately targeting up to 3 GW of Rolls-Royce capacity and even taking a 20% stake in the company’s SMR subsidiary.

The Sweden announcement came one day after Rolls-Royce, the UK National Nuclear Laboratory, and Japan’s JAEA signed trilateral memorandums to accelerate High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) technology and the next generation of coated particle fuel that goes with it

The program is positioned as complementary to the existing 470 MWe pressurized-water SMR. HTGRs are different reactor technology, different size and power output, but the same modular construction philosophy and supply-chain approach.

The fuel development announcement carries added weight given the UK's history of developing the first generation of advanced, durable nuclear fuel. 

BISO and TRISO image from ResearchGate

Coated particle fuel, the accident-tolerant form that enables the high-temperature safety case for these gas reactors, traces its conceptual lineage straight back to BISO work done in the UK during the Dragon reactor program in the 1960s. TRISO evolved from those early British coated-particle concepts. 

Rolls-Royce and its partners are now moving to qualify and ultimately manufacture next-generation versions of this fuel form. 

The US connection fits the same pattern. Rolls-Royce is already embedded in BWXT’s Project Pele effort for the Department of Defense, delivering the power conversion module for the mobile microreactor that BWXT is building with TRISO fuel and that targets operation around 2028. 

The growing roadmap and list of projects is great for the company and the rolling press releases, but, similar to most of the other Western reactor developers, the company is lacking with getting nuclear-grade steel in the ground. Site prep work is ongoing in the UK, but given the significant delays with the UK's current larger reactor program, it could still be years before Rolls-Royce reaches criticality on any of their new facilities. 

Tyler Durden Wed, 06/17/2026 - 04:15

BBC Hands Soros-Linked Pro-Migrant Campaigners Direct Access To Shape Children's Show

BBC Hands Soros-Linked Pro-Migrant Campaigners Direct Access To Shape Children's Show

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity,

Britain's state broadcaster has opened the door to pro-migrant activists who openly brag about steering storylines in a CBBC comedy aimed at primary school children.

While small boat crossings continue and communities deal with the daily consequences of unchecked arrivals, the BBC opted to let outside campaigners help frame migration narratives for the youngest viewers instead of reflecting the scale of policy failure.

The programme in question is Pickle Storm, a CBBC (Children's BBC) series following a young 'alien' who flees persecution on her home planet and settles in a British town. Her family encounters 'humorous' culture shock moments. Reports note that pro-migrant charity Heard held meetings with the show's producers at Blackdog Television, including at least one BBC children's programming representative on a Zoom call.

Heard later claimed in its own materials that producers used the input to inform the second series, which aired in 2025. The charity described the engagement as part of a strategy to "tap into children's media and directly impact framing of migration in children's content."

Heard presents itself as seeking to "shift public attitudes, norms and policy preferences." A spokesperson told The Telegraph the group helps media professionals "represent those experiences fairly and accurately" while focusing on "building understanding between people."

The BBC claims that the charity "had no power to influence editing or production of its programming" and described expert consultations as standard practice.

Heard has received more than £4.5 million in grant funding since launching in 2021. Much of it flows from left-leaning foundations including the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and seed support linked to George Soros's Open Society Foundations.

Additional backing has come through Arts Council England and Comic Relief channels. Similar efforts by another group, Imix, have secured over £2 million since 2019 from National Lottery and Comic Relief sources.

Imix focuses on "building social support for migration" by targeting "persuadable audiences" through journalists and media placements. It has claimed credit for stories placed on BBC News and in newspapers, including pieces about refugees finding new homes in Britain and coverage of LGBT refugees from Africa.

The group also consulted on sympathetic portrayals in drama, including an asylum seeker storyline on ITV's Coronation Street.

These operations form part of a coordinated "narrative change" push funded by globalist and left-wing sources. The goal is to soften public resistance to high levels of migration through entertainment, news, and children's programming rather than open debate.

This approach fits a wider pattern already documented across UK institutions. Schools have been drawn into similar messaging through programmes that supply reading lists and events promoting unconditional welcome for new arrivals, including those coming by small boat.

Government-backed initiatives have gone further by embedding warnings inside children's content that questioning mass migration or noticing rapid cultural shifts can signal extremist thinking.

One Home Office-funded video game aimed at 11- to 18-year-olds portrays researching immigration statistics or expressing concern over changes to British values as routes that raise an "extremism meter" and trigger Prevent referrals or counseling for ideological issues.

