The "Varyag" missile cruiser leaves San Francisco,..[ 1351 ]

Russian missile cruiser completes visit to U.S., leaves San Francisco

"As the visit was completed on Saturday, the Pacific Fleet task force left San Francisco and headed back to Vladivostok"

04:48 26/06/2010

© RIA Novosti. Vitaliy Ankov

VLADIVOSTOK, June 26 (RIA Novosti)
A task force from the Russian Pacific Fleet led by the Varyag missile cruiser completed its a friendly visit to the United States and left San Francisco, a Pacific Fleet spokesman said on Saturday.
The visit, which began on June 21, was dedicated to the first official visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the United States, held between June 22 and 24. The Russian leader visited Varyag on Wednesday.
The naval group also includes the Fotiy Krylov salvage tug and the Boris Butoma tanker.
"As the visit was completed on Saturday, the Pacific Fleet task force left San Francisco and headed back to Vladivostok. The visit was held in welcoming and warmly atmosphere, an extensive cultural program was prepared for Russian sailors," Capt. 1st Rank Roman Martov said.
During the visit, hundreds of Californians lined up to see and visit the missile cruiser, docked in the San Francisco Bay, near the city center.
"The military delegation of the Pacific Fleet visited San Francisco mayor's office, the sailors got acquainted with the city and its history, visited museums and landmark sites and held sporting and informal events with their U.S. colleagues," the source said.

The Varyag is a Slava class missile cruiser, designed as a surface strike ship with some anti-air and ASW capability. The sixteen SS-N-12 Sandbox nuclear-capable supersonic anti-ship missiles are mounted in four pairs on either side of the superstructure, giving the ship a distinctive appearance.
NATO experts had dubbed Russian combat ships of this class "the killer of aircraft carriers," as they can launch 1,000 kg of high-explosives or a tactical nuclear warhead to a range of 300 nautical miles.

In April 2009, the Varyag led a group of 21 foreign naval vessels participating in a parade to mark the 60th anniversary of China's Navy off the coast of the eastern city of Qingdao.
Russia announced in 2007 that it was building up its naval presence across the world. Foreign port calls by Russian warships have become more frequent.

The Stalin's statue ..adventures...[ 1350 ]

 Stalin Statue Removed In Georgian Hometown

June 25, 2010

Authorities in Georgia have removed a towering statue of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin from the central square of his hometown of Gori.

The 6-meter-high statue was removed in the dead of the night in an unannounced operation. Georgian media said police tried to prevent journalists from filming the process, beating some of them.

Local officials said the statue is to be moved to the courtyard of a museum dedicated to Stalin and replaced on the main square by a monument to victims of Georgia's 2008 war with Russia.

Click for     Video: Stalin's legacy in Gori

Outward signs of Stalin's personality cult were removed after his death in 1953 across Georgia and the rest of the Soviet Union, but many is his hometown remain proud of him.

The Gori statue, which was erected one year before his death, was one of the few monuments to Stalin still standing anywhere.

Gori was the hardest-hit Georgian city in the five-day war between Russia and Georgia in 2008, with bombs hitting the main square near the statue.

compiled from agency reports

Britain's Armed Forces Day....[ 1349 ]

Queen hails courage of servicemen

The London Evening Standard 26.06.10 

Member of the Armed Services march past the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay as they assemble for the Drumhead Service

 

The Queen has hailed the "professionalism and courage" of Britain's servicemen and women as tens of thousands of people celebrated Armed Forces Day.

Troops were greeted by cheering crowds during a parade through Cardiff to mark the second annual event in honour of troops past, present and future, from the oldest veteran to the youngest cadet.

In blazing sunshine, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were joined by the head of the Armed Forces Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup and Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox in the Welsh capital.

The national event in Cardiff, attended by around 50,000 people, was one of more than 350 organised around the country.

The Queen, who sent a message of support, said the troops operated in the "most difficult and dangerous of circumstances".

"The men and women of our Armed Forces have always been admirable examples of professionalism and courage," she said. "Then as now, they perform their duties in often the most difficult and dangerous of circumstances, both at home and overseas."

Hazel Hunt, the mother of the 200th member of British forces to be killed in Afghanistan, said the celebration provided a "comfort" to her.

