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

By David Shepardson and Stephen Nellis WASHINGTON Senior U.S. chip company executives are holding meetings with Biden administration

Wimbledon is underway and that means the classic British summertime treat of strawberries and cream is ready to be dished out across the courts, with a staggering 1.92 million strawberries expected to be consumed during the tournament. When buying strawberries, we are attracted to the deeper coloured fruits as they are the ripest, but it’s worth being mindful of when you plan to eat them as fully ripe strawberries are best served the same day. Always check the bottom of the punnet to see if the strawberries are starting to bruise as this is a sign they are beginning to be past their best. When it comes to cooking, if you overcook strawberries, you can get a jam-like taste rather than a freshness, so it’s best to use recipes that don’t require a lot of heat and keep it simple for a more refined flavour. Simple touches like adding a dash of lemon will help the strawberries to pack a punch and elevate any recipe. I also like to add a crack of pink peppercorn to macerated strawberries in whatever I’m using them for, this helps enhance the floral notes of the strawberries, as when you eat them the pepper helps open up the nasal passage. Final-worthy dessert: strawberry shortcake Ingredients: For the shortcake: 115g cake flour 5g baking powder 5g salt 3 eggs, separated 1 pinch cream of tartar 175g sugar 15g unsalted butter, softened 5g vanilla extract 125ml milk For the topping: 500g strawberries 1 lemon 75g caster sugar 1 pinch of ground pink peppercorns Method: For the shortcake: Sift and combine all the dry ingredients, then rub the butter into the flour mix. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together until they form medium peaks. Combine the egg yolks and milk with the dry ingredients. Separate into equal-sized balls and bake at 180ºC until golden. For the topping: Quarter or roughly dice the strawberries, cover with the sugar, pepper and lemon zest and leave to sit for 15-20 minutes in the fridge. To serve: Place a few of the shortcakes at the bottom of a bowl or on a large plate. Top with a dollop or two of whipped cream or thick yoghurt, cover with the fresh strawberries and drizzle with the strawberry syrup. Finish by crumbling a shortcake or two over the top. For extra flair: Baste the halves of two peaches and sear in a pan with beurre noisette and a sprig of thyme on a medium heat. Serve on the side of the strawberry shortcake. Quickly served treat: brioche with passion fruit and strawberries Ingredients: For the fruit mix: 500g strawberries 8 fresh passion fruits 60g caster sugar 1 pinch salt For the topping: 200g mascarpone 3 tbsp honey Zest of 1 lemon Brioche to serve Method: Scoop the passion fruit seeds into a small pan and bring to a gentle simmer on a low heat. Add the sugar and the salt and simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until the seeds are shiny. Remove from the stove and allow to cool for five minutes, then pour over your halved strawberries. Place them in the fridge to marinate. To serve: Slice the brioche with a generous thickness, and toast in a pan over a medium heat with a knob of butter, until golden. Flip and repeat. Mix the mascarpone, honey, and lemon zest, spread over the brioche and add a generous amount of the strawberry fruit mix. For extra flair: Roast a handful of pistachios and crush them slightly. The green of the nut against the rich red of the strawberries will add a punch of colour. Read More The Norwegian sparkling wine aged at the bottom of the sea I was an air fryer sceptic – now I can’t stop using it Ditch Deliveroo – make these healthy, 30-minute pizzas instead Three quick and easy vegan fakeaway recipes The dish that defines me: Eddie Huang’s Taiwanese beef noodle soup How to cook kohlrabi

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Whilst repairing external parts of the International Space Station (ISS) last week, astronauts dropped a toolbag. And it turns out you just need a pair of binoculars to see it. The bag is tiny compared to the ISS, but it's reflective enough that when it catches the Sun's light it reaches 6th magnitude from Earth according to Earthsky. Under very dark skies, some powerful binoculars or a small telescope might allow you to see the toolbag. The bag is moving at almost exactly the same speed as the ISS on the same path and about a minute ahead of it. Over time, however, its distance from the ISS will grow, making it harder to find. Eventually, its orbit will become low enough that it burns up from friction with the outer atmosphere. You can find out if you have the ISS passing overhead here if you want to have a chance of seeing the bag. The ISS can only be seen easily when it's dark on the ground and sunlight is still catching it. It means it's usually best seen when the skies are not fully dark - so around dusk or dawn. Here is what the toolbag looks like from space: Sign up to 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. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

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Italian authorities boarded a Turkish vessel off the southern city of Naples after the crew detected a group of unidentified people on board. During an event on Friday, Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto announced that there were 15 “illegal migrants” on board the ship named Galatea Seaways which was bound for France. According to reports, 13 men and two women, mainly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq, had allegedly snuck into the ship in the hope of finding asylum in Europe. The Guardian reported that the immigrants were “armed with knives and attempted to hijack the vessel”. Ansa news agency additionally reported that once the immigrants were discovered by the crew of the ship, they allegedly tried to take some of the sailors hostage inside the bridge using knives. The captain of the ship was somehow able to get his hands on the radio, sending an SOS request to Ankara, which ended up reporting the incident to the Italian authorities. “An operation is underway on a vessel boarded by pirates … The stowaways were using what seem to be weapons like daggers” Mr Crosetto told reporters at the time. “The San Marco battalion had to intervene.” He added: “What is known about the hijackers is that they are illegal immigrants. Let’s hope it ends as quickly as possible without consequences for anyone.” It reportedly took seven hours for Italian special forces to intervene and regain control of the ship. They reportedly arrested the immigrants, some of whom found a place to hide in the depths of the ship. After the mission was successful, the Italian ministry said: “The ship has now been recaptured and the entire 22-man crew of the Turkish ship is safe.” Mr Crosetto also issued a statement on Twitter, writing: “Everything ended well. “My congratulations to the guys of the San Marco battalion and the police, who completed a wonderful operation,” he added. Read More Boris Johnson quits as MP and claims he is victim of ‘Partygate and Brexit witch-hunt’ Ukraine-Russia war – latest: Kyiv makes ‘good progress’ against Putin after ‘significant’ operations Russian man screams ‘papa’ as he is mauled to death by shark in Egypt Turkish lira declines to record lows following start of Erdogan's new presidential term Turkish forces arrive in Kosovo to bolster NATO-led peacekeepers after recent violence US sanctions Iranians over alleged assassination plots of former US officials, dissidents