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00:00NATO said it would increase its military presence in the Baltic Sea to protect against critical
00:05infrastructure damage.
00:11Negotiators are meeting in Doha to finalize the details of a ceasefire deal between Israel
00:17and Hamas.
00:25NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the alliance is launching a new mission to
00:29protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region.
00:34His announcement comes following a string of incidents in the Baltic that have heightened
00:38concerns about possible Russian activity in the region, including the suspected sabotage
00:43of undersea cables.
00:48This military activity is part of our ongoing effort to enhance maritime presence and monitoring
00:54of key areas for our alliance.
00:57It will involve a range of assets, including frigates and maritime patrol aircraft, among
01:03others, and will enhance our vigilance in the Baltic.
01:08Rutte said NATO adversaries must know the alliance will not accept attacks on its critical
01:13infrastructure, with Estonia's Prime Minister adding that plans were in place for the Baltics
01:18to be cut free from the Russian energy sector.
01:26German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kiev on Tuesday on an unannounced visit.
01:33He said his visit aims to underscore strong support for Ukraine from European NATO members
01:38ahead of the start of US President-elect Donald Trump's term next week.
01:42His visit comes a day after he met with his counterparts from France, the UK, Italy and
01:59Poland near Warsaw to discuss coordinated efforts in defense spending.
02:05Trump has criticized the cost of the war for US taxpayers and vowed to bring the conflict
02:10to a swift end.
02:13He also made it clear that he wants to shift more of the Ukraine burden onto Europe, calling
02:18on NATO members to increase defense spending to five percent of GDP.
02:24While Pistorius stressed Germany's commitment to Ukraine, he also said five percent was
02:28an unrealistic target.
02:34Two people have died and 19 others injured in Russian overnight drone strikes on the
02:39Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv.
02:47It's the latest wave of UAV drone attacks as Moscow's full-scale war in Ukraine approaches
02:52its third anniversary.
02:56Ukrainian air defenses claim to have shot down 58 of 80 Russian drones, while 21 were
03:02redirected by electronic warfare from Kiev, according to authorities.
03:07Meanwhile, a drone strike reportedly hit a chemical plant in the Russian Republic of
03:12Tatarstan overnight, causing gas tanks to set on fire.
03:17Russian authorities said the strike caused a fire in the city but added there was no
03:21significant damage.
03:23Elsewhere, it was also reported a drone attack damaged an industrial facility in Russia's
03:29Saratov region.
03:32Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for these strikes.
03:37A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas may be close to coming to fruition, as negotiators
03:45meet on Tuesday seeking to finalize its details.
03:49Mediators reportedly gave Israel and Hamas a final draft of the agreement after a midnight
03:54breakthrough.
03:55If successful, it would lead to the biggest release of Israeli hostages since the early
04:00days of the war.
04:03Meanwhile, Israeli strikes on Gaza remain intense.
04:06Several strikes hit areas throughout the Gaza Strip overnight and early on Tuesday, killing
04:11dozens.
04:12A growing number of Israeli soldiers have started to speak out against Israeli conduct
04:17in Gaza, and are refusing to continue serving if a ceasefire is not secured.
04:22They say they saw or did things that crossed ethical lines.
04:27At the same time, around 1,000 Israelis demonstrated against a ceasefire deal in Jerusalem, shouting
04:33slogans against humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza, prisoner exchanges or relinquishing
04:38conquered territory.
04:40They say the government should release the hostages only through victory over Hamas.
04:46Lebanon's new president, Joseph Aoun, has named Nawaf Salem as the country's new prime
04:57minister.
04:59Salem got the backing of 84 deputies from the 128-seat parliament, while incumbent caretaker
05:05Prime Minister Najib Miqati only received nine votes.
05:09After talking with the president of the parliament and seeing the results, the president, Judge
05:19Nawaf Salem, has asked him to form the government.
05:25Nawaf, a prominent diplomat and current president of the UN's top court, the International Court
05:31of Justice, has long been linked with the job.
05:34His candidacy, however, has always been imposed by the Hezbollah parliamentary bloc, who accuse
05:39him of being a puppet of the U.S.
05:42Thirty-four legislators abstained from the vote, among them members of Hezbollah.
