Afghan migrant 'shot dead by hunting party' in Serbian woods

Serbian officers patrol near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria Credit: Darko Vojinovic, AP

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• James Rothwell

Police have arrested a member of a hunting party in Serbia after a young Afghan migrant was shot dead in the woods near the Bulgarian border.
Security forces in Pirot were patrolling the woods, in the southeast of Serbia, when they "heard a shot and then met six migrants, one of whom had been shot in the chest."
They then came across four hunters at the scene and arrested one of them on suspicion of shooting the 20-year-old  migrant.

Ο Αριστοτέλης και οι θεσμοί της εξουσίας…

  Βούλγαρης Χρήστος

Γράφει ο Θανάσης Μπαντές Με δεδομένο ότι τα πολιτεύματα αφορούν τον τρόπο διαχείρισης της εξουσίας, είναι απολύτως προφανές ότι ο ρυθμιστικός παράγοντας που καθορίζει τόσο την οργανωτική ισχύ, όσο και τις προθέσεις του πολιτεύματος είναι η δόμηση των διοικητικών αρχών, που συνιστά το θεσμικό πλαίσιο της διακυβέρνησης: «Γιατί, όπως είναι αδύνατο να υπάρξει πόλη χωρίς τις βασικές εξουσίες, έτσι είναι αδύνατο να διοικηθεί σωστά χωρίς τις εξουσίες που ρυθμίζουν την τάξη και την κοσμιότητα». (1321b 6 – 8).

Βουλή των Ελλήνων

Με άλλα λόγια, οτιδήποτε αφορά τη λειτουργικότητα της κοινωνίας είναι ζήτημα πολιτικής μέριμνας, δηλαδή ευθύνη της εξουσίας την οποία πρέπει να φέρει σε πέρας. Οι αγοροπωλησίες, η δημόσια και ιδιωτική περιουσία, τα ετοιμόρροπα οικοδομήματα, οι χαλασμένοι δρόμοι, η συντήρηση των τειχών, καθετί που αφορά την πόλη, είτε σε επίπεδο πρακτικής διεκπεραίωσης είτε σε επίπεδο εξασφάλισης της αρμονίας στη συνύπαρξη των πολιτών, είναι δημόσιο ζήτημα και πρέπει να εντάσσεται μέσα στο σύνολο των κανόνων που διασφαλίζουν την πολιτειακή ομαλότητα. Η πόλη που αδυνατεί να ρυθμίσει τέτοιου είδους ζητήματα αφήνοντάς τα στην ατομική βούληση, είναι η ανοργάνωτη πόλη που αναπόφευκτα θα διαλυθεί, αφού, επί της ουσίας, αφήνει τους πολίτες απροστάτευτους. Κι εδώ δε γίνεται λόγος για τον περιορισμό, αλλά για την προάσπιση της ελευθερίας μέσα στο πλαίσιο της συμβίωσης.

Did You Know? The French Army Invaded Germany in 1939 To Support The Polish

 Andrew Knighton

Germany was not the first country to go on the offensive on the western front of World War Two. That first attack came from France, which launched a brief and ineffective invasion of Germany in September 1939. This attack, intended to help the far-away Poles, became an embarrassing defeat and a harbinger of what would follow when Germany invaded France.

Στήλες, κίονες και οβελίσκοι στη Βυζαντινή Κωνσταντινούπολη

  Βούλγαρης Χρήστος

Μαρίνης Βασίλειος , «Στήλες, κίονες και οβελίσκοι στη Βυζαντινή Κωνσταντινούπολη» Οι Βυζαντινοί κληρονόμησαν από τους Ρωμαίους την πρακτική να υψώνουν στήλες και κίονες για τιμητικούς λόγους, χωρίς δομική χρήση. Ο κύριος προορισμός τέτοιων στηλών ή κιόνων ήταν η μνημόνευση ενός προσώπου (συνήθως αυτοκράτορα) ή ενός γεγονότος (συνήθως μιας νίκης επί εχθρών). Στη Κωνσταντινούπολη υπάρχουν ακομά αρκετά από αυτά τα μνημεία, ορισμένα εκ των οποίων σώζονται μόνο αποσπασματικά.

       Χοντρικά μπορούν να διαιρεθούν σε δύο κατηγορίες:

Germany refuses to open negotiations on Greek WWII Reparations

 

German soldiers raising the German War Flag over the Acropolis. Source: By Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-164-0389-23A / Theodor Scheerer / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5476326

 

The people of Greece suffered enormously from the Nazi occupation of their country in WWII.  Their industry was devastated, as was the civilian infrastructure such as ports, roads, railways and bridges. Many Greeks were murdered by occupying soldiers, and the Nazis plundered their natural resources, leading to what the Greeks termed “The Great Famine.”  Not only that, the Nazi regime also forced the Greek central bank to loan Germany the sum of 476 million Reichsmarks at a zero interest rate.
In 1960, the Greek government accepted 115 million Marks from West Germany as compensation for these crimes but maintain that they did not consider this final payment of reparations but rather a down payment. Greece was not a signatory to the Two Plus Four Agreement in 1990, which settled the issue of reparation for the United States, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union.

