NewsBytes

Tripura's first high-rise earthquake-resistant building nears completion

Tripura is set to witness a major infrastructural milestone with the construction of a state-of-the-art G+14 administrative building at Gurkhabasti, Agartala. This will be the first high-rise government office complex in the state, integrating cutting-edge earthquake-resistant technology and green building standards. The Rs133.89 crore project, implemented by the Public Works Department (PWD), Government of Tripura, and executed by Engineering Projects (India) Ltd. (EPI), is set to transform the administrative landscape. The 20,833 sqm complex will consolidate multiple government directorates under one roof, enhancing efficiency and reducing travel hassles for officials and citizens alike.

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French far-right leader Marine Le Pen barred from seeking public office

A French court barred Marine Le Pen from seeking public office for five years, with immediate effect, for embezzlement -- a hammer blow to the far-right leader's presidential hopes and an earthquake for French politics. Although Le Pen can appeal the verdict, such a move won't suspend her ineligibility, which could rule her out of the 2027 presidential race. The court ruling was a political as well as a judicial temblor for France, hobbling one of the leading contenders to succeed President Emmanuel Macron at the end of his second and final term, scheduled to last into 2027. So broad were the political implications that even some of Le Pen's political opponents reacted by saying that court had gone too far.

Pakistan's former PM Imran Khan nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts for human rights and democracy. Members of the Pakistan World Alliance (PWA) – an advocacy group founded last December – who also belong to the Norwegian political party Partiet Sentrum, announced the nomination of Khan, 72. In 2019, Khan was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to promote peace in South Asia. Every year, the Norwegian Nobel Committee receives hundreds of nominations after which they select the winner through a lengthy eight-month process, The Express Tribune reported. Khan, also the founder of Pakistan's main opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has been incarcerated since August 2023.

Diabetes drug shows effectiveness in lowering heart-related complications

Semaglutide, a common anti-diabetes drug, could lower risk of cardiovascular complications in diabetics, such as heart attacks and strokes, by up to 14 per cent, according to a study. The drug used to treat diabetes works by helping people manage their blood sugar levels. Semaglutide has also shown effectiveness in weight loss and thus, is also used as an anti-obesity medication. Researchers, including those at the University of North Carolina, US, found that the oral form of Semaglutide can significantly reduce cardiovascular events in people with Type 2 diabetes, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (arteries harden due to build-up of fat) and chronic kidney disease.