Foreigners doubled their investment in Greek property, mostly holiday homes, in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2013, Bank of Greece data show.
In the period from January to June 2014 a total of 117.4 million euros flowed into Greece to that end, compared with 60.3 million a year earlier, reflecting the clear improvement in the holiday home market, at least as far as foreign buyers are concerned, as they are cottoning on to the bargains currently available in Greece.
Holiday home prices in Greece have dropped more than 40 percent since the start of the crisis six years go.
Demand has soared to such an extent this year that it eclipsed the sum of all investment for the whole of 2012 (113 million euros) in the first six months. Foreign interest in the local market started to become evident last year when they invested 168 million euros – 48.5 percent more than in 2012. And this year’s growth would have been greater had the market not had the cloud of its unstable tax status hanging over it. Transactions were significantly reduced in the first five months of 2014 due to the unclear application of the capital gains tax on properties, forcing many investors to postpone their purchases.
To read more, please visit www.ekathimerini.com
By Nikos Roussanoglou
Qatar Rail, the authority responsible to finish construction of the first phase of the Doha Metro in 2018, has awarded one of its largest rail contracts yet to a Greek-led consortium, the Athens-based company ELLACTOR announced on Thursday.
ELLAKTOR said in a statement that its subsidiary AKTOR, as the leader of ALYSJ JV, with percentage of 32%, signed the contract for the design and construction of the project “Gold Line Underground” in Doha, Qatar.
The project forms part of Qatar Integrated Rail Project and the Gold Line is by far the largest singular construction package of the Doha Metro. The value of the contract is Euro 3.2bn including an option for the client of Euro 770m.
The route of the Gold Line traverses Doha, Capital of the State of Qatar, from East to West.
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by Anastasios Papapostolou
Greek fast food chain,Goody’s, is looking to expand to Australia following the initiative of a Greek-Australian to take it there. In Greece, Goody’s has managed to oust all other competition from the market, however it remains to be seen whether the local chain will be able to gain a share of the international market.
Australian newspaper Neos Kosmos reports that taking Goody’s to Australia is the brainchild of Greek-Australian businessman Kostas Tagalakis. The chain’s move to the land Down Under is considered a risk for Vivartia that has so far expanded close to home, going only as far as the Balkans (Albania, Bulgaria, FYROM) and Belarus.
To read more, please visit en.protothema.gr
It is one of the world’s most ancient civilizations, yet the impact that Greece has had on society can still be strongly felt today. The Greeks developed the first concept of democracy as we know it, way back in 508BC. They gave us our modern understanding of maths and geometry through Pythagoras, Archimedes and Euclid.
Their early dramatists laid the foundations for the stories we enjoy in the theatre, on TV and at the cinema. They even invented frappé coffee and, as it turns out they probably came up with the pizza too (sorry, Italy).
Meanwhile, in the 21st Century and while facing one of the worst financial crisis in Europe they continue to innovate under the radar, creating new ways for us to live our lives. These Greek Startups are all cases in point, and they all impacted Web Summit 2014 in Dublin.
The Gadget Flow
The team behind The Gadget Flow aim to regenerate the whole idea of online gadget hunting through their remarkable storehouse of carefully handpicked products. Having over 30 million page views and 100,000+ app downloads, their big time aspiration lies in enhancing the overall experience of web shopping. The Wishlist feature and their mobile apps (both for Android and iOS) are the latest steps on that journey.
Horizon
This award-winning app lets users record horizontal videos and photos regardless of their device’s orientation. Having been recently updated, the app now also provides horizontal photo support with full resolution photo mode, the ability to uninterruptedly take photos while recording a video, horizontal video recording at up to 2K resolution (2592×1936) and in slow motion.
To read more, please visit greekreporter.com
Uber, the popular American company for private transportation is planning to expand in Greece. The company’s website has now started accepting applications from operations and logistic managers as well as drivers. Many Greeks have rushed to apply and have already secured their positions.
Uber is a San Francisco-based company which connects prospective passengers with private drivers with the help of a mobile app for smartphones. However, it does not require drivers to hold a license for commercial use of their vehicle. This has caused many legal problems in several countries where the profession of taxi drivers is protected.