Κυλώνειον Άγος: Οι αποτυχημένοι πραξικοπηματίες της Αθήνας. Νέες φωτό

Η Ιστορία επαναλαμβάνεται.Περίπου 2,5 χιλ. έτη πριν ένα αποτυχημένο πραξικόπημα έστελνε στην αρχαία Αθήνα «αντάρτες» σε ατιμωτικό θάνατο.Μόνο που τότε οι Θεοί θύμωναν.

Οι αποτυχημένοι πραξικοπηματίες της αρχαίας Αθήνας και ο αποτρόπαιός τους θάνατος έφερε «Κυλώνειον Άγος» στην πόλη. Μια ιστορία τόσο επίκαιρη...

Τα ευρήματα της ανασκαφής στο Φαληρικό Δέλτα φέρνουν στην επιφάνεια μια εποχή γεμάτη συγκρούσεις και αίμα που έμεινε στην ιστορία ως Κυλώνειον ΄Αγος. Μια εποχή που, αλίμονο, τόσο μοιάζει με τη σημερινή...

Red Eagle’s Raid – The Fort Mims Massacre

 Andrew Knighton

Massacre at Fort Mims in 1813. From History of the War for the Union : civil, military & naval. (New York : Johnson, Fry, 1861-1865) Duyckinck, Evert A. (Evert Augustus) (1816-1878), Author. Chappel, Alonzo (1828-1887), Illustrator

Many war leaders are defined by a single incident, one that exhibits their skills, character, and even limitations. For Red Eagle, the Creek Indian war chief and leader in the Creek War, this moment came with the attack on Fort Mims on the 30^th of August, 1813.

Η άγνωστη ιστορία της πρώτης προσπάθειας ανατινάξεως της Ελληνικής Βουλής…

  earkas

Αθήνα 1907. 14 χρόνια μετά την καθολική πτώχευση του 1893, 10 χρόνια μετά την οδυνηρή ήττα στον Ελληνοτουρκικό πόλεμο του 1897 και 9 χρόνια μετά την επιβολή διεθνούς…
οικονομικού ελέγχου από τους εβραϊκής καταγωγής Γαλλοβρετανούς τραπεζίτες του 1898, η Ελλάδα των 2.631.952 κατοίκων διέθετε ζωτικό χώρο εκτάσεως 63.211 km²…. Οι υπήκοοι του βασιλείου, που με σκληρή εργασία είχαν καταφέρει να έχουν πλεονασματικό προϋπολογισμό (παρά τις τεκμηριωμένες προβλέψεις του τότε ΔΝΤ για το αντίθετο), ουσιαστικά εξανάγκασαν τον πρόξενο των ΗΠΑ Horton να πει γι’ αυτούς σε επίσημη ομιλία του ότι : «Η φυλή (clan) είναι μικρή, αλλά τα επιτεύγματά της πολύ μεγάλα και οι Έλληνες είναι μετρημένοι, εργατικοί και οικονόμοι».

The Weapons They Carried: 10 WWII Infantry Weapons That Were Crucial to the Fight

 

 

A look at the top 10 WWII Infantry Rifles of WWII, both Allied and Axis.

Brexit: Γιατί θα αργήσει να βγει η Βρετανία από την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση

Η πραγματική αποχώρηση της Μεγάλης Βρετανίας από την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωσημπορεί να μετατεθεί στα τέλη του 2019 ή ακόμη και το 2020 γράφει η Sunday Times.

Η εφημερίδα επικαλείται δύο βασικούς λόγους, τόσο τις δυσκολίες που αντιμετωπίζει η βρετανική κυβέρνηση να στελεχώσει με κατάλληλο προσωπικό τις υπηρεσίες που θα διαπραγματευθούν το Brexit, όσο και τις εκλογές στη Γαλλία και τη Γερμανία.

Η μυστική βάση των Ναζί στην Ανταρκτική(?)

Η πρώτη γερμανική αποστολή στην Ανταρκτική ήταν η Εκστρατεία Gauss το 1901 – 1903, με επικεφαλής τον βετεράνο στην Αρκτική και τη γεωλογία καθηγητή Erich von Drygalski, και ήταν η πρώτη φορά που χρησιμοποιήθηκε ένα αερόστατο για εναερία παρατήρηση στην Ανταρκτική.

