Dubai has relaunched an ambitious project to develop its second airport, touted originally as the world's largest, to handle 120 million passengers a year.

The plan aims to expand Al-Maktoum International airport within eight years to shift the growing operations of Emirates Airlines from Dubai International, Dubai Airports chief Paul Griffiths told Agence France Presse on Monday.

The United Arab Emirates has launched a fundraising campaign to provide potable water to five million people facing shortages in Asia and Africa, local press said on Sunday.

The campaign that began on Saturday has already collected 33.5 million dirhams ($9.1 million, 6.7 million euros), mostly from top companies, and the government called for more donations before it ends on July 17.

A bus overturned and hit a lorry parked on the hard shoulder of a motorway outside Dubai on Saturday, killing 13 Asian workers on board and injuring 16, police said.

The crash happened on Emirates Road, a busy route that connects the capital Abu Dhabi to the north of the United Arab Emirates, bypassing Dubai itself.

The International Monetary Fund called Tuesday on Dubai to take "stronger measures" to avert another property bubble, after prices rocketed at a rate reminiscent of the 2009 crisis.

Authorities in the Gulf emirate have already doubled sales duties to four percent, and the central bank of the United Arab Emirates has tightened lending facilities.

Newspapers in the United Arab Emirates are reporting that the American drummer for the rock band Scorpions has been sentenced to one month in jail after being convicted of offensive behavior in Dubai.

The government-backed National newspaper reported Tuesday that James Kottak was convicted of insulting Islam, raising his middle finger and being under the influence of alcohol while in transit at Dubai airport.

Dense morning fog led to flight diversions from Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports, causing delays Thursday, officials and an airline said.

Dubai Airport announced delays on its Twitter account due to the fog and the Gulf News daily quoted a spokesman as saying that low visibility has "caused the diversion of eight flights into Dubai and one flight was canceled."

Roger Federer followed his best win in 18 months by taking his first title in nine months with a revenge victory over Tomas Berdych in Saturday's final of the Dubai Open.

Federer came from behind to beat world number two Novak Djokovic on Friday.

Roger Federer battled back from a a set down to beat top-seeded Novak Djokovic 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the Dubai Open final on Friday.

The Swiss five-time champion took his career head-to-head record over Djokovic to 17-15.

A 14-year-old Indian schoolgirl jumped to her death from the 17th floor of a Dubai tower after her father scolded her for cheating in an exam, local media reported Monday.

A cleaner alerted police after he found the girl's body lying on the ground in the Jumeirah Lake Towers neighborhood, Khaleej Times reported.

Officials close to al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri and caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil have denied that any meeting has taken place between them in Dubai.

The officials, who were not identified, told LBCI TV network on Sunday night that no such meeting was held between Hariri and Bassil.