Greece’s conservative government promised late Thursday to continue a multi-billion euro defense modernization program during its second term in office, setting its sights on acquiring F-35 fighter jets in five years. “Our priority is to safeguard the country,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told parliament at the start of a debate to approve a new government after his conservative New Democracy party won a general election last month. Athens is acquiring 24 advanced French-built Rafale jets, and upgrading 58 F-16 fighters from its aging fleet. It wants to add 20 F-35s with an option to buy as many as 28 more at a later date – requests that still require final approval from the Unites States. Greece has long-standing disputes with neighbor and fellow-NATO member Turkey and is modernizing its military after emerging from a severe financial crisis in 2018. It currently has the largest defense budget in the alliance relative to the size of its economy, at 3.54% of gross domestic product in 2022, according to NATO’s annual report published in March. It is one of seven members that spends above the 2% NATO guideline, along with the United States, Lithuania, Poland, the United Kingdom, Estonia and Latvia. Mitsotakis said the high spending on defense would continue despite a welcome thaw in tension with Turkey in recent months. He is due to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan next week on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Lithuania. Concluding a three-day debate, the Greek parliament will hold a vote of confidence Saturday, to back the new Mitsotakis government. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide

The gunman accused of murdering 11 in a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018 is now on trial in a federal courtroom in Pittsburgh. On 27 October 2018, Robert Bowers, then 46, entered the synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighbourhood armed with three handguns, an AR-15 rifle, and a trove of magazines and ammunition. Inside, he opened fire on congregants in what marks the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history. Eight men and three women – aged from 54 to 97 – died in the massacre. After numerous delays, the now-50-year-old is finally standing trial for more than 60 federal charges including obstruction of free exercise of religion resulting in death and hate crimes resulting in death. During opening arguments on Tuesday, Mr Bowers’ attorneys admitted that he was responsible for the massacre but claimed that he acted on “an irrational motive” and had “misguided intent”. Prosecutors meanwhile pointed out that, in the months leading up the shooting, the suspect was spewing bigoted and antisemitic vitriol online. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. Read More Who is Robert Bowers: Alleged antisemite on trial for Tree of Life synagogue shooting Police say Robert Bowers had an ‘unthinkable’ thought – then carried out America’s deadliest antisemitic attack

New Hampshire State Police said they are investigating Melissa Bagley's death, but confirmed that alcohol and drugs were not involved

SHANGHAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 8, 2023--

After a record-breaking year, Formula One champion Max Verstappen isn’t ready for 2023 to end just yet

Colombia scored a 97th-minute winner through a Manuela Vanegas header to snatch a dramatic 2-1 victory over Germany and stand on the cusp of the Women's...

New York City topped the list of the world's worst air pollution Tuesday morning as harmful smoke wafted south from more than a hundred wildfires burning in Quebec.

Germans should emulate the southern European tradition of the siesta as a way to support workers during the country’s frequent hot spells, according to the head of an association representing public health officers

The girl was barefoot and tightly clutching her teddy bear when she showed up at a Family Dollar store in Charleston

Woody Allen's Coup De Chance premiere at Venice Film Festival was hit with a group of topless protestors, who were eventually led away from the event. The group of around 15 people were captured on video chanting "no rape culture" while standing outside the Palazzo del Cinema venue. Allen's daughter, Dylan, has previously accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a child – claims he denies. The protestors were reportedly from several Italian groups, said to include feminist groups Non Una Di Meno and smaller collectives: Cso Morion, Spina Collective, Squeert Collective and Cso Pedro. It comes after the 87-year-old dismissed cancel culture as "silly" before saying there was "nothing in" the allegations put against him. When asked by an audience in Venice whether he felt that he had been cancelled he said: "I just find that all so silly. I don’t think about it. I don’t know what it means to be cancelled." Allen went on to discuss the MeToo movement, saying: "I think any movement where there’s actual benefit, where it does something positive – let’s say for women – is a good thing." He added: "It’s silly when it’s not really a feminist issue or an issue of unfairness to women. When it’s being too extreme in trying to make it into an issue when, in fact, most people would not regard it as any kind of offensive situation." The director once again denied child abuse allegations put against him. "There was nothing in it," he said. "The fact that it lingers on always makes me think that maybe people like the idea that it lingers on." When asked when he had any contact with Dylan or her brother, Allen said: "No. Always willing to, but no." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Caleb Martin was undrafted coming out of college

French prime minister Elisabeth Borne on Tuesday vowed a “merciless fight” against surging antisemitism after residents of the French capital discovered anti-Jewish graffiti on buildings in several districts. The discovery comes weeks into the Israel-Hamas war in which thousands of Palestinians and Israelis have been killed and hundreds of Israelis have been taken hostage by the militants in Gaza. “The situation in the Middle East does not justify antisemitism,” Ms Borne told the National Assembly during a regular questioning session. “Nothing ever excuses antisemitism ... my government is determined to wage a merciless fight against it." Since the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel, French authorities have registered 857 antisemitic acts, interior minister Gerald Darmanin said on Tuesday. “That's as many acts of antisemitism in three weeks as there have been so far this year,” he said. Mr Darmanin said police and judicial authorities have opened several investigations into the anti-Jewish graffiti around the capital and vowed to Jewish communities around France that “we will protect you, absolutely, completely, day and night.” The graffiti included a blue Star of David stamped on several buildings around the capital. “I am crying because I am going to again feel the hatred that was there when we were children,” a tearful resident of a graffiti-tagged building who gave only her first name, Marie, told BFM-TV. Carine Petit, the mayor of Paris's 14th district, reminded residents that such tags trigger painful memories. "This act of marking (buildings) is reminiscent of the acts in the (19)30s and the Second World War, which led to the extermination of millions of Jews,” Petit said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. Read More Bolivia severs diplomatic ties with Israel over ‘disproportionate’ attack in Gaza Orsted scraps 2 offshore wind power projects in New Jersey, citing supply chain issues The Day of the Dead in Mexico is a celebration for the 5 senses