A daily pick of news events that happened on this day in history from the pages of Gulf News dated October 4, 1978.
Swiss police hold Dubai fraud man
The man alleged to be behind the biggest fraud in Dubai's commercial history has been picked up by police in Switzerland.
Hamza Dawood, owner of shipping and trading companies in Dubai, is being held by police in Geneva in connection with the "disappearance" of a massive Dh34 million in the UAE and Oman.
Click here to see a Gulf News page from October 4, 1978 (pdf)
The money is said to have been collected by one of Dawood's companies, Hamza Maritime Freight Agency, from at least four Dubai banks, other shipping agencies and numerous merchants under an intricate and complicated system of falsified bills of lading.
No peace until Israel withdraws - Suweidi
The united Arab Emirates says it is impossible to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict without a comprehensive settlement of the Palestine question.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Khalifa Al Suweidi told the United Nations General Assembly last night that any solution must be based on the withdrawal of Israel from all occupied Arab territories, including Jerusalem.
Click here to listen to Editor at Large Francis Matthews speak about the time Gulf News office was at the airport (mp3)
There must also be recognition of the "inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, especially their right to return, to self-determination and to the establishment of an independent state in their homeland.”
Stella is forced to quit swim
Marathon swimmer Stella Taylor, who endured jellyfish stings and shark scares during 51 hours in the Atlantic ocean, last night gave up on her latest attempt to become the first person to swim from Bimini to Florida.
Crew members aboard a support ship said it took about 15 minutes to persuade Miss Taylor that a successful completion of the swim was hopeless. She finally left the water exactly 51 hours after she started.
