International Features

Although plans are initially underway for transporting pilgrims, Saudia has plans to use the aircraft for a number of destinations in the kingdom. Saudia plans to purchase 100 eVTOL aircraft for the air taxi service [Getty] Pilgrims visiting Mecca will soon be able to travel from Jeddah to the Muslim holy city by air taxi, Saudia, formally Saudi Arabian Airlines, has revealed. The Saudi …

Those who break the law – which forbids publicly burning, tearing or defiling holy texts – risk a fine or up to two years in prison. Activists take part in a demonstration in Karachi on July 9, 2023, as they protest against the burning of the Quran outside a Stockholm mosque that outraged Muslims around the world [File: Rizwan Tabassum/AFP] …

The booksellers of Baghdad’s Mutanabbi Street have faced invasion and bombings, two decades on from the war in Iraq. A statue of Abu al-Tayyib al-Mutanabbi stands on the banks of the Tigris, gesturing towards the water to people walking down the street named after him [Abdulrahman Zeyad/Al Jazeera] Baghdad, Iraq – Haj Mohammed al-Khashali has outlived four sons and one grandson, …

Some cleanup efforts have begun but forecasters warn more rain is on the way. A cleanup is under way in parts of Malaysia after days of rain-triggered flooding forced thousands from their homes and killed at least four people. Nearly 50,000 people had been affected by the floods as of Monday morning at 8am (00:00 GMT), state news agency Bernama …

A massive fire has raced through a crammed refugee camp for Rohingya in Bangladesh, leaving thousands homeless. Smoke rises after a fire broke out at Balukhali Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar district. [Mohammad Shajahan/Anadolu Agency]   A massive fire raced through a crammed refugee camp for Rohingya in southern Bangladesh on Sunday, leaving thousands homeless, a fire official and …