QUICK READ

9/11

THE interim government of the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan is likely to take oath of office today, a day which also marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the US in 2001.

The Taliban government has reportedly rolled out invitations to some countries to be part of the ceremony, including China, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, Qatar, India and the US.

It announced the names of interim government officials, emphasising that the formation in Afghanistan will be under a caretaker setup. It is also seeking international recognition and has called on the countries to reopen their embassies in the war-torn nation. | IANS

Jordan

JORDAN’S highest appeal court upheld a guilty verdict this week against a former confidant of King Abdullah and a minor royal who were sentenced to 15 years in jail on charges of attempting to destabilise the monarchy.

The cessation court said it confirmed evidence backing the sentence passed in July by a state security court against ex-royal court chief Bassem Awadallah and Sherif Hassan Zaid, a distant relative of King Abdullah.

The two were arrested in April when Prince Hamza, a former heir to the throne, was placed under house arrest over allegations that he had liaised with foreign parties in the plot. | Reuters

Britain

THERE’S no free lunch in finance – except when banks are wooing workers back to the office.

London’s financial sector, keen to return to a semblance of normality after the worst of the pandemic, is leading the charge to encourage employees back to their old lives, with some companies even offering free food and social events.

It seems to be working; London’s transport operator said this week it recorded its busiest day since the pandemic hit in March 2020, as workers filled once-deserted trains into the capital’s twin financial districts of the City and Canary Wharf. | Reuters

Clean air

THE same clean air policies that can help reduce fossil fuel emissions can also add years to people’s lives in the world’s most polluted regions, according to data from the University of Chicago’s Air Quality Life Index.

The data suggests that if particulate pollution is not reduced to meet the World Health Organization’s guidelines, the average person is set to lose 2.2 years of life, while those in more polluted regions could lose five years or more. Reducing particulate pollution, then, means both cleaner skies and longer lifespans. | Xinhua News