The Business Life
Poll shows favorable views of EU in sharp decline
Written by Don Melvin
BRUSSELS (AP)— Positive views of the European Union by its citizens are near all-time lows. And no EU country is plunging faster into the abyss of gloom than France. Germans are broadly perceived as being the most trustworthy Europeans — but also the least compassionate. Britons, often seen as deeply skeptical of the benefits of EU membership, are in fact split right down the middle — 46 percent to 46 percent — over whether to leave the union or stay in it.
Winners of the Hellenic Entrepreneurship award 2013 announced
Written by Guest
ATHENS—The Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award today announced the four winners for 2013 who will receive business start-up funding as well as mentoring and business support services. Funded and administered by the Libra Group on behalf of The Hellenic Initiative (THI), the Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award helps Greek entrepreneurs to overcome economic barriers and pursue innovative business plans.
IOCC Receives $1.5 Million Gift To Advance Clean Water Access In Africa
Written by IOCC
BALTIMORE—International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) announced the establishment of the Katherine Valone “St. Photini” Water Program to advance projects that provide safe, healthy and reliable water resources to communities in need in Africa. The $1.5 million gift, the largest single private donation in the history of IOCC, was a bequest from the late Katherine Valone, a retired Chicago schoolteacher with a lifelong desire to provide clean water to the people of Africa.
AMSTERDAM (AP)—International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde criticized the U.S. government's budget policies as too tight on Tuesday, in an appearance in Amsterdam that was interrupted by student protestors.
EU predicts eurozone recession to continue in 2013
Written by Raf Casert and Derek Gatopoulos
BRUSSELS (AP)— Europe will take longer to recover from its economic crisis as it tackles a worse-than-expected recession in the eurozone and unemployment at record levels, the European Union warned Friday. In its spring economic forecast, the EU said that gross domestic product in the 17 member countries that use the euro will shrink by 0.4 percent this year, better than the 0.6 percent contraction in 2012 but 0.1 percentage points worse than the EU had forecast back in February.
ATHENS (AP)— Greece’s government has withdrawn a key labor reform from a new austerity bill, following strong objections by experts and a widely reported rift within the ruling coalition.
Greece records first negative inflation rate in 45 years
Written by AMNA
Greece recorded its first negative inflation rate in the last 45 years in March, with the consumer price index falling to -0.2 pct, from 0.1 pct in February, Hellenic Statistical Authority said on Tuesday.
LONDON (AP) —The eurozone economy has passed another bleak milestone. Official figures Tuesday showed that unemployment across the 17 European Union countries that use the euro has struck 12 percent for the first time since the currency was launched in 1999.
Renzo Piano Selects Winning Design by a team of Greek Architecture Students
Written by Guest
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation and world-renowned architect Renzo Piano announced today the winning design for the Visitors Center that will open this summer at the construction site of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC). The winning design was selected by Renzo Piano, architect of the SNFCC, from 10 finalists chosen in the National Architectural Students’ Competition. The competition, which was announced in January, was open to all architecture students currently studying at the undergraduate level in Greek architecture schools. In total, 93 designs were submitted.
Piraeus to pay $678 million for Cypriot banks
Written by Derek Gatopoulos
ATHENS (AP)—Greece's Piraeus Bank reached an agreement Tuesday to buy the Greek operations of three Cypriot banks for (euro) 524 million ($678 million). Piraeus, which was selected last Friday to take over the Greek units of the Bank of Cyprus, Laiki and Hellenic, will see its share of loans in the Greek market from 19 percent to 27 percent. Its three new additions have combined assets of (euro) 16.4 billion ($21.2 billion) and take Piraeus' branches up to 1,600 and employees to 24,000.
