DUBAI TARGETS TRANNIES

Hard on the heels of the sex-on-the-beach case, police in Dubai have arrested 40 foreign tourists for allegedly displaying homosexual behaviour in shopping malls and other public places. The men, who are alleged to have been arrested while wearing women’s clothing, will be deported “soon”, according to Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan Tamim. Transvestism “is against the UAE’s traditions and social values”, he warned.

AIRLINE DEBUTS LASER SYSTEM

An American Airlines flight from New York to Los Angeles last week became the first civilian aircraft to try out a new system designed to negate the threat of a terrorist missile attack. The Jeteye, developed by BAE Systems, uses a laser to disrupt the guidance systems of approaching surface-to-air missiles. Intelligence sources say 27 terrorist groups are believed to possess the shoulder-fired weapons, which could be devastatingly effective against passenger aircraft within 25 miles of an airport.

ROME BANS PICNICS

Enjoying a gelatoon the Spanish Steps and a postprandial nap in the Borghese Gardens could lead to on-the-spot fines or even arrest under draconian new public-order rules introduced by the city’s new mayor, Gianni Alemanno. His office insists that “common sense will prevail”, but tourists picnicking or sleeping outdoors face fines of up to €300 (£240).

BIKINI BEACH RECORD ATTEMPT

If you’re in Teesside this morning, pop on a swimsuit and head for Redcar Sands, where an attempt on the world record for the highest congregation of bikini-clad beach babes is being made. The current record, held by the slightly more glamorous Bondi beach, is 1,010, but the Middlesbrough Rotary Club, which hopes to raise £20,000 for the local air ambulance, says it can beat it. “Looks aren’t important,” say the organisers, although being a lady probably is.

Times recommends

• The 50 little luxuries of travel
• The 10 best destinations for 2009
• Iceland: travel sale of the century