Time zones in China and Russia

 ⁠China officially spans across five geographical time zones but operates on a single standard time zone, China Standard Time (UTC+08:00). Also known as ⁠Beijing Time, it is used nationwide without any daylight saving time. [1, 2]

• History: The single time zone was established in 1949 by Chairman Mao Zedong to promote national unity across the country.
• Geographical impact: Because the country is so wide, the sun rises and sets at vastly different times depending on your location. In the westernmost region of ⁠Xinjiang, for example, the sun may not rise until 10:00 a.m. local time, leading many locals there to unofficially use Xinjiang Time (UTC+06:00). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Key Facts About China's Clock Policy
  • Current status: Clocks stay on China Standard Time (UTC+08:00) all year.
  • Past practice: China did try daylight saving time between 1986 and 1991.
  • Why it stopped: The government abandoned the practice because the energy savings were minimal, and the time shifts caused too much confusion for the population. [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Unlike China, Russia is split into 11 separate time zones, but like China, it does not change its clocks for summer and winter. [1, 2, 3, 4]

  The Time Zones of Russia

  Because Russia is the largest country by landmass, its contiguous borders span nearly halfway around the planet. [1]

  • The range: Local times stretch all the way from UTC+02:00 in ⁠Kaliningrad (the westernmost Baltic enclave) to UTC+12:00 in Kamchatka (the far eastern peninsula). [1, 2]
  • The span: There is a 10-hour time difference between the western and eastern edges of the country. When a resident in Moscow is waking up at 8:00 a.m., it is already 6:00 p.m. on the Pacific coast. [1, 2]

  The Clock-Changing Policy

  Russia abandoned seasonal daylight saving time (DST) adjustments entirely. [1, 2]

  • The status: All 11 zones remain on permanent standard time all year long. [1]
  • The history: Russia previously used DST for decades. In 2011, the government switched to year-round "summer time". This proved highly unpopular because citizens hated waking up in intense darkness during the freezing winter months. [1]
  • The fix: In October 2014, ⁠President Vladimir Putin shifted the nation to permanent "winter time" (standard time) to ensure morning daylight better matched natural sunrise patterns. [1]

  

  
  
  

Did 5,000 people die from heat in Germany last week?

 

Yes, Germany has recorded over 5,000 heat-related deaths linked to the brutal heatwave that struck the region in late June 2026. [1]

On July 9, 2026, Germany's main public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), officially reported an estimated 5,120 heat-related deaths so far this year. The vast majority of these fatalities occurred during the intense historic heatwave that paralyzed Europe between June 22 and June 28, 2026. [1, 2, 3]

Key Details of the Death Toll

• Primary Victims: Elderly populations were by far the hardest hit. The RKI noted that 4,270 of the deaths occurred in individuals aged 75 and older, with a disproportionately higher number of women affected. [1, 2, 3]
• Peak Week Impact: According to RKI tracking, an estimated 4,310 of those deaths surged explicitly during the peak week of June 22–28. [1]
• Statistical Excess: Separately, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reported 5,486 excess deaths above the historical median during the final full week of June. [1]

Historic Context of the Heatwave

• Record Temperatures: Western Europe experienced its⁠hottest June on record. In Germany, temperatures breached a national all-time record, peaking at 41.7°C (107.1°F). [1, 2]
• Lack of Infrastructure: Public health experts noted that the high mortality rate was exacerbated because most buildings, hospitals, and care facilities in Germany lack air conditioning. [1]
• Broader European Toll: The crisis was continent-wide. Combined data from France, Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands reported an additional 4,700 excess deaths during the exact same late-June period. [1, 2]