One in five of the 1.92m patients on list wait longer than six weeks for tests such as CT and MRI scans, analysis shows
A record number of people are waiting for a diagnostic test on the NHS, triggering fears that delays in accessing CT and MRI scans could endanger patients’ health.
A total of 1.92 million patients in England are waiting to have a test to diagnose their illness such as by an ultrasound scan, assessment of their hearing, bone scan or various tests for cancer.
The diagnostic waiting list has grown by 500,000 since 2022.
It is 83% higher than beforethe Covid pandemic.
On current trends the waiting list will hit 2 million in March 2027.
Por Ivone Alves García Las sociedades se engañan con una facilidad asombrosa: como niños, muchos creen que los grandes cambios nacen de revoluciones sangrientas, de golpes de Estado o de…
A general view of Athens, where older residential properties continue to dominate Greece’s housing market. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Dimboukas / CC BY-SA 3.0.
More than seven in ten property purchases in Greece in 2025 involved residential homes, with three-quarters of those sales concerning buildings over twenty years old, underscoring the country’s persistent shortage of new housing. The figures point to a structural imbalance in the Greek real estate market in which limited construction in recent years has failed to keep pace with demand.
As a result, buyers continue to turn to older properties, particularly in the country’s largest urban centers. Residential properties accounted for 74.8 percent of all property sales in 2025. Plots of land followed at 14.3 percent, agricultural land at 5.8 percent, and commercial properties at 5.1 percent.
The data comes from REMAX Greece, a real estate network, and is based on thousands of completed transactions recorded through its ninety offices and more than 1,200 agents nationwide.
Three-quarters of homes sold were over 20 years old
Homes more than twenty years old represented 75.6 percent of residential property sales across Greece. Newly-built homes, defined as properties up to five years old, accounted for just 12.3 percent of sales.
Properties aged six to ten years represented only 0.3 percent of transactions, while homes aged 11 to 15 years accounted for 2 percent. Properties aged 16 to 20 years made up 9.8 percent of residential sales.
The dominance of older housing reflects the limited availability of newer homes in the Greek market. Where newly built properties are available, however, they remain highly attractive to buyers because they offer modern energy efficiency standards and better meet contemporary living needs.
Athens reflects national trend
In Attica (Greater Athens), residential properties accounted for 85.3 percent of sales. Commercial properties and land plots each represented 7.2 percent.
Older housing stock was even more dominant in the capital region. Homes more than twenty years old made up 86.2 percent of residential sales in Attica, while newly built properties up to five years old represented only 3.3 percent.
Land purchases also gained ground in Attica. Plots and agricultural land combined rose by 1.8 percent year-on-year, indicating growing buyer interest in development opportunities amid the shortage of available modern housing.
Older homes drive Greece’s property market in Thessaloniki
A similar picture emerged in Thessaloniki, where residential properties represented 87.4 percent of total sales. Commercial properties followed at 8.7 percent. As in Athens, older homes dominated the market. Properties more than twenty years old accounted for 87 percent of residential sales in Thessaloniki, while newly-built homes represented just two percent.
The figures underline the depth of Greece’s housing supply challenge. Demand for residential property remains strong, but the limited availability of newly built homes continues to push buyers toward older stock across the country’s largest real estate markets.
Greek drivers’ risky habits, including phone use, fatigue, alcohol-related driving, and low seatbelt use, are fueling Greece’s road safety crisis. Credit: Flickr / Gina Collecchia / CC BY NC ND 2-0
Greek drivers display some of the most dangerous road behavior in Europe, with new findings showing that risky habits such as phone use, fatigue, alcohol-related driving, and low seatbelt compliance remain widespread among motorists, especially younger drivers.
According to the 16th Responsible Driving Barometer released by the VINCI Autoroutes Foundation, 66 percent of Greek drivers say they use their phones while driving, 41 percent admit to driving while severely fatigued, and 10 percent say they have driven after consuming alcohol.
Despite these behaviors, 97 percent of Greek drivers describe their own driving in positive terms. The contrast suggests that many motorists underestimate the risks they take behind the wheel, even when those risks are among the leading causes of serious crashes.
The survey, conducted by Ipsos BVA, polled 12,100 people across 11 European countries and highlighted a troubling gap between how Greek drivers see themselves and how they actually behave on the road.
Young drivers raise particular concern
The survey also points to alarming habits among younger drivers in Greece. Among those aged 16 to 24, 48 percent say they drive without wearing a seatbelt, while 16 percent admit they occasionally drive under the influence of alcohol.
These figures indicate that road safety remains a serious cultural issue, particularly among younger motorists who may be more likely to normalize dangerous behavior such as not wearing a seatbelt, using a phone, or driving after drinking.