Η δεύτερη γερμανική αποστολή στην Ανταρκτική ήταν το 1911-1912 με τον Wilhelm Filchner, που είχε στόχο την διέλευση της Ανταρκτικής για να μάθουν αν υπήρχαν κομμάτια γης χωρίς πάγο. Η τρίτη ήταν η Νέα Σουηβία 1938 (Neuschwabenland), που άρχισε να εξερευνάται από τη Γερμανία στις 17 Δεκεμβρίου 1938.

Η ΑΦΡΟΔΙΤΗ ΔΕΝ ΗΤΑΝ ΠΑΝΤΑ ΚΟΛΑΣΗ! Μπορεί κάποτε να ήταν κατοικήσιμη σαν τη Γη

Η Αφροδίτη, που σήμερα αποτελεί μια σκέτη καυτή κόλαση, κάποτε μπορεί να είχε τελείως διαφορετικές συνθήκες και να ήταν για καιρό κατοικήσιμη όπως και η Γη, σύμφωνα με νέες εκτιμήσεις επιστημόνων της Αμερικανικής Διαστημικής Υπηρεσίας (NASA), οι οποίες όμως βασίζονται σε κλιματικά μοντέλα με τη βοήθεια υπολογιστών και όχι σε απτά δεδομένα.

23 ώρες ·

ΑΡΕΤΟΥΣΑ: Η ΑΦΡΟΔΙΤΗ ΔΕΝ ΗΤΑΝ ΠΑΝΤΑ ΚΟΛΑΣΗ! Μπορεί κάποτε να ήταν κατοικήσιμη σαν τη Γη

aggaleto.blogspot.com|Από Αγγελική

Οι επιστήμονες, με επικεφαλής τον Μάικλ Γουέι του Ινστιτούτου Διαστημικών Μελετών Γκόνταρντ της NASA, που έκαναν τη σχετική δημοσίευση στο περιοδικό ‘Geophysical Research Letters” της Αμερικανικής Γεωφυσικής Ένωσης, θεωρούν πιθανό ότι κατά τα πρώτα δύο δισεκατομμύρια χρόνια ύπαρξης της Αφροδίτης υπήρχε ένας ρηχός ωκεανός με νερό, ενώ οι θερμοκρασίες ήσαν πολύ πιο χαμηλές από ό,τι σήμερα.

Miyazaki-Inspired Jet Glider Flies Before Crowds In Japan

If this is as close as we get to a real-life Studio Ghibli universe, we're in. (via Popular Science)

Valley of the win

popsci.com|Από Kelsey D. Atherton

World's only single-piece 2nd century Caracalla statue discovered in southern Turkey

DAILY SABAH

ISTANBUL

Published August 2, 201

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DHA Photo

Archeologists in Turkey's southern Antalya province discovered what is allegedly the only one-piece statue of Second Century Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, also referred to as 'Caracalla.'
According to Doğan News Agency, the statue was found during the excavation and restoration project of the Ancient City of Perga, located in Aksu district, Antalya, which has been carried out by Antalya Museum since 2012.

It was claimed that the statue of Caracalla found during the excavation is the only statue of the emperor remaining as a whole. Beside the massive 2.2-meter statue of the Roman emperor stands a small statue of a soldier, indicating Caracalla's glory and status at the time.

Viking warriors were buried with board games for recreational ‘diversion’ in the afterlife

Posted By: Dattatreya Mandal 

By early 9th century, the Orkney Islands, an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, pretty much became the headquarters for pirate raids and expeditions mounted by the Vikings against both Norway and mainland Scotland. In fact, the area later became embroiled in the dynastic politics of the Norsemen, and as such was under Norse (and later Norwegian) rule till 1472 AD. Suffice it to say, the archipelago is home to a flurry of Viking archaeological sites and specimens. And now a Scottish academic, Mark Hall of Perth Museum, has unveiled how at least two of these burial sites in Orkney contain board games that accompanied the body of the occupant. According to the researcher, these board games were arrayed alongside the warrior to symbolically provide him with ‘entertainment’ even in his afterlife.

Interestingly, these Orkney burials are just two among the 36 board game burials of Vikings that are spread across Northern Europe. In any case, focusing on the Orkney ones, one of the burials from the 9th century Rousay site consisted of one male who was accompanied by 25 game pieces made of bones. The other burial at the Sanday site was a tad elaborate, with its occupants comprising one adult male, a young boy and an elderly woman – all of whom were accompanied by 22 game pieces made of whalebone. Hall made it clear –

20 Gut Wrenching Images Of Kids of War

, 2016 Damian Lucjan

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Wars are always started by the adults, but not just adults take part in it. War does not spare anyone, so armed kids aren’t a rare occurrence. Sometimes they are orphans, sometimes volunteers or they were simply forced to serve in the army. One thing is certain; war often destroyed their future or literally their lives.
Children have often been pressed into conflicts throughout history. They have fought in wars as soldiers, both girls and boys. It was very common in some countries for children to fight in wars, right up into the Twentieth Century.