Uber was founded in 2009 in the U.S. and initially operated only as a private luxury transportation service but later expanded in the “ridesharing” industry. Uber allows private vehicle owners to become drivers for hire, sharing their car with users through the mobile app. Uber’s pricing is similar to metered taxis, although all hiring and payment is handled exclusively through the company and not with the driver directly.
To read more, please visit greekreporter.com
By Ioanna Zikakou
Greece is ranked 13th in the world as a place to eat, according to an Oxfam survey which ranks countries according to their diet, food quality, prices and disease levels. That put it in the same group as Spain, Germany, the UK, Norway, Finland and Cyprus. The report put Greece 8th for food quality and found it was also within the top 10 for food affordability.
But while it has no issue with undernourishment, it was found to have a small problem with underweight children.
The country's performance was middling when it came to obesity (ranked 27th) and diabetes (30th) levels. It also scored well behind many other western European countries when it came to nutritional diversity.
When food prices were compared to those for other goods and services it was ranked 16th.
Oxfam used data from the World Health Organisation and other international agencies to rank 125 countries on a range of food related measures.
The Netherlands came out top for having a decent diet at affordable prices. Chad was ranked as having the worst diet.
IRISena is a promising Greek startup that will take part in DroidCon London 2014, one of the most important European exhibitions on development and new technologies.
Along with IRISena, characterized as one of the most innovative products in the field (a smartphone communication tool that delivers relevant information to one’s audience or other defined user groups anytime, anywhere), the infamous Taxibeat, Workable, Dopios and LazyPub form the “dream team” of Greek startups, that have been chosen amongst hundreds to participate in the conference, next to colossal new technology companies. The “magnificent five” of Greek startups will be in London’s Business Design Centre on October 30 and 31.
Even though IRISena is a new-born company, it has already won its place amongst the other four that will also be presented in DroidCon London with their own kiosks, as it has managed to convince both the investors and the public that it will have an impact on the field. Being placed on the lists of www.eu-startups.com and European Startup Initiative with the top five promising Greek startups, its developers have the chance to secure their own position in the world of computer technology.
To read more, please visit greekreporter.com
By Aggelos Skordas
World-famous Greek singer Nana Mouskouri will perform at a glamorous gala entitled “An Unforgettable Evening” that will be held on October 23 in Toronto. The event will launch the cooperation between ELPIDA Children’s Oncology Unit in Greece and Canadian SickKids for Child Cancer hospital.
The gala aims to raise awareness for the content and usefulness of cooperation between ELPIDA and Sickkids, and to encourage support for this important initiative that will contribute positively to pediatric oncology care in Greece and Canada, in saving the lives of children. The event’s proceeds will go towards the vocational education and training of ELPIDA’s Oncology Unit and SickKids hospital, while will help develop mentoring programs.
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By Nikoleta Kalmouki
On October 28th, millions around the world will commemorate OXI (pronounced ō-hē) Day, a day honoring Greece’s courageous resistance during World War II. The day will be remembered on board the USS SLATER in Albany, New York with a brief program beginning at 9:00 a.m. The public is invited to attend.
In 1940 Mussolini delivered an ultimatum to Greece’s Prime Minister demanding the entry of the Italian army into Greece and Italian occupation of Greek territory. The Prime Minister refused. His response was quickly echoed by the people of Athens as “Oxi,” meaning “No.”
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By Ioanna Zikakou
Nine Greek artists will participate in the "Art en Capital," the largest art exhibition in Europe that will take place in Paris on November 25-30. Tania Drogosi, Eleni Nikolaki, Alina Matsa, Efi Soutoglou, Christos Efstathiou, Katerina Marouda, Maria Mouriadou, Christos Kontaroudis and Mina Kordali are the nine Greek artist who will take part this year.
It is noted that this is the first time that Greek artists have been selected to exhibit in the demanding "Society of French Artists." The exhibition takes place under the glass roof of the Grand Palais, bringing together the Society of French Artists, the Society of Independent Artists, the Drawing and Painting with Water Fair, and the Comparisons Fair. It attracts some 40,000 visitors and a variety of styles by some 2,500 artists from all around the world.
To read more, please visit greeknewsagenda.gr