Briefly

EUROPE

EU funds first joint weapons procurement

The European Union said on Thursday it has, for the first time, funded member states' joint procurement of weapons, including missiles and ammunition — which will, in part, be sent to Ukraine. The 27-nation bloc had already financed arms purchases to help Kyiv in its conflict with Russia, but outside its budget, thanks to an ad hoc financial instrument. "This is the first time we use (the) EU budget to support member states in commonly procuring defense products," said European Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager.

SOUTH KOREA

Opposition leader handed 1-year jail term

A South Korean court convicted main opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung on Friday for violating election law, handing him a one-year prison term suspended for two years. After the hearing, Lee said that he would appeal. If his appeals fail and the prison sentence becomes final, Lee would be stripped of his parliamentary seat and his eligibility to run in any elections for the next five years. Lee, head of the main opposition Democratic Party, faces at least four trials after being indicted on several criminal charges including bribery and corruption.

SPAIN

Fire in retirement home kills 10 near Zaragoza

Fire ripped through a retirement home in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in northern Spain early on Friday, killing at least 10 people, the regional government of Aragon said. The blaze started around 5 am and it took a couple of hours for firefighters to put it out. Two people remained in critical condition, officials said. Local media said 82 people had been living in the nursing home, which focused on treating people with dementia and mental health issues. The cause of the fire was still being investigated.

Agencies - Xinhua