The Last Shogun – First Shots of the Boshin War

 Barney Higgins

 

Samurai of the Satsuma clan during the Boshin War, by pioneering military photographer Felice Beato (Wikipedia)

 

On the 27th of January, 1868, the army of the Shogunate was marching toward Kyoto. For more than a quarter of a century, the Tokugawa Shoguns had ruled Japan in peace, but now the country was once again in turmoil. Foreigners had come to Japan, Dutch, British and French, and modern European weaponry and training had for the first time become influential in the land of the rising sun. It was a turbulent time.
Japan’s politics had split the country. The young Emperor and the Shogunate were at odds, and the Emperor had caused the last Shogun to resign his post. However, the Shogun’s abdication was not enough to satisfy the clan leaders under whose influence the Emperor was acting.
They called a meeting and declared that the very title of ‘Shogun’ was to be abolished. Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the recently abdicated Shogun, was to be stripped of all lands and titles. Yoshinobu was understandably distraught at this, and moved in force toward Kyoto, ostensibly to deliver a letter of protest to the Emperor.
His army was made up of troops from four different allied clans, and their gear reflected the rapid changes Japan was undergoing at the time. There were soldiers of the old style, colourfully dressed, elaborately armoured Samurai with pikes and spears, bows and curved swords, but also there were units of line infantry armed with rifles in the western style. Yoshinobu was not expecting a battle, but as his army approached the seat of power, the city of Kyoto, they found their advance opposed by entrenched troops of the Satsuma clan.

The Only Submarine Sunk By a Dump on the Toilet – U-1206

Nov 2, 2015 Joris Nieuwint

 

Image of the U-1206 via Buchandivers.com

 

The U-1206 was commissioned on March 16, 1944 and a type 7C U-boat. This type U-Boat was equipped with a new type of toilet designed to allow the submarine to dive deeper and avoid Allied attack. It was a very complicated high pressure valve system which required special training to use them.
After being commissioned, under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Günther Fritze, the submarine took part in training exercises with the 8th U-boat Flotilla until July 1944 when it was assigned to the 11th U-boat Flotilla. Command was handed over to Kapitänleutnant Karl-Adolf Schlitt. The boat was then fitted with a Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus before being released for patrol duties.
For the U-Boat Crews that served on submarines life was not only very dangerous, the life expentency wasn’t good at all, it was also unpleasant. A Submarine isn’t large and the space is mostly filled up with machinery leaving little space for the crew. Typically there were only two toilets (heads) on board and one of them was often used to store food for the (hopefully) long journeys, leaving only one toilet for the entire crew to share.

See 6 Incredible World War II Photos In Color

By Sarah Sicard

T&P on Facebook

Artist Marina Amaral takes historical black and white photos and colorizes them, shedding a whole new light on war.

Up through World War II, most photos taken were only shown in black and white. But now, thanks to Brazilian artist Marina Amaral, we are able to glimpse history through a new lens — in color.
“I’ve always been passionate about history and very interested in World War II,” Amaral told Task & Purpose.
She said she began to experiment with Photoshop when she was a child, but it was just a hobby, never anything serious. However, she said, “One day I found a few colorizations on the internet, by accident, and I was fascinated by the possibility to transform my two passions into one single thing.”
But the colorizations are no easy feat, she added.
“It’s like a traditional painting,” she said. “Research, lots of layers of different colors and many hours of patience. Every single pixel is colored by hand — there is nothing automatic in the process.”
Lucky for us, Amaral was kind enough to share six stunning World War II photos with Task & Purpose.

20 Things You Didn’t Know About Hadrian’s Wall

Andrew Knighton

 

 

Though long since reduced to ruins, the line of Hadrian’s Wall is still visible through the countryside of northern England, from Bowness on the west coast to Wallsend on the east coast. It remains one of the most impressive and fascinating accomplishments of Rome’s skilled military engineers. Here are some facts you might not know about the Roman Empire’s most northerly line of defence.

Nazi Germany's Battleship Bismarck vs. America's Iowa Class: Who Wins?

A World War II showdown that never was.

Kyle Mizokami

Despite the vast scope of the Second World War, the navies of the United States and Nazi Germany fought few, if any, direct surface engagements. By the time of America’s entry into the war the Royal Navy had already sunk or neutralized the lion’s share of Hitler’s Kriegsmarine, with only Hitler’s U-boats remaining a substantial German threat.

