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00:00Russia and Ukraine exchanged 150 prisoners of war in the latest agreement mediated by
00:07the United Arab Emirates.
00:10Poland is to raise its defense budget to a whopping 4.7 percent of GDP this year, says
00:17the country's president.
00:21The death toll from a mass shooting at a school for adult education in Sweden rose to 11,
00:26with officials warning this number could still rise.
00:33French Prime Minister François Bayrou survived two no-confidence votes on Wednesday evening
00:39and ensured the adoption of the country's long-overdue state budget plan.
00:44The vote came after Bayrou used a controversial constitutional tool to force the contentious
00:49budget plan through Parliament on Monday.
00:52The two no-confidence motions on Wednesday were tabled by the hard-left France Unbowed
00:56Party, but did not garner enough votes to bring down the government.
01:01That's because the far-right, as well as the Socialist Party, the official allies of the
01:07France Unbowed, decided to abstain from voting, provoking anger and an implied exclusion of
01:14the center-left party from the left-wing coalition.
01:36And the leader of the Socialists defended his party's decision.
02:04Although the unsuccessful no-confidence motions give Bayrou's minority government some breathing
02:20room, the coming months will likely be turbulent.
02:24The Socialist Party announced on Wednesday they will be tabling a no-confidence vote
02:29on February 19th.
02:41Thousands of demonstrators gathered in cities across the US to protest the Trump administration's
02:46early actions, decrying everything from the president's immigration crackdown to his rollback
02:52of transgender rights and a proposal to forcibly transfer Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
02:58Hundreds of protesters in Austin marched through blocks around the state capitol, chanting
03:03and waving placards.
03:27The protests were a result of a movement that is organized online under the hashtags
03:31Build a Resistance and 5051, which stands for 50 protests, 50 states, 1 day.
03:39Websites and accounts across social media issued calls for actions with messages such
03:43as Reject Fascism and Defend Our Democracy.
03:50Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 150 captured soldiers in the latest prisoner of war exchange
03:57between the two countries.
04:00The two sides regularly swap prisoners of war in one of the only forms of cooperation
04:04between Kiev and Moscow amid the now nearly three-year war.
04:12Some of the soldiers have been in captivity for more than two years, Ukrainian President
04:17Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on social media.
04:25Russia's defense ministry said its troops were undergoing medical checks in allied Belarus
04:30before returning to Russia.
04:35Both sides said the deal was mediated by the United Arab Emirates, which has helped Brugger
04:40manage such exchanges in the past.
04:49At least one person was killed and two others were injured after two Russian airstrikes
04:53hit the city of Drzhkivka in Ukraine's Donetsk region on Friday.
04:58The attack is one of many to have hit the Donetsk region as it came under increased
05:02shelling as Russian forces advanced in the country's east.
05:23Materials were delivered to those who were impacted by the shelling.
05:39A rescue team also removed a total of three tons of debris during a clean-up effort.
05:44The strike destroyed a residential building, damaged seven others as well as an industrial
05:48facility and a shop.
05:52For the first time since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian President Zelensky
05:58has stated this Tuesday night that he's ready for direct talks with Russian President Putin
06:03if it's the only way to achieve peace.
06:06The Ukrainian president's statement comes amid mixed feelings in the country.
06:11The scale of losses caused by three years of a devastating war is wearing off on civilians
06:17and according to opinion polls, more than half of Ukrainians are aspiring to a negotiated
06:22ceasefire.
06:24The military, for their part, are distrustful as to Russia's intentions if Moscow agrees
06:29to the talks.
06:31They say previous ceasefires agreed upon to contain Russia on the eastern front a decade
06:36ago were breached and urged for caution at the negotiation table.
06:43Many within the Ukrainian army fear that any new ceasefire agreement would only allow
06:48Russian troops to restore and attack again with renewed force.
06:52I'm Valery Gorya in eastern Ukraine for Euronews.
07:00The Kremlin has successfully launched a rocket into space in the, quote, interests of national
07:05defense, said the Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday.
07:10It released footage showing a Soyuz spacecraft blasting off from Russia's Northern Cosmodrome
07:15in Blesetsk.
07:18According to the ministry, the Soyuz 2.1v carrier was carrying, quote, space devices.
07:24Russian media reported that military satellites were on board.
07:27The launch followed a similar mission in early December last year.
07:35Poland's defense spending will reach 4.7 percent of its GDP this year, the country's
07:40president announced on Wednesday.
07:43Andrzej Duda said the budget is expected to reach 30 billion euro, making it the largest
07:49defense budget among NATO countries.
07:52He also said that Poland will be strengthening its defense alliance with the United States.
07:58I also highlighted the importance of allied cooperation, strengthening relations with our
08:03main ally, the United States.
08:06We recently officially opened a base in Redzikowo, a counter-missile base.
08:14It's a very tough American investment in the security of our territory.
08:20I am very happy about it.
08:23I hope that we will have more American investments here on the eastern flank.
08:30Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has publicly agreed that spending needs to be increased
08:34across the alliance, and has called for his fellow EU members to protect Europe's eastern
08:39flank against Russian aggression.
08:43During the election campaign, Donald Trump notoriously said he would encourage Russia
08:48to, quote, do whatever the hell they want to allies who don't spend at least the required
08:522% of their GDP on defense.
09:02The death toll from a mass shooting at a school for adult education in Sweden rose to 11 on
09:07Wednesday.
09:08Officials warned that this number could still rise.
09:12Citizens laid tributes to the victims at the site of the attack.
09:15Candles were lit and flowers laid as police helicopters circled above the heavily policed
09:20scene.
09:22A witness said he and his fellow students barricaded themselves in a classroom with
09:26tables and chairs before police came and knocked down the door.
09:32And when they took us out from the classroom, when I passed the entrance to the school,
09:40I looked down and there was blood everywhere.
09:43And then I looked to the right, inside the school, it was blood everywhere on the floor.
09:50It was crazy.
09:52It was crazy.
09:54Authorities were working to identify the victims and said the suspected gunman was among the
09:59dead.
10:00There were no warnings beforehand and police believe the perpetrator acted alone but did
10:04not release a possible motive.
10:52Today we are celebrating our 7th month, God willing, and we as Moroccans and as Arabs
11:08we are celebrating with Hanna.
11:10Hanna is like a symbol of joy.
11:12If you have a joy inside you, you express it.
11:14You bring a cup and you express your joy with Hanna.
11:19We want to pass this on to our ancestors, to our relatives, to those who are in need.
11:23I am happy to be Hanna.