Road deaths show scale of Greece’s safety issue
The survey findings come at a time when Greece is also ranked among Europe’s five most dangerous countries for driving, according to data from the European Transport Safety Council.
Greece recorded 62 road deaths per one million residents in 2024, up from 60 per one million in 2023. While the increase may appear insginificant, it points to a wider road safety problem at a time when several other European countries are making progress in reducing traffic fatalities.
In the 2024 rankings, Greece placed fifth among the most dangerous European countries for road users. Serbia topped the list with 78 deaths per one million residents, followed by Romania with 77, Bulgaria with 74, Croatia with 64, and Greece with 62.
Greece has not historically been at the very top of Europe’s road-death rankings, but its current position shows that road safety remains a persistent national challenge. The country’s performance is also concerning because Croatia, which remains just above Greece in the ranking, has shown signs of improvement.
AI cameras reveal Greek drivers’ risky habits in Athens
Recent data from AI-powered traffic cameras in Athens adds further evidence that risky driving behavior remains widespread.
Eight pilot AI traffic cameras installed in the Greater Athens area have already recorded thousands of serious violations. In roughly one month, four of the cameras detected 39,543 major offenses, including running red lights, using a mobile phone while driving, and exceeding speed limits.
The violations were recorded at some of Athens’ busiest locations, including Syntagma Square and Syngrou Avenue. Separate data showed that on Syngrou Avenue alone, more than ten thousand violations related to seatbelt use and mobile phones were recorded between December 25 and January 28, along with more than 1,500 speeding violations.
Draft treaty claims sexual and reproductive health and rights are an existential threat to the African family
An African treaty that rejects longstanding international human rights obligations moved a step closer to becoming policy this week as governments across the continent met in Ghana.
The draft African charter on family, sovereignty and values, seen by the Guardian, asserts that African values and culture are under attack from “foreign ideologies” and urges states to withdraw from any agreements that do not align with the principles of the charter, including the 2003 Maputo protocol, which promotes gender equality and protects the reproductive and health rights of women and girls.
Exactly one year ago, on June 5, 2025, Christopher Black, a distinguished international criminal defense lawyer, writer, and author of numerous articles for our magazine, passed away. He dedicated his life to defending the unjustly accused and fighting for justice in international courts, often subject to political pressure. On the anniversary of his death, Christopher’s […]
Panoramic view of Veria, Greece, where part of an ancient wall recently collapsed into a private yard near the Archaeological Museum. Credit: Zisis Tsampalis / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
A section of an ancient wall in Veria, northern Greece, collapsed into the backyard of a private home, raising safety concerns for residents and triggering a dispute between local authorities over who must remove the fallen stones.
The incident occurred near the Archaeological Museum of Veria, in Central Macedonia, where parts of the city’s historic fortifications still stand close to residential properties. Large stones from the wall fell into the yard, where children reportedly play, leaving the family worried about further collapses, especially during heavy rainfall.
Residents say the problem has not only created a physical hazard but has also exposed a familiar challenge in Greece: the difficulty of managing ancient heritage when it intersects with everyday life.
Homeowner caught between heritage rules and safety risks
The homeowner told local broadcaster MEGA that he has become caught in a bureaucratic dispute between the Ephorate of Antiquities and the Municipality of Veria.
The homeowner said the Ephorate of Antiquities treats the wall as a monument under its authority, while the municipality argues the fallen stones are now debris on private property.
However, he says officials told him they do not have enough workers to remove the fallen stones. Meanwhile, the municipality reportedly argues that once the stones landed inside private property, they became rubble and therefore the homeowner’s responsibility.
The homeowner says this leaves him in an impossible position. On the one hand, authorities allegedly told him to arrange the cleanup himself. On the other hand, he says he received instructions not to touch the stones because they form part of an ancient monument and may be needed for future restoration work.
As a result, the family fears that moving the material could expose them to accusations of mishandling antiquities. For now, residents say the authorities have placed two containers at the site, but they have not delivered a permanent solution.
The collapse has sparked frustration in Veria because it highlights the tension between heritage protection and public safety. Greece’s archaeological landscape often overlaps with homes, roads, and modern infrastructure, especially in cities with continuous habitation from antiquity to the present day.
Veria is one such city. Located in Central Macedonia, it has deep historical roots and played an important role in ancient, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods. According to the Ephorate of Antiquities of Imathia, evidence suggests that Veria acquired a city wall and a basic urban plan around the second half of the 4th century BC.
That historical depth gives the city much of its cultural value. However, it also creates practical responsibilities. When ancient remains stand beside private homes, any damage or deterioration can quickly turn into a matter of both archaeology and civil protection.