05:47Salem's appointment as prime minister ends more than two years of caretaker governance
05:51headed by Najib Miqati.
05:54Salem has a difficult job ahead, as he has the responsibility of rebuilding the country
05:58battered by 14 months of war with Israel.
06:02He's also expected to carry the country out of a years-long economic crisis which has
06:06crippled the Mediterranean nation.
06:09Salem comes from a well-known family.
06:11His uncle Saeb Salem was one of the leaders who fought for Lebanon's independence from
06:16France.
06:17Saeb and his son Tamim both went on to become prime ministers.
06:22It's unclear whether Nawaf Salem plans to resign from his post as head of the ICJ.
06:28He's expected to arrive to Lebanon on Tuesday to meet with the president, who will officially
06:32designate him as the next premier.
06:35For many Lebanese, the appointment of both a new president and a new prime minister is
06:40a sigh of relief, and hope for better days ahead.
06:47Spain is preparing to implement a 100% tax on property purchases made by buyers outside
06:54of the EU.
06:56The government says the move, one of the 12 measures that Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez
07:00has recently introduced, is an attempt to better handle the country's mounting housing
07:06crisis by decreasing foreign purchases.
07:10The country has been facing a lack of affordable properties to rent or buy following soaring
07:16prices worsened by rising inflation and interest rates.
07:21The situation has led to anger and discontent among Spaniards.
07:26Speaking recently at the Madrid Economic Forum, Sanchez emphasized how serious the issue was
07:32and the potential economic and social implications that could arise.
07:38Spain has long been one of the most popular destinations for second and holiday homes,
07:43especially in areas such as Barcelona, Ibiza and Marbella.
07:52More animals are continuing to be preemptively killed in Germany following the first outbreak
07:59of the foot-and-mouth disease in the country in 35 years.
08:03German authorities confirmed the outbreak of the disease known as FMD in a herd of water
08:08buffalo in a farm in Brandenburg state, which surrounds Berlin.
08:13Another farm, also in Brandenburg, reported an outbreak after it had purchased hay from
08:17the affected buffalo farm.
08:20For now, authorities say the disease does not appear to have spread further.
08:43Germany's last FMD case was in 1988.
08:47The new outbreak signals strong economic consequences for the country.
08:51Berlin will now not be able to acquire veterinary permits to transport animals outside the European
08:56Union.
08:58The export of animal products like meat and dairy will also likely suffer as countries
09:02and state bans on German imports, straining a multi-billion euro per animal industry.
09:17More tests are being carried out on animals and farms in the outbreak vicinity.
09:32Officials say the primary goal is to ensure the containment of the disease.
09:41Freezing temperatures have brought heavy snow to the mountainous areas of southeastern Europe.
09:47Albania has closed 77 schools after heavy snowfall cut off several villages.
09:53The military is helping to clear roads and carry out emergency services in some areas.
09:58Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Italy also issued weather alerts and closed schools due to heavy
10:04snowfall, which is expected to cause disruptions throughout the week.
10:09In lower altitude areas, the cold temperatures have also brought flood risks.
10:14Sicily issued a yellow alert on Tuesday due to heavy thunderstorms for the entire island.
10:20France has also issued an orange flood warning in the north and there are avalanche alerts
10:25across the western Alps.
10:27Cold air coming from northeastern Europe has brought low temperatures throughout the rest
10:31of the continent as well, expected to last all week.
10:39A new wildfire has broken out in the Californian city of Oxnard, which is located in Ventura
10:46County next to Los Angeles.
10:51The fire began in a dry riverbed late on Monday night and the flames are continuing to burn
10:57across the county's agricultural areas.
11:02It comes as firefighters intensify their efforts to contain the blazes in Los Angeles as forecasts
11:09show powerful winds could arrive over the next 24 hours.
11:14The winds in southern California are predicted to pick up early on Tuesday and continue through
11:19until midday on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
11:26They are not expected to reach the hurricane forces of last week but LA's county fire chief
11:32says they could ground firefighting aircraft.
11:36Additional water tankers have been dispatched to the county, while crews and fire engines
11:41are stationed near vulnerable spots where any new spark could turn into an inferno.