Nikitin-Shevchenko IS-1

Perhaps the most innovatory single-seat fighter to undergo flight testing in the late 'thirties was the IS-1. Polymorphic in concept in that it could translate from biplane to monoplane configuration and back again in the air, the IS-1 (Istrebitel Skladnoi or folding fighter) was conceived by Vladimir V Shevchenko and designed in collaboration with Vasili V Nikitin. The IS-1 was intended to take-off as an unequal-span biplane, subsequently retracting its main wheels pneumatically into the lower wing and then folding this wing (again pneumatically), the centre section into recesses in the fuselage sides and the outer panels into shallow depressions in the upper wing. Theoretically, the lower wing could be extended during combat to increase manoeuvrability. The IS-1 was powered by a 1,100hp Shvetsov M-63 nine-cylinder radial and carried an armament of four 7.62mm ShKAS machine guns. Construction was all metal and the prototype was flown for the first time on 6 November 1940, the lower wing being successfully retracted and extended within 7-10 seconds during subsequent trials. Refinement of the basic design for series production had meanwhile re- suited in the IS-2, only one prototype of the IS-1 being completed.

5 Legendary Military Units

 Julia Dzhak

Lifting of the Siege of Malta by Charles-Philippe Larivière (1798–1876). Hall of the Crusades, Palace of Versailles.

From the beginning of the 13th till the end of the 18th centuries, we can safely pick these five legendary units. These warrior units participated in numerous battles and proved time and time again they were a force like no other. Some of them even met each other in battle.

Anti- Brexit snd Eduationευ (collection of aricles)

Α)Post-war fantasies and Brexit: the delusional view of Britain’s place in the world

Claims about Britain’s past are made regularly in the referedum debate. But claims about Britain’s historical place in the world – courageously standing alone, being outnumbered and outgunned but in the end outperforming everyone – are not based on fact, writes Mike Finn. These myths could nonetheless have very real consequences: this is the self-image that the Brexit campaign portray and which many think they will revive by voting to Leave.

It is perhaps unsurprising that Michael Gove, who as former Education Secretary trumpeted the virtues of ‘our island story’ in the history curriculum, should have emerged as a leader of the Brexit campaign. Nor is it surprising that Boris Johnson, who penned a book to situate himself in comparison with Winston Churchill, should do the same. Both consider themselves to be historians of sorts, articulating Britain’s place in the world in historical terms. But the visions of Britain’s past they draw on are rooted in myth, not history, and this has implications for the decision they are asking us to take.

The ‘standing alone’ myth

For Gove and Johnson, Britain is the nation who stood alone in 1940, a great nation, heir to Anglo-Saxon culture and ‘first in the world for soft power’, owing to Britain’s supposed ‘invention’ of representative democracy. For Johnson, Churchill was a man of ‘vast and almost reckless moral courage’, the encapsulation of all that is good about Britain, not least British pluck. As Gove puts it, those who believe that the prospect of Brexit is a terrible idea are actually arguing that Britain is ‘too small and too weak…to succeed without Jean-Claude Juncker looking after us.’ Johnson went further, comparing the European project to Hitler’s attempt at territorial domination. Both agree that, as in 1940, Britain can, and should, stand alone.

Hidden Boneyard in Greece with German Ju-52, Stuka, C-47 and Lockheed F-104 Starfighter

 Hans Wiesman

 

 

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In this Dakota Hunter Blog, you will read about a weird boneyard aka a Museum collection of aircraft to be restored in Tatoi, Greece. Until recently, this unique collection of wartime and post-wartime aircraft was kept strictly “closed” or only accessible with a special permit.

For years, it seemed that the Greek Military Authorities had a near- paranoia approach toward “Peeping Toms” who with cameras tried to film/photograph the vintage aircraft on Greek Air Force bases (AFBs).
It was since long time known to me that the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) still had a fleet of aging, out phased C-47s/ Dakotas standing there on their AFB, rotting away in open air.
I even tried once via the Military Attache of the Dutch Embassy to launch a serious effort to visit their AFB and hoped with that to get an entry to purchase their surplus parts.
All those efforts were in vain and I lost my interest, as I could harvest with more ease the C-47 surplus stocks of other Air Forces in the world.

Byzantine Empire—or Republic?

The Byzantine Republic: People and Power in New Rome, Anthony Kaldellis, Harvard University Press, 312 pages

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Nikephoros III Botaniates, Byzantine emperor / Wikimedia Commons

The textbooks say the Byzantine Empire was a theocratic autocracy uniting church and state under an all-powerful emperor believed by the Byzantines to be God’s viceroy and vicar. Nonsense, says Anthony Kaldellis, professor of classics at Ohio State University. The Byzantine Empire was a continuation of the Roman Empire and even of the Roman Republic. Its political ideology was fundamentally secular and grounded in the ancient Roman republican belief that government exists to serve the common good. Its people no longer had a legal role in the election of leaders or legislators, but they often played an extralegal role in the making and unmaking of emperors, whose legitimacy depended on popularity and not on a claim of divine right or constitutional correctness. Emperors therefore ruled pragmatically and not fanatically, often disappointing the Church to please the people.

