Greek businesswoman named Manager of the Year 2014 by TUV Nord

She has been in the vanguard of the German business world for several years now and is a paradigm for the Greek diaspora.

Dr Virginia Green (nee Virginia Giovanoudi), founder and managing director of ENCOS, was named Manager of the Year for 2014 by TUV Nord, a group of multinationals with 10,000 workers in 70 countries which provides security and certification services.

Green emigrated to Germany from the northern Greek border town of Didymoteicho at the age of 18 and studied chemical technology at the University of Dortmund. She took her first professional steps at the Esso petroleum company before embarking on a PhD while a mother of two. After years of working as a top-flight executive at various firms, Green decided to go it alone.

Greek App ‘Togethera’ In Apple’s Top 10

A Greek software developer’s idea has reached Apple’s top ten list of best applications.

The application, named “Togethera,” launched by Sokrates Papafloratos who lives in London, UK, was picked among new applications proposed by developers from 116 different countries.

Papafloratos spoke to Greek television noting that his idea was generated by his own need to share photos and videos with his family quickly, easily and without any hacking danger.

Greek researcher close to a breakthrough in Alzheimer’s diagnosis

“We are close to developing a blood test that will be able to detect Alzheimer’s before clinical diagnosis is possible,” says Dimitrios Kapogiannis, a neuroscientist at the National Institute on Aging and professor at Johns Hopkins University in the US state of Maryland, who unveiled the results of his research to the public last week. The new method promises to detect the disease as many as 10 years before the first symptoms appear.

Piraeus Containter Terminal goes from strength to strength

Piraeus Container Terminal, the local subsidiary of Chinese giant Cosco Pacific, is expected to handle a total of over 3 million containers in the January-December period of this year.

The January-November data that Cosco released earlier this week showed that the total number of containers that went through PCT-operated terminals II and III in Piraeus amounted to 2.73 million, against 2.28 million in the same period last year, which constitutes an annual increase of 19.7 percent. November alone showed a 12.4 increase from the same month in 2013, reaching 255,900 containers.

Celtic fan Jay Beatty invited to Greece for award

Jay Beatty, the little Celtic fan who became an internet hit when he was seen on social media sites cheering on his hero Georgios Samaras in the World Cup, has been invited to Greece to pick up a top sports award.

Jay - who has Down’s syndrome - travelled from his home in County Armagh, Northern Ireland to watch the striker as he played his final game for the club at the end of last season and Samaras was delighted to have him there cheering him on.

33 Reasons Why Athens Is The Next Big Thing! (photos)

Athens is once again on the rise. Dealt a black eye during the financial crisis and the ensuing media coverage of the unrest, the country has pulled itself together and its capital has never been more lively. 

With visitor numbers back up, a recent New York Times article touting the town, and a new campaign to make curious tourists feel more at home (#ImAnAthenian), Athens has regained its confidence and is ready to show the world why this city is the next big thing.

Γείτονες ξαναφτιάχνουν το μαγαζάκι των μεταναστών που κάηκε στο Ηράκλειο

Την περασμένη εβδομάδα το μαγαζί που διατηρούσε μετανάστης από το Μπαγκλαντές στο Ηράκλειο της Κρήτης στην οδό Γιαμπουδή, έγινε στάχτη μετά από φωτιά που ξέσπασε τις πρώτες πρωινές ώρες.

Τα αίτια της πυρκαγιάς παραμένουν ακόμη άγνωστα, ενώ προανάκριση διενεργεί το ανακριτικό τμήμα της Πυροσβεστικής, που εξετάζει και το ενδεχόμενο εμπρησμού με ρατσιστικά κίνητρα.

Οι γείτονες, ωστόσο, πήραν την πρωτοβουλία να φτιάξουν από την αρχή το μίνι μάρκετ. Καθάρισαν τις στάχτες και τα αποκαΐδια και πλέον το «μαγαζάκι» -όπως το αποκαλούν- είναι έτοιμο για την ανακαίνιση.

Dimitris ‘DK’ Kyrsanidis Wins Red Bull Art of Motion Santorini 2014! (video)

Local hero Dimitris Kyrsanidis (GRE) seized victory at Red Bull Art of Motion 2014 by beating 17 of the world’s best freerunning athletes on Santorini’s urban track. Pavel Petkuns (LAT) came second and Alexander Baiturin (RUS) finished third to grab the two remaining podium spots.

