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00:00Polls open across Kosovo in elections taking place against a backdrop of an ailing economy
00:06and renewed ethnic tensions.
00:11At a leaders summit in Madrid, the Patriots for Europe party says it will launch a reconquest
00:16under the banner of Make Europe Great Again.
00:21Huge crowds in the West Bank and Gaza welcome home 183 Palestinians released from prisons
00:27in Israel.
00:32Polls have opened across Kosovo in legislative elections taking place against a backdrop
00:37of an ailing economy and renewed ethnic tensions.
00:41Voters will elect 120 lawmakers in what's being seen as a key test for incumbent Prime
00:46Minister Albin Kurti.
00:48Kurti's left-wing self-determination movement party is seen as the frontrunner but isn't
00:53expected to win a majority to govern alone.
00:56The other contenders are the Democratic Party of Kosovo, whose former leaders are at a war
01:00crimes tribunal in The Hague, and the Democratic League of Kosovo, the oldest party in the
01:06country.
01:07On the campaign trail, parties pledge to increase public salaries and pensions, improve health
01:12services and fight poverty.
01:14Kosovo is one of the poorest countries in Europe with an annual GDP of less than 6,000
01:19euros per person.
01:21The vote will also determine who will represent Kosovo in EU-led normalization talks with
01:26Serbia to get both sides closer to joining the bloc.
01:34The far-right Patriots for Europe party wants to be the new normal in Brussels and across
01:39the EU.
01:40Its leaders have gathered in Madrid for a two-day summit to map out a strategy to take
01:46over the Socialists, Liberal and European People's Party.
01:50Geert Wilders, leader of the PVV party in the Netherlands, sent a message to all world
01:56leaders saying that the times of Macron and Schulz were over and part of history now.
02:02Yes, we will make Europe great again because we are victors, we are victors because we
02:12are winning the elections and our people are demanding change.
02:19Geert Wilders also said that the times of Macron and Schulz were over and part of history
02:24now.
02:25Patriots for Europe includes the likes of Marine Le Pen's National Rally, Viktor Orban's
02:30Fidesz, Matteo Salvini's Lega and Geert Wilders.
02:33But only Orban currently holds a seat in the Council of the EU.
02:37Patriots for Europe aim to gain majorities in national governments and EU decision-making
02:43to replicate Trump's Make America Great Again in Europe, adapting US and Latin American
02:49policies to EU member states.
02:59Five Thai hostages released after being held in Gaza for more than a year have returned
03:04to Bangkok.
03:05They were recently released by Hamas as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel.
03:10The five men were among 31 Thai agricultural workers taken hostage on October 7, 2023.
03:18They were living on the outskirts of southern Israeli towns, which Hamas overran first.
03:23Thousands of Thai nationals live and work on Israeli farms following a bilateral agreement
03:28between Thailand and Israel made a decade ago.
03:31Forty-six Thai workers have been killed in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and
03:35one Thai captive still remains in Gaza.
03:44Crowds in the West Bank and Gaza have welcomed home 183 Palestinians released from prisons
03:50by Israel.
03:51They were freed as part of the fifth round of releases to take place under the Gaza ceasefire
03:56deal between Israel and Hamas.
03:59Many Palestinians have a friend or family member who has been jailed by Israel for anything
04:04from terrorist attacks to rock throwing.
04:07Some can be held for years without trial in what's known as administrative detention,
04:11which Israel says is needed to prevent attacks.
04:15Israel views the prisoners as terrorists, while many Palestinians see them as freedom
04:19fighters resisting a decades-long military occupation.
04:23Seven Palestinians have reportedly been transferred to hospitals for immediate treatment, but
04:28no details about their health conditions have been released.
04:32Eighteen of the former prisoners released on Saturday had been sentenced to life and
04:3654 were serving long sentences for their involvement in deadly attacks against Israelis.