Residents in Veria, Greece urge action after ancient wall collapse
Residents have urged the competent authorities to intervene quickly, warning that more sections of the wall could collapse. Their main concern remains the safety of children and families who live next to the site.
The case now raises broader questions about how local and national authorities should coordinate when protected monuments create risks in residential areas. While the stones may hold archaeological value, residents argue that the authorities must act before the situation causes an injury.
American actor Steven Seagal has criticized Hollywood for what he sees as a significant decline in film quality caused by growing political influence within the entertainment industry.
Speaking to KP.RU, Seagal said he believes both music and cinema possess the power to unite people. At the same time, he argued that Hollywood has become increasingly influenced by political and social agendas, which, in his opinion, has damaged the quality of films produced by major studios.
According to Seagal, the overall standard of Hollywood productions has dropped noticeably over the past five or six years.
A Lufthansa Boeing 787 parked at a boarding gate at Frankfurt Airport struck the ground after its nose landing gear collapsed, according to footage circulating on social media.
The aircraft had been preparing for departure to Los Angeles when the incident occurred. Lufthansa said the front landing gear folded unexpectedly, causing the aircraft's nose section to drop onto the tarmac.
Several ground employees sustained injuries during the incident. No passengers were on board at the time, as boarding had not yet begun, Reuters reported, citing a statement from Lufthansa.
The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence in education is transforming how students learn, complete assignments, and access information. While AI offers powerful educational opportunities, some experts warn that excessive dependence on these tools could negatively affect children's ability to think independently and remain motivated to learn.
The debate has gained momentum after Russian Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev stated that up to 80 percent of schoolchildren in Russia regularly use artificial intelligence technologies.
AI Convenience May Come at a Cognitive Cost
Family psychologist and fairy-tale therapist Natalia Morozova believes the primary risk lies in replacing independent thinking with automated answers generated by algorithms.
Moscow will significantly expand its metro network over the next seven years, adding more than 30 new stations and over 80 kilometers of rail lines. The ambitious program forms part of the city's long-term strategy to improve transport accessibility and accommodate the growing needs of one of Europe's largest metropolitan areas.
Deputy Mayor Vladimir Yefimov announced the plans during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2026, noting that tunnel construction is already underway, with 12 tunnel-boring machines operating simultaneously across multiple sections of the network.
Moscow Metro Expansion Timeline Through 2030
According to city authorities, several major projects will come online over the coming years.
The Russian messaging platform Max has disappeared from Apple's App Store, prompting its developers to seek clarification from Apple while assuring users that the service continues to operate normally.
According to VK's press service, the application will continue to function as usual on devices where it has already been installed.
"The Max team has submitted a request for clarification to Apple and is working on a prompt solution to the issue,” the company said.
Moscow authorities have deployed unusual "fluff-sucking” robots to clear poplar fluff from city streets as the annual summer nuisance reaches its peak.
The machines, nicknamed "pukhosos” — literally "fluff sucker” — recently appeared on roads across the Russian capital, according to the Telegram channel Moscow News.
Special Machines Sent to Fight Poplar Fluff
A wave of poplar fluff has blanketed the city, prompting municipal services to introduce specialized equipment to help remove it.
A leading psychologist says the long-running debate over who should pay on a date has a simple answer: the person who extends the invitation should cover the costs.
In a conversation with RIAМО, Doctor of Psychological Sciences Dmitry Yagudin said a straightforward rule remains the best guide in modern dating etiquette: whoever initiates the meeting should pay.
The Inviter Should Cover the Bill
"If a man invites a woman, then the financial responsibility is his,” Yagudin said.
More than 930,000 patients with HIV infection are currently registered in Russia, Deputy Health Minister Andrei Plutnitsky said, according to RIA Novosti.
According to his data, the incidence of HIV in the country has fallen by half since 2016. In 2025, authorities registered 43,000 new HIV cases among Russian citizens, which is 11 percent fewer than in 2024.
"The incidence of HIV infection in the country has been reduced by half and brought to a historic low," Plutnitsky said.
Interview with Jean-Marc Sabatier by François Cotard on emerging viruses
During a lengthy interview broadcast on alternative media platforms, Jean-Marc Sabatier shared his views on several current public health topics, including hantaviruses, the Ebola virus, and Alpha-Gal syndrome.
Hantaviruses Under Scrutiny
The interview first focused on hantaviruses, a family of viruses that can cause pulmonary syndromes or hemorrhagic fevers. Jean-Marc Sabatier noted that these viruses are generally transmitted through contact with the feces, urine, or saliva of infected rodents and are not easily spread from person to person.
