Repurposing

More than 20 individuals have been detained across Bulgaria during operations led by the Ministry of Internal Affairs targeting vote buying. This information was confirmed by the Ministry.

Sales of secondhand cars have been declining as more brand-new cars have become available in the market and due to the combination of other factors.

In the last three years, the prices of secondhand vehicles had been on the rise, but this stopped in July after the Trade Ministry imposed some restrictions on the sales of secondhand cars.

Secondhand car sales have been slowing since the Trade Ministry announced a raft of measures targeting the market a month ago, but prices are not coming down.

Some traders in Istanbul say they did not sell a single secondhand vehicle in August because consumers have put car buying on hold, waiting to see if the prices will decline.

Renault was the top-selling brand in Türkiye's secondhand market last year, according to data from Quick Finans SmartIQ.

In 2022, a total of 3.35 million vehicles changed hands, of which 542,000 were Renault brand cars. Volkswagen came second at 457,000, followed by Fiat at 321,000.

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has brought the world to a halt, consumer behavior has changed massively over the last year, where people are now more inclined toward buying online from the comfort of their homes while the craze for secondhand items, especially furniture, antiques, and accessories, increasing substantially due to affordable price range.

An illegal gold trading network that had spread across Greece has been unraveled by police in an ongoing operation which began on Tuesday in Attica, Thessaloniki and the central town of Volos. 

According to police sources, a major operation which started on Tuesday was still underway, while large quantities of gold, silver, jewelry, as well as cash and weapons have been confiscated.

Community Connect Athens meets on Wednesday, March 15, from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. at the Swedish Center in Plaka. Besides coffee, cake and conversation, participants can also stock up on used books, DVDs and CDs, as well as purchase quality secondhand garments, homemade preserves and handmade greetings cards. Proceeds benefit the Anglican Church and the charities it supports.