Dimitros: The Greek ghost shipwreck floating abandoned for 30 years …

Dimitrios is a Greek shipwreck famous due to its picturesque location on an easily accessible sandy beach near Gythio, Greece.
Dimitrios (previously named Klintholm), a small, 67-metre (220-foot) cargo ship of 965 gross tons cargo capacity built in 1950, was registered in the Prefecture of Piraeus, registration no. 2707. The ship belonged 76.75% to the Molaris Brothers (Greek: Αφοί Μόλαρη) and 23.25% to the Matsinos Brothers (Greek Αφοί Ματσινού). Dimitrios has been stranded on the beach at Valtaki (Greek Βαλτάκι) in today′s Evrotas municipality in the prefecture of Laconia, Greece, since 23 December 1981.

Source Zeitfixierer/Flickr

Archaeologists have possibly discovered the largest ancient settlement in South Caucasus

: Dattatreya Mandal 

Last year in 2015, archaeologists were surprised by their findings at the Didnauri complex, in southeast Georgia. Their excavations within the parameters of the ancient site, which encompasses a substantially long 1-mile wall (around 23 ft wide), revealed a wealth of artifacts – ranging from stone weapons, ceramic objects to bronze tools. In fact, the sheer scale of the urbanized area (gauged by satellite images), dating from around 10th-11th century BC, convinced the researchers that they were dealing with the largest ancient settlement in South Caucasus. And now the archaeologists have further established the significance of the Didnauri site, as evidenced by the discoveries of an entire water supply system, buildings specifically created for ritualistic purposes, and a grave of ancient military commander who had an arrowhead sticking to his thorax region.

AMX-10 PAC 90

Tank destroyer

The AMX-10 PAC 90 fire support vehicle was capable of taking anti-tank combat

 

 

Entered service 1979 Crew 3 + 4 men Dimensions and weight Weight 14.5 t Length (gun forward) ? Hull length 5.87 m Width 2.83 m Height 2.73 m Armament Main gun 90-mm rifled Barrel length 52 calibers Machine guns 1 x 7.62-mm Maximum rate of fire ? Elevation range - 8 to + 15 degrees Traverse range 360 degrees Ammunition load Main gun 30 rounds Machine guns 3 200 rounds Mobility Engine Hispano Suiza HS 115 Engine power 280 hp Maximum road speed 65 km/h Amphibious speed on water  2 / 8 km/h Range 600 km Maneuverability Gradient 60% Side slope 30% Vertical step 0.7 m Trench 1.6 m Fording Amphibious

   The AMX-10 PAC 90 is a dedicated fire support and anti-tank variant of the AMX-10P infantry fighting vehicle. Its production commenced in 1979. This vehicle is in service with France, Brazil and possibly some other countries.

   This fire support vehicle was designed to operate alongside the main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. At the time of its introduction it was capable of taking anti-tank combat, however by current standards its armament its too week to knock out a modern MBT. It was also intended as a reconnaissance and infantry support vehicle.

AMX-10P

AMX-10P
AMX-10P
Type	Infantry fighting vehicle
Place of origin	France
Service history
Wars	Gulf War
Production history
Produced	1973–present
Specifications
Weight	14.2 tonnes
Length	5.85 m
Width	2.78 m
Height	2.57 m
Crew	3 crew + 8 troops
Armour	Frontal armour resistant against 23 mm API from 300 m
Main armament	20mm automatic cannon M693 F1 (800 rounds)
Secondary armament	7.62mm co-axial machine gun (2,000 rounds)
Engine	Hispano-Suiza HS 115 280 hp (210 kW)
Power/weight	19.7 hp/tonne
Suspension	Torsion bar
Operational range	600 km
Speed	65 km/h

The AMX-10P is a French infantry fighting vehicle. It was developed after 1965 to replace the AMX-VCI in French service; the first prototypes were completed in 1968. It has NBC protection and amphibious capabilities, with hydro jets to swim in water. The AMX-10P has been operated in the past by France, the United Arab Emirates, Greece, Indonesia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Mexico.

