Visitors to Deira City Centre will no longer have to stand in queues snaking up to several hundred metres to wait for taxis as they will be able to take the Metro beginning September 9.

A court has found a reputed bank responsible for losing a businessman's cheque worth Dh1 million and has ordered it to pay that amount to the businessman.

Dubai Municipality inspectors, in cooperation with Dubai Police and the Dubai Naturalization and Residency Department, last month caught 201 people including street vendors, beggars and illegal car washers.

Four Tunisians have been jailed for stealing Dh2,509 worth of goods from a hypermarket in the Mall of the Emirates. The theft was foiled by a Nepalese security guard, who spotted them on a surveillance camera.

A waiter has strongly denied removing all his clothes at the beach when he was under the influence of liquor, a court heard on Thursday.

Eight people were arrested on various charges for possessing more than three kilos of heroin.

Many private schools will extend hours or open on Saturdays to make up for the loss of days

A court has reduced the jail sentence of a Ugandan visitor who was caught trafficking marijuana in Dubai from 25 years to 10 years.

Gulf News will run an infographic page every Tuesday, a series spread over two months. It's our way of promoting awarenessby highlighting creatures native to the peninsula which areunder threat of fading into history books permanently.

Hot and hazy weather is continuing across the country, with temperatures jumping to highs and the ground temperature rising to 50 Celsius in Al Ain and other desert cities. There are also strong, dusty winds in some areas.

Cabinet decision to postpone the academic year for public schools met with strong enthusiasm in UAE.

Universities in the UAE are not currently changing their academic calendar to fall in line with the Ministry of Education's decision to begin the academic school year after Eid Al Fitr.

Public school students will not be disadvantaged with the decision to start the new academic year after Ramadan, said a senior official from the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC).

Parents welcomed the decision to reopen schools after Eid holidays in September. However, they are concerned about how they will keep their children occupied during the extra free time.

The UAE has the right climate and topography for the production and use of renewable energy - particularly wind and solar - as the country pushes for non-polluting alternative energy sources.

Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI) and the American University in the Emirates (AUE) came together on Thursday in a bid to further develop the UAE workforce.

Private schools will opt for extended school hours or work on Saturdays to make up for the loss of academic days.

Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation signed an agreement with Richard Branson of the Virgin Unite foundation on Thursday to work on joint education and health initiatives.

A delegation from Dubai Police and Dubai Foundation for Women and Children met to strengthen the partnership between the community and the police.

The board of the Abu Dhabi Retirement Pensions and Benefits Fund has been reshuffled, according to an Emiri decree issued by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in his capacity as the Ruler of Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi Police have urged motorists not to park their vehicles in places allocated for people with special needs or in front of fire hydrants in residential areas, near malls and government departments.

Even private schools who have their own independent curriculum and not following the ministry of education's curriculum will be included in the ministries new decision to start the school year after Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr, a senior official at the Ministry of Education told Gulf News.

The education of more than 8,500 students is at stake as the Sharjah Indian School could be forced to close by November, when its trade licence expires.

Many residents living on the Nakheel development project have been diagnosed with ear and eye infections, diarrhoea, stomach cramps and high fever after swimming in facilities located on the project's Shoreline Apartments.

The motorist who ran over three girls and their nanny here on Monday was driving at a speed of no less than 120km/h, on a road with a limit of 80km/h, police said.

Police said the fight took place between 25 Bangladeshi workers and around eight Pakistani workers who fought over who would cook dinner first.

The resident of a Discovery Gardens flat, from where a woman fell to her death while practising ballet on the balcony last month, has been charged with having consensual sex with her.

Abu Dhabi residents will soon enjoy an interactive beach front with new events and restaurants as part of the Corniche Public Beach Development Plan, revealed on Wednesday by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council

Emirati Ali Ghareeb Saeed Al Kaabi, who smoked two packs of cigarettes every day, but quit on World No Tobacco day, said he got the greatest prize of all, his health.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced three new cases of H1N1 virus (swine flu) and that the three patients - a UAE national woman, a Malaysian woman and a Malaysian child - have come to the country from abroad.

How long have you lived in the UAE? If you have pictures of the country taken 25 to 30 years ago, please let us know. We would be interested in publishing them.

Expatriate residents who want to bring their families into the country should now earn a minimum monthly salary of Dh10,000 and provide their family with independent accommodation, a senior official has said.

The UAE can be considered a shopper's paradise. We bring you a guide to some of the major shopping malls across the UAE.

Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal upheld a defamation conviction against Arabic daily Emarat Al Youm, suspending the newspaper for 20 days and fining Editor-in-Chief Sami Al Reyami Dh20,000 in a defamation case raised by Warsan Stables' owners.

The UAE's bid for the seat of the renewable energy agency has been unique in that it was the only bidding state that is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of hydrocarbon energy.

