The European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) has launched a new initiative under the EU4Health programme to improve the early detection of health threats through enhanced wastewater monitoring
This involves the signing of new framework contracts that will establish a comprehensive sentinel surveillance system across the European Union.
The contracts, signed under three specific Lots, focus on the supply of equipment, the analysis of pathogens, and the monitoring of pollutants in untreated wastewater. The three lots demonstrate efforts to establish a robust early warning system for detecting emerging threats, such as pandemics and environmental risks.
A sentinel system for Europe
The goal of this initiative is to develop a global sentinel system by closely monitoring untreated wastewater at selected “super-sites” across Europe. Wastewater is increasingly recognised as a valuable source of data for public health surveillance, offering insight into community-wide trends in infection and pollution levels.
The contracts will ensure that strategic sites can collect, package, and analyse wastewater samples for the presence of viruses, bacteria, and chemical pollutants. This effort is expected to improve Europe’s capacity to detect and respond to potential public health crises promptly.
Lot 1: Supplies and equipment for wastewater sampling
The first contract, signed on March 12, 2025, focuses on logistics and equipment. Valued at up to €7.2 million and set to run for four years, this framework agreement encompasses the provision of sampling materials, equipment for wastewater collection and analysis, and dispatch services.
These services will ensure the efficient transport of samples from monitoring super-sites to laboratories designated under Lots 2 and 3 for further analysis.
Lot 2: Pathogen detection and genetic analysis
On 27 May 2025, multiple contracts were signed under Lot 2 to conduct advanced microbiological analyses on wastewater samples. With a total financial support of €18.8 million, these contracts encompass several key technologies, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR), whole-genome sequencing (WGS), next-generation sequencing (NGS), and Shotgun Metagenomics.
These methods allow researchers to detect known pathogens and track new or mutating ones through genetic data. The integration of Shotgun Metagenomics also enables the study of complex microbial ecosystems, providing a clear view of the microbial content of wastewater samples.
Lot 3: Monitoring pollutants of emerging concern
Also signed on 27 May 2025, Lot 3 focuses on chemical analysis. With a total allocation of €6 million, these contracts enable the detection and quantification of pollutants using mass spectrometric techniques combined with multi-residue extraction methods.
These procedures are essential for identifying contaminants that could pose risks to human health or the environment, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and industrial chemicals.
Improving public health resilience
This wastewater surveillance initiative is part of a broader EU4Health effort to strengthen public health systems and resilience in Europe. Initially developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, EU4Health now plays a vital role in preparing for future cross-border health threats.
Managed by HaDEA, the programme supports health authorities, organisations, and research institutions through funding and procurement initiatives. With this latest set of contracts, the EU is positioning itself at the forefront of health surveillance, using innovative science to protect its population from emerging risks.
Meet the ICONS – iconic Guinness World Records title holders who made history! 🤩
Every year, we take a good look at allll of our amazing record holders and, amongst them, we find people with some of history’s most game-changing and remarkable achievements in the entire world…
These are our ICONS! 🏆
Want to know who made the cut in 2025?
Keep reading…
Preet Chandi
Meet Preet Chandi, also known as Polar Preet.
She is a polar explorer who travels to the freezing North or South Pole to learn about the icy land, animals, and how to survive in extreme cold…🥶
And to break world records, of course!
Preet completed the longest and fastest solo unsupported one-way polar ski journeyin history whilst carrying a 75-kg (165-lb) sledge with supplies.
To do it, she skied for an average of 13 hours a day, completing the feat in 31 days, 13 hours and 19 minutes. ⛷️
What a legend!
If you have big dreams like Preet, here is her advice:
“Take it one step at a time, you can do it. Don’t give up!”
Rumeysa and Jyoti
These are Rumeysa Gelgi and Jyoti Amge, respectively the world’s TALLEST and SHORTEST women!
Rumeysa is from Türkiye while Jyoti is from India and, after meeting recently for the first time, they became good pals. 😌
So how tall are they?
Well, tallest woman livingRumeysa is 215.16 cm (7 ft 0.7 in) tall, while Jyoti, the shortest woman living (mobile), is 62.8 cm (2 ft 0.7 in) tall…
Their height difference is roughly equivalent to a 12-year-old girl! 🤯
According to Rumeysa, “Every disadvantage can be turned into an advantage for yourself, so accept yourself for who you are, be aware of your potential and do your best.”
