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NATO to bolster Baltic military presence after power cables cut

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NATO to bolster Baltic military presence after power cables cut

NATO’s Secretary General Mark Rutte pledged to send drones, frigates and aircraft to the region as he highlighted a concerted campaign of ‘cyber-attacks, assassination attempts and sabotage.’

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NATO will increase its military presence and technological innovation in the Baltic Sea to protect critical infrastructure from sabotage, the head of the transatlantic alliance said at a Helsinki Summit on Tuesday. 

Safeguarding infrastructure “is of utmost importance,” Mark Rutte told reporters, citing energy from pipelines and the 95% of internet traffic that is secured through undersea cables.

In the last two months alone, there’s been damage to one cable between Lithuania and Sweden, another between Germany and Finland, and others between Estonia and Finland.

Investigations are underway, but NATO’s Secretary General believes there is cause for grave concern.

“We have seen elements of a campaign to destabilise our societies through cyber-attacks, assassination attempts and sabotage,” Rutte said, with Russia the presumed culprit.

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In response, NATO is increasing surveillance via a small fleet of maritime drones, while an enhanced surveillance operation called “Baltic Sentry” involves frigates and maritime patrol aircraft.

“We will respond decisively when critical infrastructure in our neighbourhood is at risk. Protecting it requires both national and international action,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb said.

Leaders of NATO countries in the Baltic region also pledged to push for robust enforcement, especially when it comes to the Russian shadow fleet of tankers used by Moscow to evade Western sanctions on oil sales.

“We need to make full use of the possibilities allowed by international law to take action against suspicious vessels,” Stubb stressed.

Last month, Finnish police seized a tanker carrying Russian oil, citing suspicions the ship had damaged the Estlink-2 power cable which connects Finland and Estonia by dragging its anchor along the seabed on Christmas Day.

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“Ship captains must understand that potential threats to our infrastructure will have consequences, including possible boarding, impounding and arrest,” Rutte said.

Ahead of the meeting, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said monitoring was difficult in practice, as around 2,000 ships pass through the Baltic every day.

“Let’s face it, we can’t ensure 100% protection, but if we send a bold signal, I think such incidents will decrease or even stop,” Rinkēvičs told journalists in Helsinki.

Germany will also participate in the Baltic Sentry mission, Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed in separate remarks to reporters.

“We will participate with everything we have in the way of naval capabilities; that will vary, as far as the concrete possibilities of deployment are concerned,” Scholz said, when asked if Germany had made a specific promise on the contribution of ships or planes.

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Additional sources • AP

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Brussels, my love? NATO's warning: we're not at war, and not at peace

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Brussels, my love? NATO's warning: we're not at war, and not at peace

In this edition, we hear how Austria is on the cusp of crowning a far-right leader, and examine NATO chief Mark Rutte’s plans to mend relations with the EU.

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Our guests this week include Austrian socialist MEP Andreas Schieder, Marta Mucznik, EU senior analyst with the International Crisis Group and Riho Terras, Estonian MEP with the European People’s Party. 

The panel reflect on the first visit this week by NATO’s new Secretary General to the European Parliament.

Mark Rutte, who was Dutch Prime Minister for years, is courting EU institutions and political parties as he seeks to improve relations and boost defence investment. Riho Terras, a former army general, applauds his ambition.

“If Putin wins in Ukraine, then we will have 40 million angry Ukrainians against us and pretty soon we will face the same threat”, said Terras, adding that Kyiv is as close to Berlin as it is to Tallinn.

The panel also took a deep dive into Austrian politics, which, five months after elections, are in a mess. After Karl Nehammer resigned earlier this month, far-right firebrand Herbert Kickl, known for his anti-EU, anti-NATO, xenophobic views, looks set to become chancellor, with his party dominating a coalition with the centre-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP).

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Andreas Schieder, who was involved in the initial coalition negotiations, blamed ÖVP for cosying up to the far right, and that the truth about the dire state of Austrian finances only came out after the elections.

“Conservatives always say the others are guilty, that we have now to accept the extreme right”, Schieder said.

Finally, the panel discussed media trends for 2025 and the dwindling trust in mainstream news sources.

Marta Mucznik said she could never replace her TV or newspaper.

“Social media will never replace traditional, conventional media … It provides no context, it proliferates fake news,” she said. “It’s propaganda, it’s not information.”

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Watch ‘Brussels, my love?’ in the player above.

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Cartier owner Richemont posts 10% increase in Q3 sales

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Cartier owner Richemont posts 10% increase in Q3 sales
Cartier jewellery owner Richemont on Thursday reported a 10% increase in constant currency sales during the three months to the end of December, a strong early indicator for the performance of European luxury companies over the all-important holiday season.
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Ancient Pompeii excavation uncovers lavish private bath complex

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Ancient Pompeii excavation uncovers lavish private bath complex

Archaeologists have unearthed a lavish private bath complex in Pompeii, highlighting the wealth and grandeur of the ancient Roman city before it was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, the site said on Friday.

The baths, featuring hot, warm and cold rooms, could host up to 30 guests, allowing them to relax before heading into an adjacent, black-walled banquet hall, decorated with scenes from Greek mythology.

ITALY’S ANCIENT POMPEII PARK CRACKS DOWN ON DAILY VISITORS TO COMBAT OVERTOURISM

The pleasure complex lies inside a grand residence that has been uncovered over the last two years during excavations that have revealed the opulent city’s multifaceted social life before Vesuvius buried it under a thick, suffocating blanket of ash.

A central courtyard with a large basin adds to the splendour of the house, which is believed to have been owned by a member of Pompeii’s elite in its final years.

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“This discovery underscores how Roman houses were more than private residences, they were stages for public life and self-promotion,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park.

The private thermal baths complex discovered by archaeologists in a villa of the ancient city of Pompeii is seen in Pompeii, Italy, in this undated handout picture released on January 17, 2025.  (Pompeii Archeological Park/Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism/Handout via REUTERS )

Zuchtriegel said the layout recalled scenes from the Roman novel “The Satyricon”, where banquets and baths were central to displays of wealth and status.

Decorated with frescoes, the complex draws inspiration from Greek culture, emphasizing themes of leisure and erudition.

“The homeowner sought to create a spectacle, transforming their home into a Greek-style palace and gymnasium,” Zuchtriegel said.

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The remains of more than 1,000 victims have been found during excavations in Pompeii, including two bodies inside the private residence with the bathhouse – a woman, aged between 35-50, who was clutching jewellery and coins, and a younger man.

The discovery of their bodies was announced last year.

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