Farnborough / AFP European planemaker Airbus took top honours at the Farnborough Airshow, winning a vast $12.5-billion jets deal from AirAsia, as the F-35 stealth fighter screamed across the skies in a stunning display. Malaysia’s low-cost airline AirAsia placed the blockbuster order for 100 single-aisle fuel-efficient A321neo jets, worth the equivalent of 11.3 billion euros at list prices, delivering the …

  Cairo / AFP The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Cairo on Wednesday for its penultimate stop as the solar-powered plane nears the end of its marathon tour around the world. After the two-day flight from Spain, just one final leg lies between it and its final destination, Abu Dhabi, where it started its odyssey in March last year. The aircraft …

  Lahore / AFP A flock of pigeons take off from a Lahore roof top at dawn, rising above the city’s Mughal-era minarets before disappearing out of sight. Rather than being viewed as pests, these birds are champions of endurance who evoke a passionate following across Pakistan. “It is a love affair,” says Akhlaq Khan, a famous octogenarian pigeon-fancier and …