Remember that if you ever feel insecure!
Taylor Swift
Who doesn’t LOVE the iconic pop star Taylor Swift?! 🎤
Amongst her many, many achievements, she holds OVER 100 world records – too many to count.
Her best advice?
“No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.”
Well said, Taylor!
Robert Wadlow
Robert Wadlow is the tallest man ever – yes, the tallest man to EVER EXIST!
No man will ever be taller than Robert Wadlow, and that’s a fact.
How tall, you ask?
The “Giant of Illinois” was an incredible 8 ft 11 in (2.72 m) tall – taller than a grizzly bear standing on its hind legs! 🐻
He couldn’t feel his feet and he required leg braces when walking, but he never used a wheelchair in his life.
He was famous all around the world as a young man in the 1930s, almost 100 years ago.
Wow!
Barbie
Last but not least, no doll is more iconic than Barbie, one of the most successful toys in the world!
Do you have any Barbie dolls? 👧
Barbie holds so many records, such as:
The most expensive Barbie doll sold at auctionwas bought for $302,500 (then approx. £192,000) 🤑
The largest collection of Barbie dollsis 18,500 and belongs to Bettina Dorfmann from Germany.
OVER $150 OFF: As of July 8, the TCL QM6K 65-inch TV is just $547.99 at Amazon, down from $698. That’s its lowest ever price for a saving of 21%.
There’s no better symbol for an event like Prime Day that a seriously big, generously discounted smart TV. Well, Prime Day 2025 is here, and among the TV discounts we’ve found the TCL QM6K 65-inch TV, a QD-Mini LED TV of eye-popping proportions — with all the bells, whistles, and spec — down to a record low price.
The TCL QM6K 65-inch TV has been marked down by 21%. As of July 8, it’s available for $547.99 for Prime Day — down from the regular list price of $698.
SEE ALSO:
How to sign up for Amazon Prime ahead of Prime Day
The first thing to notice: it’s absolutely huge. At 65 inches, it’s the kind of TV that’s made for a big home cinema experience and major sporting events. Not to mention streaming from all the top platforms — which come courtesy of the Google TV operating system — as well as next gen gaming, thanks to a whole host of gaming features.
The crisp, richly colored 4K visuals are created by precise mini LED technology, with support for Dolby Vision and other HDR formats. The colors are vivid and the blacks are sumptuous. And AI-powered processing analyzes every frame to optimize the brightness, color, and contrast as you watch.
As for gaming, it has a dedicated games bar where you can adjust all your settings and see real-time performance stats. It maxes out with a refresh rate of 288hz. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a PS5 or Xbox.
Mashable Deals
Don’t miss the TCL QM6K 65-inch TV at a bargain knockdown discount of 21% — now just $547.99.
If you’ve only just jumped into the sale, take a look at our Prime Day live blog to get the full lowdown.
The best early Prime Day deals, hand-picked by Mashable’s team of experts
KARACHI – Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori on Tuesday announced that 80-square-yard residential plots would be allotted to the victims of the Lyari tragedy.
Governor Tessori also assured the victims of full support from the Governor House regarding their rehabilitation.
“I arrived in the city and immediately proceeded to Lyari without wasting any time,” said the governor while talking to the reporters during his visit to the affected area in Karachi..
He svowed to formally communicate his recommendations to the Sindh government in writing.
“This is not a minor incident. The Sindh government must pay six months’ rent and ensure alternative housing for the displaced families,” Tessori said. He praised political leaders Nabeel Gabol and Saeed Ghani for raising the issue and acknowledged their constructive remarks.
The Sindh governor pledged that the matter would not be ignored and promised that those responsible would be held accountable.
“There will be no silence over this tragedy. Justice will be served. The Governor House is actively engaged in all relief efforts and will also provide ration and employment assistance to the affected families,” he said.
He also expressed solidarity with the Hindu community and other residents affected by the building evacuations, urging the provincial government to ensure displaced residents are relocated within the same locality with rental support for six months.
The governor further announced the establishment of a dedicated helpline 1133 at the Governor House to assist the victims directly.
