Greece's High Military Spending: Turkey Tensions Drive Defense Budget | JQJO

Greece, despite its sunny image, is a top NATO defense spender, allocating 3.1% of its GDP to the military in 2024, surpassed only by the US, Poland, Latvia, and Estonia. This significant expenditure stems from long-standing tensions with Turkey, encompassing historical conflicts and territorial disputes, particularly concerning Greek islands near the Turkish coast. While Greece invests heavily in advanced weaponry, experts highlight weaknesses in its domestic defense industry and military readiness. This substantial spending, however, strengthens Greece's geopolitical standing within NATO and its relationships with key arms suppliers like the US and France.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Tuesday that it has certified Boeing’s 737‑MAX 10, the company’s largest single‑aisle jet. The certification removes a major regulatory hurdle and allows Boeing to begin delivering the aircraft to airlines in the coming months. The MAX 10 has already attracted 1,555 orders from more than 30 customers worldwide, representing about one‑third of Boeing’s total 737‑MAX order book of 7,350 aircraft. Boeing said the jet can seat up to 230 passengers, with typical two‑class configurations of 185 to 210 seats, and offers a range of up to 3,100 nautical miles. The certification followed nearly 1,000 test flights, over 2,000 flight hours and 1,000 hours of ground testing, and includes safety upgrades such as an updated flight‑control system and an enhanced angle‑of‑attack sensor. Boeing’s president and CEO, Stephanie Pope, said the MAX 10 “offers greater capacity, longer range and the best seat economics in its class.”

Disney+ and Hulu have greenlit a reboot of Ryan Murphy’s musical dramedy series ‘Glee’. The original show ran on Fox from 2009 to 2015, following a group of show‑choir members from Lima, Ohio, and tackling topics such as sexuality, race, disability and mental health. The reboot will be produced by 20th Television and will air on both platforms. Murphy said he has written a new script with Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan and that he has spoken with about ten original cast members, all of whom were enthusiastic. While the cast and details remain unannounced, several original stars are expected to return. The series remains popular today, with its music averaging 4.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify. The original cast included Lea Michelle, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch, Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Darren Criss, Amber Riley, Naya Rivera, Heather Morris, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Harry Shum Jr., Chord Overstreet and Mark Salling. Naya Rivera died in 2020 at age 33.

The Orionid meteor shower will peak at two p.m. ET Wednesday, with best viewing between midnight and dawn Wednesday and Thursday. A bright waxing gibbous moon, 76 percent illuminated, will set a few hours before sunrise, allowing up to twenty meteors per hour to be seen. Orionids travel at forty‑one miles per second, producing luminous fireballs. The shower occurs each October as Earth crosses Halley’s comet debris trail, which completes an orbit every seventy‑six years.

President Donald Trump is offering $5,000 checks to every American adult if Republicans retain control of Congress. He has also pledged additional "goodies" tied to GOP victories, including fuel policy changes and investment promises in specific states. Trump’s promises are contingent on Republican wins, a strategy critics say politicizes federal benefits. The campaign trail has seen Trump promise fuel blends without ethanol restrictions in Kansas, a $100 million pharmaceutical investment in Kentucky, and consideration for a Space Force Academy in Ohio. Polls show only fourteen percent of U.S. adults expect the checks, and less than half of self‑identified Republicans anticipate receiving them.