Her son, Private Richard Hunt, 21, of 2nd Battalion the Royal Welsh, was killed last year. "I think the event is absolutely fantastic," said Mrs Hunt, 50, of Abergavenny, Gwent.

Other major celebrations were held in Edinburgh, where guests included the head of the Army, General Sir David Richards, and Manchester, which welcomed the head of the Royal Navy, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope.

There were also a host of smaller functions in towns and villages nationwide, ranging from parades and military displays to a mass skydive in fancy dress and a "patriotic knitting" exhibition. The events were particularly poignant for the families of the 10,000 British troops currently serving in Afghanistan. 

A total of 307 UK servicemen and women have died and many more have been wounded since operations in the country began in October 2001.

G8 slam midly the Nuclear programs of N.Korea/Iran.[ 1348 ]

Top 8 industrial democracies slam North Korea, Iran, but in terms not as strong as some hoped

Published June 26, 2010

| Associated Press

AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn

June 25: A Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer patrols outside the Metro Toronto Convention Center. Toronto is hosting the G-20 summit.

HUNTSVILLE, Ontario (AP) — The leaders of the world's eight top industrial democracies on Saturday condemned the alleged sinking by North Korea of a South Korean warship and called on Iran to do more to respect human rights.

The countries — the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and Russia — also called current tensions in Gaza "unsustainable." And they sketched out a five-year exit strategy on Afghanistan.

But the joint statement by the so-called Group of Eight powers did not go as far as some nations, including the United States and Japan, wanted.

The joint statement was released at the end of a meeting in Canada of the eight powers and before a larger group of 20 nations convenes that also includes fast-growing economies like China.

The leaders turned to foreign policy matters after finding themselves at odds on how to continue to spur world economic growth in the aftermath of the worst recession since the 1930s. The countries were divided over whether to continue government stimulus spending, as the United States wants, or to cut mushrooming deficits, as Europe and Japan want.

On the March sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan, the leaders cited an independent report that found that the ship had been sunk by a North Korean torpedo. The leaders said: "We condemn in this context the attack which led to the sinking of the Cheonan."

Japanese officials said that the Russians were the only ones in the G-8 to resist tougher language condemning North Korea.

An official in the Russian delegation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the leaders were meeting, said that Russia still did not consider the results of the commission to be final and because of this, felt that condemning Pyongyang further could lead to negative consequences.

The G-8 communique, citing concerns they had raised at last year's summit in Italy, said, "We urge the government of Iran to respect the rule of law and freedom of expression as outlined in the international treaties to which Iran is a party."

On Afghanistan, the joint G-8 statement said that a conference in Kabul in July would be an important setting for assessing progress in implementing commitments made in January to train more than 100,000 additional security forces by the end of next year.

The G-8 leaders said it was important to accelerate efforts to make sure the country's own security forces can "assume increasing responsibility within five years."

British Prime Minister David Cameron had said in a television interview on Friday that he did not expect British troops — now numbering about 10,000 — to be in Afghanistan in five years' time.

"We can't be there for another five years, having been there for nine years already," he told Britain's Sky News.

Greece, Mail Bomb attact to Minister..[ 1347 ]

Bomb Kills Greek Minister’s Aide

Police guard the entrance to the Greek Citizen Protection Ministry in Athens after a parcel bomb attack on June 24, 2010. 

 

Novinite-Sofia, Bulgaria June 25, 2010, Friday
Greek Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrisohoidis confirmed on Thursday evening that one police officer died during an unpreced

A bomb blast at the offices of Greece's public order ministry in Athens has killed a close aide to the minister responsible for counter-terrorism.
Police said the victim had opened a parcel bomb.
The explosion happened only metres away from the office of the minister, Michalis Chryssohoidis, who was unhurt.
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said the bombing was a terrorist attack. So far no group has said it was beind the bomb.
The blast was so powerful that some in the heavily guarded building thought it had been struck by an earthquake, the BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Athens reports.
The victim was later identified as Giorgos Vassilakis, a 50-year-old father of two.
Visibly shaken, Chryssohoidis said he had "lost a valuable and beloved colleague".
"We cannot be scared and we cannot be terrorised. These cowardly murderers will be brought to justice."
The minister added that the parcel had been meant for him.
Mr Papandreou also branded the bombers "cowards", adding: "They will get the response that they deserve not only from the state but also from all of society. The terrorists will not reach their objective."