Police have arrested three people, including two UAE nationals, for trying to smuggle more than 13 kilograms of hashish and heroin into the country.

Sharjah Police have arrested three people trying to smuggle more than 13 kilos of drugs into the country.

The administrative and teaching staff at public schools will report back on duty on September 13, it was announced on Wednesday.

Sharjah Police have launched an intensive campaign against vehicles being abandoned in residential neighbourhoods and motorists who do not abide by road safety rules.

As a reward for their hard work, the first group of the UAE outstanding students flew out to Canada, New Zealand and Australia to improve their English language and IT skills.

Police have initially ruled out that a "joint mistake" by a speeding motorist and a nanny, who tried to cross the road with three girls from an undesignated area in Abu Dhabi, caused an accident that claimed the lives of the girls on Monday.

A forklift operator has denied committing an indecent act and molesting a schoolgirl after trespassing into her bedroom.

Dubai's first female judge, Ebtisam Ali Rashid Al Bedwawi, said her first appearance in criminal court proceedings was not only challenging but also a source of pride.

Gulf News's Sara Shurafa and Jaye Lentin will be attempting to follow best practice methods in Wiping out Waste set out by a team of experts. A tough task? You bet.

Have you been keeping up with the news last week? Take our quiz to find out

Residents will soon enjoy an interactive beach front with new events and restaurants as part of the Corniche Public Beach Development Plan, revealed Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) on Wednesday.

The majority of companies across Dubai adhered to the midday break rule which puts a halt to outdoor work from 12.30 to 3pm, on the first day of its implementation this year.

Street sweeping vehicles in Sharjah are now using compressed natural gas in order to promote a healthier environment in the emirate.

Public and private schools will open their doors for the next school year only after Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr.

Do you have any questions for the planning director of the Emirates Identity Authority.

Are you stuck in traffic or do you know about a jam? SMS your traffic news to 6363.

Twenty air conditioned bus shelters have been opened in the capital on Wednesday.

Twenty new shelters were commissioned on Wednesday and will provide a convenient way for the public to wait for buses, especially in the summer.

There has been a drastic decline in the number of new registered vehicles in Dubai during the first six months compared to the same period last year, said a senior official.

The Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs in Dubai collaborated with the Ministry of Labour in the creation of three inspection teams to ensure that companies apply the midday work ban. The ban will take effect between 12:30pm and 3pm from July 1 through to August 31.

An allegedly speeding driver died on Wednesday when he mistakenly overtook another vehicle from the right and hit the rear of a truck that was caught in traffic on the Emirates Road.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai issued a decree establishing a nuclear energy committee for the emirate, to be headed by Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer.

The Board of Abu Dhabi Retirement Pensions and Benefits Fund have been reshuffled, according to an Emiri decree issued by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in his capacity as the Ruler of Abu Dhabi.

Click and hold your mouse button on the map to move around the country and use the + and - buttons to zoom in and out. Click on the icons for more details on the courses.

Now you can download some of the UAE's many iconic sights and save them as wallpaper on your computer.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - As California marked its second day of a new fiscal year without a budget agreement, the state government moved ahead on Thursday to issue billions of dollars in "IOUs" in order to avoid a cash crisis.

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - A caretaker government in Honduras said on Thursday it was open to holding early elections to resolve the impasse over ousted President Manuel Zelaya, as the Organization of American States readied a mission to Honduras to push for his reinstatement.

ATLANTA (Reuters) - South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who faces growing calls to quit over an extramarital affair, did not misuse public funds in trips he made to see his mistress, the state's top police official said on Thursday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. marshals seized the luxury $7 million New York City penthouse apartment of imprisoned fraudster Bernard Madoff and his wife, Ruth, officials said on Thursday.

SORKHDOZ, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Thousands of U.S. Marines stormed deep into Taliban territory in an Afghan valley on Thursday, marking the start of a major new effort by the Obama administration to regain the initiative in the war.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A public memorial for pop star Michael Jackson took shape Thursday when a concert backer and family spokesman said the event would take place next week, even as doubt lingered over the guardianship of the singer's children.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden made a previously unannounced visit to Baghdad on Thursday to meet Iraqi leaders and U.S. military commanders just days after American troops withdrew from Iraqi towns and city centers.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has a rare meeting with Myanmar's top general on Friday where he will urge the secretive leader to free all political prisoners and ensure next year's elections are credible.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. employers cut far more jobs than expected last month and the unemployment rate hit 9.5 percent, the highest in nearly 26 years, underscoring the likelihood of a long, slow recovery from recession.

PARIS (Reuters) - The Air France plane that crashed into the Atlantic last month hit the water intact and at high speed but was missing for six hours before an emergency was declared, French investigators said on Thursday.