Dubai, United Arab Emirates | featured news

Three British men have claimed they were beaten and electrocuted after being imprisoned in Dubai for possession of a cannabis substitute, the latest in a string of expatriates and holidaymakers to fall foul of the law in the United Arab Emirates.

A Dubai court has sentenced an Irish man and British woman to three months in jail for an intimate tryst in the back of a taxi. The sentence Thursday is the latest case of Westerners running afoul of the social codes in the United Arab Emirates, which maintains strict laws on sex-related issues although it often turns a blind eye.

The world's tallest skyscraper has unexpectedly closed to the public a month after its lavish opening, disappointing tourists headed for the observation deck and casting doubt over plans to welcome its first permanent occupants in the coming weeks.

Wall Street shares were slightly lower as investors tried to assess the fallout from Dubai’s debt crisis as well as retail sales from the kickoff of the Christmas shopping season.

The United Arab Emirates central bank said it stood behind domestic and foreign banks operating in Dubai after a recent announcement about Dubai World’s debt.

Abu Dhabi, wealthy capital of the United Arab Emirates, will "pick and choose" how to assist debt-laden neighbor Dubai, a senior official said on Saturday, after fears of a Dubai default sent global markets reeling.