“I officially announce the allotment of 80-square-yard plots to the affected families. The Governor House stands with them in this difficult time,” said Tessori, adding that a large number of people were present during his visit and expressed their support for his actions.
Sindh to demolish dangerous buildings in Karachi as Lyari incident claims 27 lives
Round 11 of 2025 brings us to the Liqui Moly Grand Prix of Germany, which means one thing – we’re Sachsenring bound. We’ve had some fantastic races at the historic layout, and to get yourselves in the mood for our latest chapter, why not enjoy some that we’ve picked out for free?
2003: Rossi vs Gibernau
Less than a tenth – 0.060s to be exact – split the rivals at the flag in 2003, with Sete Gibernau getting the better of Valentino Rossi coming out of the final corner in a superb finish to a brilliant encounter. The duo were in a league of their own, with Troy Bayliss 13s away from the fight in P3 for Ducati.
2006: Rossi vs Melandri vs Hayden vs Pedrosa
Four riders all fighting for victory until the final lap? That’s exactly what MotoGP fans were treated to back in 2006 as title-chasing Rossi and Nicky Hayden were joined at the front by Marco Melandri and star rookie Dani Pedrosa. Rossi eventually came out on top, but the quartet crossed the line just 0.3s apart, with Pedrosa the one narrowly missing out on a podium.
2009: Rossi vs Lorenzo
Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo have treated us to plenty of memorable moments, and the 2009 German GP was one of them. Pedrosa stuck with the Yamaha pair for as long as he could, but the 25-point fight was between the #46 and #99, with 0.099s the gap in favour of the Italian.
2010: Pedrosa vs Stoner vs Lorenzo
In a red-flagged race at the Sachsenring, we enjoyed a Pedrosa vs Lorenzo vs Casey Stoner battle at the front. Three legends all racing for different manufacturers. In the end, Pedrosa came out on top to claim his second MotoGP victory at the venue.
2016: Marquez wins flag-to-flag epic
Wet to dry, and Marc Marquez coming out on top at the Sachsenring. There was drama aplenty in the 2016 edition and the #93’s early call to switch to an intermediate front and slick rear paid off, while others – including Rossi – stayed out too long. Marquez claimed victory by 9s as Cal Crutchlow and long-time race leader Andrea Dovizioso stood on the podium in P2 and P3.
Accelerating its efforts to create ever-better motorsports-bred cars and realise a carbon-neutral society, TOYOTA has been competing with a hydrogen-engine Corolla since 2021 in the Super Taikyu series in Japan. Jari-Matti Latvala, Team Principal of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team, has been among the drivers who have raced with the innovative powertrain and provided their feedback in its development.
In 2022, the technology was demonstrated on the rally stages of Europe for the first time when the experimental GR Yaris H2 made its debut at the FIA World Rally Championship round in Belgium, driven by Akio Toyoda and Juha Kankkunen.
Since then, development has continued to create the Rally2 H2 Concept, which will be demonstrated at Rally Finland to allow rally fans to experience the potential of hydrogen as one of the options for the future of motorsport in a carbon neutral society.
The car is based upon the successful GR Yaris Rally2 chassis and fitted with an internal combustion engine fuelled by compressed hydrogen, delivering near-zero emissions while retaining the sounds and sensations so enjoyed by rally fans.
The GR Yaris Rally2 H2 Concept has been developed at TGR-WRT headquarters in Jyväskylä, Finland, and tested on local roads, including runs on gravel forest roads like those used in Rally Finland. For its public debut, the car will be demonstrated on the mixed-surface Harju stage in the centre of Jyväskylä, which runs as the opening stage of the rally on Thursday evening and again as SS10 on Friday. Four-time world champion Kankkunen, Deputy Team Principal of TGR-WRT, will be at the wheel.
The car will also be exhibited in the service park during the event alongside other hydrogen vehicles like the Toyota Mirai and Tundra, as part of a wider showcase of hydrogen technology across the city of Jyväskylä.