According to Sabatier, Moderna’s development of an mRNA vaccine targeting certain hantavirus strains as early as 2024 raises questions, particularly because these viruses are considered to have limited pandemic potential. He also described several biological mechanisms associated with these infectious agents and discussed laboratory research involving pseudoviruses.
The speakers emphasized that, based on the information available to them, the number of reported cases in Europe remains limited and that the situation does not currently warrant major concern.
Ebola: Vigilance and Debate Over Vaccination Strategies
The second part of the interview addressed the Ebola virus, particularly the Bundibugyo strain, which is currently being monitored in Central Africa.
Jean-Marc Sabatier reviewed the biological characteristics of the virus, its high fatality rate under certain circumstances, and its modes of transmission, primarily through contact with bodily fluids. He stressed that Ebola outbreaks have historically been contained through targeted public health measures.
The two participants also discussed funding for vaccine research directed at this specific strain. They expressed skepticism about the possibility of large-scale vaccination campaigns being implemented if the virus were to spread beyond Africa.
In addition, several potential treatments were mentioned, including certain monoclonal antibodies and older medications such as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, although their effectiveness remains a subject of debate within the scientific community.
Alpha-Gal Syndrome and Red Meat Allergy
The third topic concerned Alpha-Gal syndrome, a red meat allergy that can develop following bites from certain tick species, particularly the Lone Star tick, which is found primarily in North America.
Jean-Marc Sabatier explained that the condition results from an immune reaction to a sugar molecule known as galactose-α-1,3-galactose, which is present in most mammals but absent in humans.
During the discussion, the participants referred to various claims circulating on social media regarding Bill Gates’s alleged involvement in programs related to ticks or synthetic meat. They suggested that connections between these topics might exist, although no direct evidence was presented during the interview.
Ongoing Criticism of Public Health Institutions
Throughout the conversation, the participants expressed skepticism toward certain public health institutions, including the World Health Organization (WHO), regulatory agencies, and major pharmaceutical companies.
Jean-Marc Sabatier specifically criticized the development of mRNA vaccines and argued that dissenting voices face difficulties being heard within scientific and media circles. He stated that he himself has experienced a form of marginalization because of his views.
A Call for Caution
In conclusion, despite the concerns raised during the interview, Jean-Marc Sabatier encouraged listeners not to panic in response to new public health alerts. According to him, it is important to maintain a critical mindset, consult multiple sources of information, and closely monitor evolving epidemiological situations without resorting to alarmism.
Jean-Marc Sabatier, Director of Research at the CNRS, holds a PhD in cell biology and microbiology and a Habilitation à diriger des recherches (HDR) in biochemistry
Greece prepares security measures ahead of an expected international Hells Angels event. Credit: Kim Ludbrook/EPA via AMNA
Greece is stepping up cooperation with European law enforcement agencies as it prepares for a major Hells Angels gathering expected in the country. Authorities have opened cooperation channels with police services across EU member states to share information on individuals considered to be of “high interest.”
The move comes as Hells Angels bikers from several countries are expected to travel to Greece for what has been described as an international “jamboree.” Greece’s National Intelligence Service, EYP, has also prepared an assessment of the activities and organizational structure of Hells Angels chapters operating in the country.
Greece coordinates with EU police before gathering
The expected arrival of bikers from abroad has prompted Greek authorities to seek closer intelligence-sharing with European partners. Officials are focusing on identifying and monitoring individuals who may already be known to police or intelligence services.
This type of cooperation is important because outlaw motorcycle groups often maintain a cross-border presence, making coordination between national authorities a key part of security planning. Greek authorities are handling the gathering not only as a domestic policing matter but also as an issue with a wider European security dimension.
Hells Angels’ global network draws law enforcement attention
Hells Angels ranks among the world’s largest motorcycle clubs, with thousands of members and hundreds of chapters across dozens of countries. The organization presents itself as a brotherhood of motorcycle enthusiasts whose members organize rides, social gatherings, and charitable events.
However, law enforcement and intelligence agencies in Europe and North America have linked parts of the club to organized criminal activity. Europol and national police services have repeatedly warned that outlaw motorcycle gangs remain a transnational security concern. Authorities say such groups have been connected to criminal networks operating across borders.
US authorities scrutinize Hells Angels and other biker gangs
In the United States, authorities commonly group Hells Angels with three other major outlaw motorcycle gangs: the Pagans, the Outlaws, and the Bandidos.
Law enforcement officials have alleged that some members and certain chapters have been connected to crimes such as drug trafficking, stolen property networks, extortion, and other organized criminal activity.
Hells Angels disputes any characterization of the wider club as a criminal organization, arguing that illegal behavior, where it occurs, should be attributed to individuals rather than the association itself.
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