Briefly

UNITED KINGDOM

Manchester mayor wins parliament seat

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, won a parliamentary seat on Friday, a vital step toward fulfilling his ambition to replace Keir Starmer as Labour Party leader and Britain's prime minister. The scale of the victory, 54.8 percent of the vote, bolsters the view of some in the governing Labour Party that Burnham can lead a defeat against populist Reform UK party in a future national election. In his victory speech, Burnham said the result could be a "turning point" for British politics and told his party that this was a final chance to change direction. Starmer said he will not "walk away" and will run in a leadership contest as rival Burnham eyes a challenge.

JAPAN

Tokyo primary school fire injures about 10

A fire broke out at an elementary school in downtown Tokyo on Friday, injuring around 10 people, but all of about 350 students and teachers were evacuated or rescued, officials said. It took about three hours to extinguish the blaze. The city's fire department said the blaze at the Takinogawa No. 3 Elementary School in Tokyo's Kita Ward broke out near a music room on the top floor of the four-story building late Friday morning. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

EUROPE

EU to renew Russia sanctions for a year

European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to renew sanctions against Russia for another 12 months, a spokesperson for the chair of the meeting said. According to European Council President Antonio Costa's spokesperson, this is the first time they have been extended by a year, having previously been extended every six months.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Prague to miss NATO spending target

The Czech Republic will not meet NATO's minimum defense spending target again this year, but will aim to meet it from 2027, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Friday. While many allies have raised defense spending, the Czech Republic spent less than the targeted 2 percent of GDP under a previous government last year, despite having such aims.

AGENCIES VIA XINHUA