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Patient’s demographic and clinical characteristics
A total of 442 CHC patients (mean age = 48.26 ± 14.67 years, 272 males and 170 female) were included in this study, including 242 CHC patients (the CHC group) and 200 CHC patients combined with T2DM (the CHC + T2DM group). As shown in Table 1, several baseline characteristics were significantly different from between the two groups. Compared to the CHC group, the CHC + T2DM group had significantly higher age (P < 0.001), BMI (P = 0.001), fasting blood glucose (P < 0.001), fasting insulin (P = 0.015), HOMA-IR (Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance) index (P < 0.001), transaminases alanine transaminase (ALT) (P < 0.001) and aspartate transaminase (AST) (P < 0.001), total bilirubin (P < 0.001), γ-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT) (P < 0.001), and cirrhosis prevalence (P < 0.001). In addition, the types of hepatitis diagnoses were also significantly different between groups (P < 0.001). The CHC + T2DM group had more moderate, severe hepatitis, cirrhosis, and even hepatic carcinoma as compared with the CHC group.
Table 1 Baseline characteristics of CHC patients with and without T2DM (Mean ± SD or n (%))
Independent variables associated with T2DM
To investigate independent variables associated with T2DM in CHC patients, the univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed using the CHC group as a reference outcome (Table 2). The associated factors significant in both univariate and multivariate models included age (univariate models OR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.07–1.53, P < 0.001, multivariate models OR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.05–1.13, P < 0.001), fasting blood glucose (univariate models OR: 6.64, 95% CI: 4.46–9.88, P < 0.001, multivariate models OR: 16.20, 95% CI: 6.67–39.38, P < 0.001), fasting insulin (univariate models OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01–1.06, P = 0.002, multivariate models OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.03–1.46, P = 0.021), HOMA-IR (univariate models OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.37–1.70, P < 0.001, multivariate models OR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.25–0.92, P = 0.027), and GGT (univariate models OR: 1.01 95% CI: 1.01–1.02, P < 0.001, multivariate models OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00-1.02, P = 0.011). It seemed that higher age, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, and GGT were risk factors of T2DM in CHC patients. In addition, cirrhosis (univariate models OR: 9.24, 95% CI: 4.25–20.07, P < 0.001, multivariate models OR: 15.32, 95% CI: 4.82–48.73, P < 0.001) and hypertension (univariate models OR: 19.50, 95% CI: 7.64–49.76, P < 0.001, multivariate models OR: 31.00, 95% CI: 7.34-130.96, P < 0.001) also increase the risk of T2DM in CHC patients.
Table 2 Logistic regression analysis of independent factors associated with diabetes
Diagnostic efficacy of continuous associated factors
To further evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the independent variables associated with T2DM, ROC analysis was conducted. In Table 3, significant AUCs were found in all factors, including age (0.783), fasting blood glucose (0.904), fasting insulin (0.569), HOMA-IR (0.749), and GGT (0.715) (all P < 0.05). As shown in Fig. 1, a higher associated factor predicted a higher risk of T2DM. Fasting blood glucose had the best AUC (0.904), with a sensitivity of 0.81 and specificity of 0.94. The cut-off was 5.94 mmol/l was suggested by comparatively maximum Youden’s index (0.74). These results indicate that fasting blood glucose was a good factor in discriminating against the CHC group and CHC + T2DM group.
Fig. 1
The ROC results of all significantly continuous associated factors to DM, including age, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and GGT
Table 3 The receiver operating characteristic analysis of all significantly continuous associated factors with diabetes
The clinical characteristics of CHC patients combined with T2DM by genotypes
HCV Genotyping was performed in 286 CHC outpatients, including 242 cases in the CHC group and 44 in the CHC + T2DM groups (Table 4). The distribution of HCV genotypes was significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.008). Specifically, the CHC group had a higher proportion of genotype 1b (140/242, 57.85%) and other genotypes (14/242, 5.79%), while the CHC + T2DM group had a higher proportion of genotypes 2a (7/44, 15.91%), 3a (5/44, 11.36%), and 6a (12/44, 27.27%). Notably, genotype 3a was significantly more prevalent in the CHC + T2DM group compared to the CHC group (5/242, 2.07% vs. 5/44, 11.36%, P = 0.032).
Table 4 The distribution of genotypes between the two groups
Subgroup analysis stratified by HCV genotypes was performed in the 44 CHC + T2DM outpatients. As shown in Table 5, BMI was the only significant variable among the four genotypes subgroups (P = 0.011).
Table 5 Subgroup analysis stratified by genotypes of the clinical characteristics of in patients with chronic hepatitis C combined with diabetes