Byzantine Transfer of Population policy

"In 941 the entire Arab tribe of Banu H'abid, discontented apparently with the (ruling) Hamdanids, emigrated from the region of Nisibis in Mesopotamia and came to settle in the Byzantine Empire. The new arrivals numbered 12,000 horsemen and brought with them, besides their families,  their slaves, flocks and all their transportable goods. They were followed, in addition, by many of their neighbors. Once in Byzantine territory, they embraced Christianity, enrolled in the Byzantine army, and in return were given lands, animals, clothes and even some precious objects" -

DNA of ancient Phonecian boy suggests a new model of human migration

The findings of a recent study backed by DNA evidence is shedding new light on the genetic origins of perhaps the most celebrated civilization that once thrived in the Middle East. The researchers have successfully sequenced the first complete genome of 2500 years old remains of a young man discovered in Carthage. The Sequencing revealed that the ancient boy’s genome contains a rare European hunter gatherer genes; the finding has the potential to trigger the rewrite of the migration pattern of ancient Europeans into the North African region.

Location of Phoenicia.Source

Researchers claim that the finding is significant as it could shed light on the scope and tendency of ancient people’s movement across continents.

Stilicho

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	"The celestial gift, which Achilles obtained, and Alexander envied, of a poet worthy to celebrate the actions of heroes, has been enjoyed by Stilicho in a much higher degree than might have been expected from the declining state of genius, and of art." -Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Magister Militum Flavius Stilicho was the last great hero of the Western Roman Empire.  At a time when all of the noble Patrician fat cat losers around him were busy being a bunch of obnoxious, lazy, back-stabbing sycophants more obsessed with slaves, jewelry, and top-shelf hair products, this old-school stoic honor-bound barbarian-smiting warhammer of Imperial justice was out there proving that even though she was dying and decaying from the inside, the blood of Caesar, Scipio, Marius, and Agrippa still coursed through the veins of Roman Empire.  He rose from the rank-and-file of the Roman Legions to serve on the Emperor’s bodyguard, marry the Emperor’s daughter, take command of all Roman armed forces, and then defended the Eternal City from barbarian invaders at the gates not once but twice despite being underfunded, outnumbered, and having every single logistical problem in the Ancient World kicking him in the balls every time he tried to take a leak.  In twenty years of military service to the Empire this dude fought off unstoppable hordes of rampaging enemy soldiers with a handful of legionnaires cobbled together at the last minute, and he defended the realm without ever sacrificing his personal honor or his duty to the Emperor.  Nowadays he goes down in history as the last great warrior of Rome, and his tragic death marks the end of the Western Empire as we know it.

Nakam – The Jewish Revenge Plan to Kill off Six Million Germans

 Nikola Budanovic

The origins of Nakam, or Revenge in Hebrew, comes from the United Partisan Organization that was based in the Vilna Ghetto, Lithuania, during WWII. Established in January 1942, this was also the first clandestine resistance organization, in a Jewish ghetto in Nazi-occupied Europe.
Their motto was: “We will not allow them to take us like sheep to the slaughter”, which became the basis of their struggle against the systematic elimination of the Jews in Lithuania and Europe. The leading figure of the movement was a Jewish poet and writer, Abba Kovner.  His first lieutenants were Rozska Korczak and Vitka Kempner.

5th-Century Mosaic Adorned with Elephants and Cupids

By Elizabeth Goldbaum, Staff Writer |

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A section of the mosaic showing an elephant discovered in 2013. This section is part of the larger mosaic exposed in summer 2015.

Credit: Jim Haberman

Stunning mosaics have turned up during an archaeological dig of a fifth-century synagogue in northern Israel.
Tiny earth-hued stones in the mosaics swirl to form images of women surrounded by cupids holding discs, mythological creatures, a rooster, expressive theater masks and symbols of Dionysus (Bacchus), the Greco-Roman god of wine. And painted ivy crawls up columns covered with plaster. These recent discoveries add context and scenes to previously uncovered mosaics and inscriptions on the same and adjacent panels.

Detainees beaten, tortured and raped after failed Turkey coup, Amnesty says

Tens of thousands of supporters of Turkey's ruling and main opposition parties rallied together in support of democracy

People kick and beat a Turkish soldier, who participated in the attempted coup, on Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge AP

Human rights group Amnesty International says it has received credible evidence of detainees in Turkey being subjected to beatings and torture, including rape, since last week's failed coup attempt.
"It is absolutely imperative that the Turkish authorities halt these abhorrent practices and allow international monitors to visit all these detainees in the places they are being held," said Amnesty's Europe director John Dalhuisen in a statement.

UK Brexit: Could Cyprus inspire pro-EU Scotland?

By Laurence Peter BBC News

An experience from the opposite end of Europe might influence Scotland's bid to remain in the EU during the UK's Brexit negotiations.

Cyprus joined the EU in 2004. Yet the island's breakaway, Turkish-controlled north is not internationally recognised, and EU laws don't apply there.
The UK's sovereign military bases in Cyprus are also outside the EU and have a special status.
The EU showed flexibility for Cyprus. It might do the same for Scotland and Northern Ireland, where majorities voted Remain (62% and 55.8%, respectively).