It was a winning run full of creative tricks and fluid movements from Kyrsanidis who gave a world-class performance above the whitewashed stone roofs of Santorini to impress the judges. A crowd of 1,500 spectators celebrated the 19-year-old winning the fourth edition of freerunning’s most celebrated title. The shock result saw two-time champion Pavel Petkuns pushed into second place.

17-year-old Greek Invents Smartglasses for the Blind

Greek teenager Angelos Getsis won Google’s Science Fair 2014 for creating a pair of smartglasses that can help blind people navigate the city.

The 17-year-old from the city of Arta, Greece, said that the glasses can replace the cane used by the blind.

Leonidas Kavakos wins Gramophone Awards 2014 Artist of the Year! (video)

46-year old Kavakos was presented with the coveted award by trumpeter Alison Balsom at this year's Gramophone Classical Music Awards, held at St. Johns Smith Square, London, on September 17th. 

The award for the acclaimed Greek violinist and conductor was voted for by the public.

Greek junior women's water polo team takes gold in U19 European championship

Greece’s junior women's water polo team won the gold medal in the European Championship held in Ostia, Italy. The Greek U19 team beat hosts Italy in the final 7-6 and were crowned European champions.

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Announces Emergency Relief Grant to Help Combat Ebola Epidemic

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation has announced a $500,000 emergency relief grant to international non-profit organization Doctors Without Borders, to help combat the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

Thessaloniki Mayor wears yellow star in protest against fascism

The mayor of the northern Greek port city of Thessaloniki wore a yellow Star of David, similar to the ones worn by Jews rounded up in the city during WWII, to his swearing-in ceremony on Thursday in protest against fascism.

Newly re-elected Mayor Yiannis Boutaris, 72, pinned the badge to his jacket in response to the presence of far-right Golden Dawn MP Artemis Mathaiopoulos on the municipal council, the daily Kathimerini reported.

Innovative convertible high heels launched by Greek students

A group of young Greek students - Loukas Karakikes, Athena Tsiligaridis and Calliope Tatsis - have launched an innovative product that would certainly attract every woman's attention: convertible high heels.

The three students from Democritus University of Thrace in northern Greece came up with the idea of convertible shoes after looking at the market and women's daily routines.

Google Announces Initiative to "Grow Greek Tourism Online"

On August 19th, Google announced a plan that will improve Greek tourism’s online communication tools, in collaboration with the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) and the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE).

The “Grow Greek Tourism Online” project aims to provide enterprises operating in the tourism sector with the necessary internet-related skills and tools that will help them boost their business even after the end of the summer season.

Staten Island man receives high school ring he lost in 1972 from person who found it in Greece

More than 40 years after a New York man last saw his high school class ring, the love token his wife had until their wedding night popped up on a Greek island - Naxos. How it got there after it disappeared with his bride's purse at their wedding reception is a mystery. But earlier this month, the ring arrived by mail on Staten Island.

George Zongolopoulos’ “Poseidon” travels to Washington DC!

The emblematic stainless steel work by sculptor George Zongolopoulos "POSEIDON", height 3.90 m., will be installed permanently in the surroundings of the new Milken School of Public Health building at The George Washington University situated on one of the main streets of the capital of the United States of America.

The sculpture, which was donated by the George Zongolopoulos Foundation in Athens, was originally included in the award-winning sculptural composition with water jets that George Zongolopoulos created in 1960 for Omonia Square in central Athens, although it was never finally installed.

Πύρρος Δήμας: "Δεν φοβάμαι κανέναν και καμια απειλή"

Ο Πύρρος Δήμας ανάρτησε το βράδυ της Τετάρτης κείμενο στο facebook με αφορμή την πρόκληση των χρυσαυγιτών χθες στη Βουλή.

Ο βουλευτής του ΠΑΣΟΚ επενέβη όταν ο υπόδικος Νίκος Μίχος από τη Χρυσή Αυγή επιχείρησε να επιτεθεί στον Πέτρο Τατσόπουλο, αλλά σταμάτησε μετά την παρέμβαση του Πύρρου Δήμα.

