Briefly

FRANCE

5-year ban from office sought for Le Pen

The Paris prosecutor on Wednesday requested a five-year jail sentence and a five-year ban from public office against far-right leader Marine Le Pen, at a trial where she and 24 others are accused of embezzling European Union funds. If granted by the court, the ban would exclude her from running in France's 2027 presidential election, in what would be her fourth attempt to become head of state.

SPAIN

Flood epicenter Valencia braces for fresh deluge

Spain's eastern Valencia region braced for more torrential rain on Wednesday, two weeks after the worst floods in generations killed more than 200 people there. Other parts of Spain also on high alert evacuated thousands of residents and closed schools as another storm lashed the country. National weather agency AEMET issued the highest red alert lasting until midday on Thursday for the Valencia coast, with up to 180 millimeters of rain predicted to fall in 12 hours.

UNITED KINGDOM

Global diabetes rate has doubled in 30 years

The percentage of adults suffering from diabetes across the world has doubled over the past 30 years, the biggest rises coming in developing countries, a study said on Wednesday. The serious health condition affected about 14 percent of all adults worldwide in 2022, compared with 7 percent in 1990, according to the new analysis in The Lancet journal. Taking into account the growing global population, the team of researchers estimated that more than 800 million people are now diabetic, compared with fewer than 200 million in 1990.

Agencies via Xinhua