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.........

Monday, April 28, 2014

South Korean PM resigns over ferry..[ 4106 ]


South Korean PM Chung Hong-won resigns over ferry

BBC,.

Chung Hong-won said resignation was "the right thing to do"
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won has resigned amid criticism of the government's handling of the sinking of a passenger ferry.
He said the "cries of the families of those missing still keep me up at night". Mr Chung will stay in his post until the disaster is under control.
The Sewol ferry with 476 people aboard - most of them students and teachers - sank off South Korea on 16 April.
Officials have confirmed 187 died, but scores are missing presumed drowned.



“Start Quote

On behalf of the government, I apologise for many problems from the prevention of the accident to the early handling of the disaster”
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won

Furious relatives have repeatedly criticised what they see as the slowness of the recovery operation.
"The right thing for me to do is to take responsibility and resign as a person who is in charge of the cabinet," Mr Chung said in a brief televised statement.
"On behalf of the government, I apologise for many problems from the prevention of the accident to the early handling of the disaster."
He added: "There have been so many varieties of irregularities that have continued in every corner of our society and practices that have gone wrong. I hope these deep-rooted evils get corrected this time and this kind of accident never happens again."
President Park Geun-hye accepted her prime minister's resignation but did not set a last day in office. The PM would leave his post once the ferry disaster was under control, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

Rescue workers operate near floats where the capsized passenger ship Sewol sank. 27 April 2014  
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Bad weather is hampering the recovery operation
Relatives wait for news at Jindo harbour. 27 April 2014 
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 Relatives wait for news of their loved ones at Jindo harbour, near the scene of the disaster
Relatives watch Chung Hong-won make his resignation speech. 27 April 2014 
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 At Jindo harbour, relatives of the missing watched Mr Chung make his speech
An opposition party spokesman described it as "thoroughly irresponsible" and a "cowardly evasion" of responsibility.
The day after the disaster, Mr Chung was booed and someone threw a water bottle at him when he visited grieving parents.
Divers were battling atrocious weather conditions on Sunday as they tried to retrieve more bodies trapped in the sunken ferry.
A coastguard spokesman said heavy seas whipped up by strong winds were badly complicating recovery efforts.
"The situation is very difficult due to the weather, but we are continuing search efforts, using the occasional calmer periods," the spokesman said, adding that 93 divers would take part in Sunday's operation.
All 15 crew members involved in the navigation of the ferry are now in custody, facing criminal negligence charges.
Reasons unclear On Friday, divers found 48 bodies of students wearing lifejackets in a single room on the vessel meant to accommodate just over 30 people.
The group was crammed into a dormitory and all were wearing lifejackets, a South Korean Navy officer said.
The presence of so many victims in the cabin suggested many had run into the room when the ship tilted, correspondents said.
The reason for the disaster is still unclear.
But prosecutors are said to be investigating whether modifications made to the ferry made it more unstable.
Factors under consideration include a turn made at about the time the ship began to list, as well as wind, ocean currents and the freight it was carrying.
Reports have emerged indicating that the ship's sleeping cabins were refitted some time between 2012 and 2013, which experts say may have inadvertently affected the balance of the vessel.

Graphic showing location of sunken ferry and timeline of events
Ferry details

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