Το κείμενο του Πύρρου Δήμα στο facebook:

«Δεν φοβάμαι κανέναν και καμια απειλή. Γιαυτό είμαι στη Βουλή για να μη φοβάται κανένας έλληνας και κανένα ελληνόπουλο. Μεγάλωσα σ' ένα καθεστώς που ο φόβος καλλιεργούνταν συστηματικά. Εμαθα από μικρός να τον αντιμετωπίζω και να μην του κρύβομαι. Κι όσο για τη λάσπη από τους χρυσαυγίτες -που ήδη άρχισα να δέχομαι στο διαδίκτυο-, είναι για μένα παράσημα. Η ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ δεν είναι υποκειμενική και ο ΠΑΤΡΙΩΤΙΣΜΟΣ δεν ζυγίζεται. Καλό βράδυ...».

Μύρτιλλο Cafe: Το πρώτο cafe στην Ελλάδα που προσφέρει εργασία σε άτομα με αναπηρία

Στην πλατεία 28ης Οκτωβρίου, στο Νέο Ηράκλειο, η φιλόλογος Γεωργία Βαμβουνάκη –μητέρα παιδιού με μαθησιακές δυσκολίες και αδελφή της συγγραφέως Μάρως Βαμβουνάκη-  δημιούργησε τον πολυχώρο Μύρτιλλο Cafe (καφετέρια, παρασκευστήριο και χώρος Λόγου και Τέχνης) την πρώτη επιχείρηση στην Ελλάδα που προσφέρει σε άτομα με ειδικές ικανότητες, έναν αξιοπρεπή χώρο εργασίας και εκπαίδευσης ή όπως προτιμά να το λέει η ίδια «Μια έξοδο προς τη ζωή».

30 April - 1 May: Greek Fusion Group Imam Baildi to perform in Philadelphia and New York! (video)

Named after the delicious Mediterranean eggplant dish, one of the hottest groups to come out of Greece in years is in the midst of its first-ever North American tour. Imam Baildi is led by two talented brothers, Lysandros and Orestis Falireas, and their 8-piece band.

Two Greek women find niche in London nanny market!

They speak Greek, cook traditional Greek dishes and know all the songs and nursery rhymes from back home. Looking back, the idea that Elena Tsoka and Fenia Attilakou came up with was bound to succeed: The Greek Nannies agency the duo set up recently in London provides solutions to hundreds of families who have left Greece and emigrated to Britain in search of employment and are looking to hire people to take care of their children.

Alexander Iolas: The Private Works of a Gallerist Who Changed Art Forever

These days, art dealers are almost as important as the artists whose careers they cultivate. But just one — Alexander Iolas — can be credited with mounting Andy Warhol’s first and last gallery show in his lifetime, bringing Surrealism to the United States and introducing the East Coast to Ed Ruscha. Unlike Iolas’s contemporaries — who included Ileana Sonnabend, Leo Castelli and Bruno Bischofberger — Iolas’s legacy has nearly faded into obscurity after he succumbed to AIDS in 1987 at 80, but a new exhibition may change that.

Από τον Δενδροπόταμο στην Αμερική: Αυτοί είναι οι μικροί Ρομά που κατέπληξαν τη LEGO!

Λένε πως τα σημαντικότερα πράγματα γεννιούνται σε ένα υπόγειο ή μία σοφίτα. Στη δική μας περίπτωση ο χώρος τέλεσης των θαυμάτων είναι το υπόγειο μίας εκκλησίας στον Δενδροπόταμο. Εκεί ο πατέρας Αθηναγόρας μαζί με τους «οκτώ επιστήμονες ρομά», όπως ονομάζει τα παιδιά του, έφτιαξαν ένα πρότυπο ρομπότ που έκλεψε τις εντυπώσεις στον διαγωνισμό παγκόσμιας ακτινοβολίας First Lego League (FLL) και θα ταξιδέψουν ως προσκεκλημένοι στο Σεντ Λούις! Ο Θοδωρής, ο Αλέξανδρος, ο Σταύρος, ο Δαυίδ, ο Κωνσταντίνος, ο Σπύρος, ο Βίτι και ο Γιώργος μας υποδέχτηκαν λίγο πριν την απογευματινή προπόνηση των FAR.GO.BOTS (Far από το Φάρος, Go όπως «πάμε» και Bots από το Robots).

Νέα μέθοδος για τη διάγνωση του καρκίνου από ελληνίδα ερευνήτρια!

