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.........

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Solomon Islands earthquake...[ 3049 ]


Teams start assessing tsunami-hit Solomon Islands

  BBC , 7 February 2013 Last updated at 10:03 GMT
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-  Damaged houses in the village of Venga in the Santa Cruz Islands region of the Solomon Islands on 6 February 2013  
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Reports suggest dozens of houses were swept away in five villages
Aftershocks continued to rock the Solomon Islands, a day after a powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami that left at least nine people dead.
A metre-high wave swamped several villages on Santa Cruz island, in the far east of the Pacific nation, after the quake early on Wednesday.
Aid teams are starting to assess the scale of damage in the remote region.
Dozens of houses were damaged or swept away in at least five villages and a number of people are still missing. 
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A number of aftershocks have struck since the initial magnitude 8.0 earthquake. One, on Thursday morning, had a magnitude of 6.2, the US Geological Survey said.
Six people - five elderly villagers and a child who were sucked under by the water - have been confirmed dead.
Another three bodies were found on Thursday, said George Herming, a spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo.
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"Several others are missing and dozens of strong aftershocks were keeping frightened villagers from returning to the coast," the AFP news agency quoted him as saying.
"People are still scared of going back to their homes because there's nothing left, so they are residing in temporary shelters on higher ground."
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Airport damage
Tsunami damage at Lata airport 
 Lata's small airport has been put out of action by the tsunami
Red Cross disaster manager Cameron Vudi told AFP there were indications that the number of casualties could increase.
"There are still reports coming in. Most of the reports are confined to areas that are accessible by road but there are a lot more communities that have been damaged."
The National Disaster Management Office said up to 3,000 people were believed to have been displaced, but that it was too early to have a clear picture of the extent of the damage in Santa Cruz province, known as Temotu.
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"The high number of aftershocks and the difficulties inherent in accessing Temotu makes gathering swift accurate information a challenge," the agency said in a statement quoted by New Zealand media.
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"The concern is for the more remote areas of Temotu where no reports have been forthcoming thus far."
Santa Cruz island, also known as Nendo, is the largest island in the Santa Cruz island chain which lies more than 600km (370 miles) from the Solomons capital, Honiara.

Map
Radio New Zealand said one aid team had arrived by helicopter but that the airstrip in Lata, the island's main town, was swamped by the tsunami and left littered with debris.
It quoted the premier of Temotu province, Father Charles Brown Beu, as saying work was going on to clear the runway, and that "any time tomorrow or the following day airplanes should be landing".
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Boats carrying supplies are expected to leave Honiara later in the day but are not due to arrive at the island until the weekend, AFP news agency said.
Police teams based in Lata were also trying to reach areas to assess damage, a government statement said.
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