Counter-terrorism police campaigns have reinforced the message by warning teenagers that sharing material they consider merely "funny" online can result in device seizures, criminal records, and barriers to education if authorities later classify it as 'terrorist' content.

The same institutions pushing positive migration framing for young children simultaneously expand surveillance-style tools that treat skepticism as a gateway to radicalisation. This creates a closed loop: state media and charities shape the approved narrative for the next generation while official channels flag dissent for intervention.

Critics have highlighted the hypocrisy. While proposals surface to restrict platforms accused of spreading "disinformation" on migration, the BBC faces no equivalent scrutiny for allowing activist input into content consumed by primary school children.

These efforts form only one layer of a much larger state apparatus dedicated to narrative management. The Home Office's Research, Information and Communications Unit, operating under the Prevent banner, functions as a dedicated nudge unit that seeds favourable migration messaging while actively working to suppress and reframe backlash.

Leaked operations show the unit advising police intelligence teams to identify online protest calls and supplying strategic guidance to portray demonstrators as unsympathetic thugs rather than citizens raising legitimate concerns, all aimed at behavioural change.

It has also inserted itself into family liaison after migrant-linked incidents, scripting statements with generic phrasing that pivots to calls for calm and emphasis on migrant contributions instead of unfiltered grief or anger.

Heard and aligned groups frame their work as countering "well-funded anti-migrant campaigns and the disinformation that spreads hostility online." An Imix spokesman described narrative change work as "listening to people's real concerns, being honest, and meeting them where they are."

The results on the ground tell a different story. Record net migration, ongoing small boat arrivals, and visible pressures on housing, schools, and healthcare continue regardless of polished storylines about aliens finding refuge or hippos making room for newcomers.

Parents and taxpayers fund the BBC through the licence fee. They also fund many of the grants and public bodies supporting these narrative efforts. The claim that such consultations are harmless "standard practice" rings hollow when the groups involved explicitly measure success by their ability to shift attitudes among the youngest audiences.

Britain's approach to mass migration has produced measurable strains. Rather than confront those outcomes directly, captured institutions have chosen to engineer consent from the ground up, starting with children's television and classroom materials.

This is not education. It is narrative management dressed as entertainment and safeguarding. The public deserves broadcasters and schools that reflect reality instead of laundering activist priorities through content aimed at seven-year-olds.

Removing third-party ideological programmes from classrooms would be a minimal first step toward restoring balance and protecting the next generation's right to form their own views without state-approved filters.

The pattern is clear and consistent. Institutions captured by globalist priorities use every available channel - television, schools, games, and even police messaging - to suppress open discussion of immigration failure while accelerating efforts to make the next generation more receptive to it.

Parents who object are not extremists. They are the last line of defence for their children's ability to think independently.

Tyler Durden Wed, 06/17/2026 - 03:30

Which Countries Americans Like Most (And Least)

Which Countries Americans Like Most (And Least)

Public opinion offers a window into how Americans perceive the world beyond their borders.

Using Gallup survey data from February 2026, this ranking, via Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeld, shows how Americans view 21 major countries, from longtime allies to geopolitical competitors.

The results provide a snapshot of global perceptions at a time of shifting international relationships and rising geopolitical tensions.

How Americans View 21 Major Countries

The table below shows favorable and unfavorable ratings based on a Gallup survey of 1,001 U.S. adults conducted in February 2026.

America’s Allies Dominate the Top

Canada remains one of America’s most favorably viewed countries, but its 80% rating is the lowest Gallup has recorded.

Japan, Canada, Italy, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany all rank near the top of the list. Their strong economic, security, and cultural connections to the U.S. highlight how foreign relationships can shape public perceptions.

Notably, each of the top seven countries is either a NATO member or a formal U.S. treaty ally.

Japan and Italy moved ahead of Canada and Britain in 2026 after favorability toward both longtime allies fell to record lows. Meanwhile, Japan’s rating has climbed steadily from 65% in 1995, reflecting decades of expanding economic and security ties.

Mexico ranks eighth overall with a 66% favorable rating, suggesting that deep economic and cultural connections can outweigh political tensions.

Israel Stands Apart

Israel occupies a uniquely divisive position in American public opinion. In 2026, 46% of Americans viewed Israel favorably, while 48% viewed it unfavorably, making it one of the few countries in the survey with nearly equal shares of positive and negative views.

The divide comes amid changing attitudes toward the Middle East conflict. According to Gallup, 2026 marked the first year in more than two decades that Americans expressed greater sympathy for Palestinians than Israelis. While this measure differs from overall country favorability, it highlights how public opinion on the region has shifted in recent years.

