Like any country, the United Arab Emirates have had their share of criminals, accidents, natural disasters and downright weird incidents. Most of these events merit a few pages in the newspapers before disappearing from history. This book brings the tragic, strange and illuminating stories from the 1970s back to life in a compilation of 168 of the best, drawn from past UAE newspapers - UAE News, Emirates News, Abu Dhabi News and the Gulf Weekly Mirror. The common theme of the articles are that they have all had an impact on safety, security and stability of the UAE, and cover a vast range of topics from smuggling deaths to murders, from assassinations to plane hijackings, and from mermaid hoaxes to UFO sightings. Together, they provide a fascinating glimpse into the past, and many of the stories still resonate today. This special edition includes, alongside the book, worksheets on civil security, a glossary of civil security terms and concepts and a list of Technical English Words. The supplements will include questions and activities linked to each article. Visit www.catastrophesandcrimes.ae. By Dr Athol Yates