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.

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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.........

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Kidnapped Orthodox bishops have been released,..[ 3097 ]

Kidnappers free Syrian bishops: church group

Archbishop Paul Yazigi and Syriac Orthodox archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim, (Reuters, AFP)
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Updated 6:42 pm: An association of Middle Eastern Christians on Tuesday said that two Orthodox bishops reportedly kidnapped by rebels in northern Syria have been released, in a statement citing Syrian sources.
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The French "Oeuvre d'Orient" group said that Greek Orthodox archbishop Paul Yazigi and Syriac Orthodox archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim, who were seized on Monday, were already at Saint Elias cathedral in Aleppo.
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Western-backed Syrian rebels in the province of Aleppo had earlier on Tuesday denied that they had kidnapped two prominent Syrian archbishops.
State news agency SANA reported the kidnapping on Monday night, saying an "armed terrorist group" kidnapped Greek Orthodox archbishop Paul Yazigi and Syriac Orthodox archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim in the village of Kafr Dael in Aleppo province.
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Church sources earlier on Tuesday said it did not know who was behind the kidnapping, but that a witness to the abduction who was travelling with the men said the kidnappers had foreign accents and light faces, and might be Chechens.
Syria's religious affairs ministry said "there is evidence that those who kidnapped the bishops were Chechen mercenaries working under the leadership of al-Nusra Front."
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Nusra, a jihadist group fighting to oust the Syrian government, has pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri.
The kidnapped archbishops are the most senior church figures seemingly caught up in the fight between government forces and rebels trying to end four decades of Assad family rule.
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Razek Siriani, a representative of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo, said that Yazigi and Ibrahim had been seized on their way to the Turkish border after a humanitarian mission to help release two priests kidnapped months earlier.
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He said that details of the kidnapping were unclear – the Syrian government said on Monday that the bishops had been travelling to, not from, Aleppo – but that the driver had been shot dead and a fourth member of the group managed to escape.
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(Reuters, AFP)