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.........

Monday, June 16, 2014

Kenya : 'Islamists' raid Mpeketoni ..[ 4092 ]

Kenya attack: 'Islamists' raid Mpeketoni near Lamu

BBC.,16 June 2014 Last updated at 07:23 GMT

At least 48 people have died after suspected Islamist militants attacked hotels and a police station in a Kenyan coastal town, officials say.

Witnesses in Mpeketoni said gun battles went on for several hours and reported seeing buildings set on fire.
The town is close to Lamu island, which is a well-known tourist resort.
Kenya has suffered a number of militant attacks since 2011 when its forces entered neighbouring Somalia to combat al-Shabab fighters.
The BBC's Yusuf Dayo in Nairobi said the attack started at 20:30 local time (17:30 GMT) on Sunday as locals were watching a football World Cup match on television.
Local residents told the BBC that the attackers had hijacked a van and used it to attack various locations across the town.
Witnesses said gunmen, who had their faces covered, threw explosives into the local police station before entering and stealing weapons.

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Kenya has been on high alert recently following warnings that al-Shabab was planning more attacks.
The US and UK have issued advisories to their nationals to keep away from the Kenyan coast.
Sunday's attack comes days after the UK government closed its consulate in the nearby port city of Mombasa, citing heightened security threats.
Al-Shabab attack? Local police chief Hamaton Mwaliko told Reuters that the gunmen set several hotels on fire after raiding the police station.
"We understand the attackers have already fled but our officers are pursuing them," Mr Mwaliko added.

Aftermath of attack

Al-Shabab militants are suspected of having carried out the attack

It is unclear who the gunmen are, but Kenyan army spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir said the "assailants [are] likely to be al-Shabab".
He said surveillance aircraft had been dispatched to the region to help with the security operation.
Bozo Jenje, a journalist in Mombasa, told the BBC that residents had reported seeing bodies scattered across roads in the town.
He said Mpeketoni was a mainly Christian community.
Nearby Lamu island is a popular tourist destination with ancient architecture that is listed as a Unesco World Heritage site.

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