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Residents in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates have been told they can't put out their laundry on balconies nor own "dangerous predator animals", it's been reported.

There's been a two-week campaign in the emirate's largest city, handing out fines of 500 dirhams ($136; £87) for people who "misuse" their balconies for storage purposes, hanging satellite dishes or putting out laundry, . Officials say the campaign is not about revenue-raising, but is solely aimed at "maintaining the beauty of the city". Some residents disagree, saying that hanging out their laundry in the sun reduces the carbon footprint of owning a dryer.

Exotic pet owners in the emirate have also received bad news, after Sharjah's ruler Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi issued an order prohibiting possession of "dangerous predators", . According to the Sheikh's ruling, dangerous animals are banned in homes and farms, "whatever the purpose of the acquisition is", with the threat of a 100,000 dirham fine ($27,000; £17,000) hanging over offenders. A 2013 report in said that cheetahs, lions and tigers are readily available to buy in the UAE, and can fetch sums of up to 50,000 dirhams.

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