Μία απλή εξέταση αίματος θα αρκεί για τη διάγνωση πολλών διαφορετικών τύπων καρκίνου μέσω της ανίχνευσης μικρών RNA, που ανάλογα με τη συγκέντρωσή τους αντιστοιχούν σε συγκεκριμένους καρκινικούς τύπους. Πρόκειται για έναν βιοχημικό μηχανισμό που επινόησε η μοριακή βιολόγος Φαίη Χριστοδούλου, μέλος της ομάδας mirOculus, η οποία δημιουργήθηκε στο πλαίσιο του Προγράμματος Σπουδών του Singularity University, στο οποίο κορυφαίοι επιστήμονες από όλο τον κόσμο προσπαθούν να αξιοποιήσουν πρακτικά νέες τεχνολογίες για να λύσουν προβλήματα που απασχολούν την ανθρωπότητα.

Βραβείο Καλύτερου Επιστημονικού Άρθρου παγκοσμίως για ερευνητές του Πανεπιστημίου Αιγαίου

Το Διοικητικό Συμβούλιο Έρευνας στις Μεταφορές (Transport Research Board - TRB) της Εθνικής Ακαδημίας των ΗΠΑ απένειμε το Βραβείο Καλύτερου Επιστημονικού Άρθρου «Ryuichi Kitamura» παγκοσμίως στον τομέα «Μέθοδοι Ανάλυσης της Μεταφορικής Συμπεριφοράς» στην Δρ. Μαρία Καμαργιάννη και στην Καθ. Αμαλία Πολυδωροπούλου από το Πανεπιστήμιο Αιγαίου. Η τελετή απονομής πραγματοποιήθηκε στην Ουάσινγκτον στις 14 Ιανουαριου 2014, στα πλαίσια του μεγαλύτερου διεθνούς συνεδρίου συγκοινωνιολόγων.

Στον Οτο Ρεχάγκελ το βραβείο «επιτεύγματος ζωής» της ποδοσφαιρικής ομοσπονδίας της Γερμανίας

Ο Ότο Ρεχάγκελ έγινε ο τέταρτος Γερμανός τεχνικός που τιμήθηκε με το βραβείο «επιτεύγματος ζωής» της ποδοσφαιρικής ομοσπονδίας της Γερμανίας (DFB), για το συνολικά σπουδαίο έργο του στην προπονητική.

Ανθρώπινη αλυσίδα γύρω από την Ακρόπολη κατά του ρατσισμού

«Αγκαλιάζουμε την Ακρόπολη, Αγκαλιάζουμε τη Δημοκρατία, Αγκαλιάζουμε την Ανθρωπότητα». Με το σύνθημα αυτό 2.500 παιδιά, σχημάτισαν «ανθρώπινη αλυσίδα» γύρω από την Ακρόπολη, με πρωτοβουλία της Γενικής Γραμματείας Διαφάνειας και Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων, με αφορμή την Παγκόσμια Ημέρα κατά του ρατσισμού.

Greek Tourism Set for Another Record Year in 2014!

Tourism in Greece, which accounts for about one-sixth of the economy, is set to reach a second consecutive record as European travelers return to the country ravaged by six years of recession.

“Forecasts show 2014 will be another record year,” said Andreas Andreadis, president of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises. As many as 18.5 million tourists will visit Greece this year, compared with 17.9 million in 2013, generating 13 billion euros ($18 billion) in revenue, he said. “Almost all traditional and new markets are showing positive, encouraging signs.”

Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz to Star in Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘The Lobster’

Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz have come on board to play the lead roles in “The Lobster,” the first film in the English language by Oscar-nominated Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos (“Dogtooth,” “Alps”). Protagonist Pictures will be selling the pic at the European Film Market in Berlin. The pic is set to start shooting on March 24 in Ireland.

Bucks' Antetokounmpo a bright spot in tough year for Milwaukee (video)

With his baby-faced features, soft voice and gangly arms nervously fidgeting behind his back, Giannis Antetokounmpo looked and sounded like a typical teenager politely waiting to get out of a family function. All this 19-year-old rookie from Greece wants to do is play in the NBA.

Stavros Niarchos Foundation funds two mobile medical units serving remote Greek islands

Residents of Greece’s remote islands in the eastern Aegean, who have been suffering a shortage of doctors and ferry connections to the mainland as a result of cost-cutting measures, now have better access to primary healthcare thanks to a charitable donation by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for two state-of-the-art mobile medical clinics staffed by 16 volunteer doctors specializing in different key fields.

Greek-American Donates 101 Computers to Greek School

A Greek-American living in the United States donated 101 Personal Computers to the Elementary School of Asproxoma, Kalamata, in the Greek Prefecture of Messinia, in the southern part of Greece.