2 Αυγούστου 1944:Το Ολοκαύτωμα των Τσιγγάνων

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Από N. on 02/08/2016 

Από την Ελένη Καρασαββίδου
Βερολίνο 1933. Η Νύχτα των Κρυστάλλων.  Το ναζιστικό καθεστώς προωθεί μια κοινωνική συνοχή στηριγμένη στο ναρκισσισμό του «εθνικού εμείς», καθιστώντας την κοινωνία πρόθυμη να υπερασπιστεί με κάθε τρόπο τη φυλετική της καθαρότητα. Τα πρόσωπα (και άρα οι πολίτες) κρύβονταν συχνά πίσω από την απρόσωπη άρεια συλλογική ψυχή, επενδύοντας στα γυμνασμένα σώματα των μαχητών και στην αδρή «καθαρότητα» του δημόσιου χώρου βασικές κοινωνικές και ψυχολογικές προσδοκίες τους, αλλά και τις εξατομικευμένες ευθύνες τους.
Στο καθεστώς αυτό συνοδεύουν λίγο λίγο τους Εβραίους στη φρικιαστική πορεία του «αποδιοπομπαίου τράγου» οι αριστεροί, αρκετοί φιλελεύθεροι, οι ομοφυλόφιλοι, τα άτομα με ειδικές ανάγκες και οι Αθίγγανοι. Μια κοινωνία καθαρών που στο όνομα της καθαρότητας βρωμίζει πιο πολύ από κάθε άλλη φορά, πετώντας «ακάθαρτους»(!) ανθρώπους στα στρατόπεδα όπως τα άπλυτα ρούχα σε μια βιαστική επίσκεψη στο πίσω μέρος της ντουλάπας.

For 59 Days 30 Russian Soldiers Were Under Siege In This House, They Never Surrendered

 Nikola Budanovic

 

Left: Pavlov's House. By Unknown - Russian State Military Archive, Public Domain. Right: Yakov Pavlov, By Soviet military photographer - Public Domain

 

The Battle of Stalingrad might be one of the best-known battles of WWII. The siege of the city that lasted from 23rd of August, 1942 to the 2nd of February, 1943 saw several power shifts between confronted sides. The Soviets declared it their definitive mission to withstand the Axis push at Stalingrad ― the city that bore the name of their leader, Joseph Stalin. Hitler saw the symbolic potential too and insisted on capturing the city, no matter the cost. Street fights raged for months while snipers scanned the devastated landscape in search of any sign of life. Every house was a battleground. Apartment buildings were taken and lost by storm, in a matter of hours, even minutes. Life lost all value on the streets of Stalingrad as the Soviets believed in their superior numbers and pushed forward, losing hundreds of thousands of soldiers. On the strategic chessboard, those were the days when it was all or nothing.

12 things you should know about the ancient Roman gladiators

Posted By: Dattatreya Mandal

Often viewed as the working class heroes of the Roman society, the gladiators have surely seen their fair share of screen time in our modern-day popular media. However, beyond grand spectacles and bloody feats, the very nature of gladiatorial contests alluded to the ‘institutionalization of violence‘ ingrained in the Roman society since its tribal days. So, without further ado, let us take a gander at twelve such incredible things you should know about the Roman gladiators that go beyond the realm of glitzy fiction to account for brutal reality.

Mία γενιά από ηλίθιους; – Εξαιρετικό άρθρο ενός 14χρονου νέου που όλοι πρέπει να διαβάσουν

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Όσο και αν είναι επώδυνο για μένα, δυστυχώς ανήκω σε αυτήν τη γενιά. Αναφέρομαι βεβαίως, βεβαίως στη γενιά ανθρώπων που έχουν γεννηθεί στην Ελλάδα την περίοδο από 1998 και πάνω. Μια γενιά που μεγάλωσε με σύντροφο την τεχνολογία. Μία γενιά που πήρε τελείως διαφορετικό δρόμο από την προηγούμενη, μια πορεία που ίσως δεν είναι αναστρέψιμη. Τι συμβαίνει λοιπόν με αυτή τη νέα γενιά;
Ποιος ή τι ευθύνεται τελικά για αυτήν την κατάληξη; Ευθύνεται η υπερβολική «δόση» τεχνολογίας που έχουν λάβει τα σημερινά παιδιά, χωρίς να γνωρίζουν πως να την χειρίζονται και να την αξιοποιούν ώστε να αποκομίσουν τα οφέλη της; Ή μήπως ευθύνεται η στάση και η διαπαιδαγώγηση των γονέων προς τα παιδιά; Γιατί σίγουρα δεν φταίει μόνο το διαδίκτυο και το Facebook για αυτήν τη κατάσταση που επικρατεί σήμερα. Γιατί πραγματικά είναι τρομακτική… Ας αρχίσουμε λοιπόν…