What the Results Reveal

The rankings suggest that public opinion is shaped by more than economics or geography alone.

Countries with longstanding diplomatic, security, and cultural ties to the United States tend to receive the strongest ratings, while nations associated with conflict or strategic competition generally rank near the bottom.

At the same time, the results highlight how perceptions can evolve. Japan has steadily climbed in favorability over the past three decades, while support for longtime partners such as Canada and the United Kingdom has softened in recent years.

Learn More on the Voronoi App 

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the countries losing trust in America.

Tyler Durden Wed, 06/17/2026 - 02:45

Yet More Churches Torched; Sustained Attack On Christianity Gathers Pace

Yet More Churches Torched; Sustained Attack On Christianity Gathers Pace

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity,

France suffered another direct hit to its Christian heritage last week when two historic religious sites burned within hours of each other.

A 17th-century chapel in Brittany lost most of its roof and part of its framework, while a centuries-old cloister housing thousands of rare books in the southwest saw its library devastated.

These blazes fit a widening pattern of attacks on churches and sacred sites that shows no sign of slowing, even as the state claims it lacks funds for preservation while directing resources elsewhere.

The incidents occurred on June 12. In Trégastel, Côtes-d'Armor, flames engulfed the Chapelle Sainte-Anne-des-Rochers, built in 1635 and already closed to the public since March for structural safety reasons.

Firefighters battled the blaze that destroyed roughly 75 percent of the slate roof and caused part of the charpente to collapse. Artworks and classified statues inside were saved.

One widely shared post captured the events plainly: "Another church on fire in France last night." It highlighted the Trégastel chapel while noting this was one of two such fires that day.

Hours later, in Condom, Gers, fire broke out in the médiathèque located in the historic cloister attached to the cathedral. Hundreds of square meters of roofing burned, and the collection of over 4,300 archived volumes suffered heavy damage from flames, water, and smoke.

The cathedral structure itself was protected, but the loss to local history and scholarship is severe.

Christian heritage sites that define French identity keep burning while the state pleads poverty for repairs yet finds ample resources for mass immigration and other priorities. Crowdfunding appeals and calls on the Fondation du Patrimoine now appear routine for these "accidental" losses.

These latest fires arrive amid a documented surge in incidents targeting Christian places of worship. Reports indicate nearly 50 fires or arson attempts on churches and Christian sites in France in 2024 alone, representing roughly a 30 percent rise from 38 the prior year.

Broader tallies over recent years point to well over 100 such events. France consistently records among the highest numbers of anti-Christian acts and church fires in Europe.

Previous coverage has tracked the gutting of historic churches across France, often with officials quick to cite accidents or brush fires while skepticism mounts over the sheer volume and timing.

Similar blazes have struck in Canada and the UK, with governments showing little urgency compared to their responses on, shall we say... other issues.

In the UK, Prime Minister Starmer voiced immediate concern and backed funding boosts for mosque security after one incident, yet stayed silent as historic churches burned.

The contrast reveals selective priorities. Christian sites that have stood for centuries face repeated destruction, while the political class appears more invested in demographic transformation than in safeguarding the civilization that built the nation.

Mainstream coverage often frames each blaze in isolation, citing investigations without clear conclusions or motive. Yet the cumulative effect is unmistakable: a steady erosion of physical symbols of Christianity.

Heritage advocates have long warned that rural churches and smaller sites receive inadequate protection and funding compared to flagship projects. When fires strike, the response frequently defaults to donation drives rather than systemic prevention or serious scrutiny of patterns.

France's Christian roots in particular are under sustained pressure from vandalism, desecration, arson, and demographic shifts driven by open-border policies. Each new incident chips away at the tangible inheritance of Western civilization while elites prioritize globalist projects and mass migration over preservation.

These fires are not random bad luck or isolated failures. They form part of a broader assault on Christianity and the cultural foundations it provided for Europe and the wider West. When governments downplay the trend, fast-track replacement-level immigration, and offer only crowdfunding as a fix, they signal that Christian heritage ranks low on the priority list.

Nations serious about their identity do not let their foundational landmarks burn while claiming helplessness. They secure borders, enforce laws without favor, and treat attacks on their civilizational core as the emergencies they are.

France's repeated losses serve as a warning: without a sharp course correction toward sovereignty and cultural self-preservation, more irreplaceable pieces of the Christian inheritance will vanish.

Tyler Durden Wed, 06/17/2026 - 02:00

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