The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.Blogger Tips and Tricks
This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Friday, December 3, 2010

Israeli wildfire..[ 1924 ]

3,700 acres consumed by Israeli wildfire

From Kevin Flower, CNN
December 3, 2010 4:29 a.m. EST
Strong winds have bolstered a fire in Israel's Carmel forest region.
Strong winds have bolstered a fire in Israel's Carmel forest region.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • New: At least 41 killed in the fire, police say
  • New: More than 3,700 acres are burned
  • Netanyahu calls it one of the worst fires in Israel's history
  • Countries are sending aircraft to help fight the fire

Jerusalem (CNN) -- A wildfire raging across northern Israel has killed at least 41 people and injured 17 more, Israel Police said Friday.
The Israeli Cabinet was meeting Friday in Tel Aviv to formulate a response.
Shifting winds have made the inferno harder to control as flames neared a neighborhood in Haifa and the Hai Bar nature reserve, according to police.
Smoke blanketed Haifa, Israeli's second-largest city, Friday. It was not clear how the 3,700-acre fire started, but police were investigating if the blaze started in an illegal dumping ground.
More than 15,000 people have been evacuated from villages and towns in the area as authorities scrambled firefighting equipment, emergency officials said.
Fire-fighting aircraft pledged by various countries began to arrive in Israel Friday morning as more offers of help from around the world came in.
Several nations, including Turkey, were sending firefighting planes, Israel's Foreign Ministry said. Relations between Turkey and Israel have been tense since last spring, when Israeli commandos boarded a Turkish ship carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza, killing nine people.
In addition to Turkey's sending two planes, Greece was sending four, France two, Cyprus two, and one each from Croatia, Russia and Azebaijan, the ministry said. Jordanian firefighters and British helicopters were also assisting, police said.
Spain was sending four aircraft, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "The necessary means are not currently in the field but they are on the way here," he said, adding that he planned to request more planes from Russia.
The United States is sending a Boeing 747 filled with chemical retardants to help fight the flames.
The wildfire erupted Thursday near Haifa and has consumed thousands of acres in Carmel Forest.
Many of the deaths appear to be the result of a bus accident.
A bus carrying up to 50 people overturned "allegedly after the driver lost control of the vehicle because of the fire and surrounding smoke" as it was traveling between kibbutz Beit Oren and Damon Prison, the IDF website said.
It was not clear from the IDF website how many of the deaths attributed to fire occurred in the bus accident, but the newspaper Haaretz reported that all 40 of the dead were on the bus.
Inmates of the prison were evacuated to temporary jails nearby.
Netanyahu's office called it one of the worst fires in Israel's history and ordered the military to assist rescue and firefighting efforts.
He urged people, including the news media, to stay away from the blaze, which he called "a fire on an international scale."
He predicted that the fire would take time to douse and called for calm. "I think that together, we will surmount this."
"We must achieve two goals -- saving lives and putting out the fire, " Netanyahu said Thursday night at the forward command center, according to his media adviser.
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