Gulf News Report Published: December 17, 2007, 22:54
A daily pick of news events that happened on this day in history from the pages of Gulf News dated December 18, 1978.
Price freeze is shattered
The world's big oil exporters ended a two-year freeze on petroleum prices when they agreed to boost prices by a total of 14.5 per cent by the end of next year. But the members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) said they would lessen the impact by spreading the increase over four quarterly instalments in January, April, July and October.
Over Israel's protest, the UN General Assembly has voted three times in favour of a declaration that links Zionism with Racism.
Zionism, the basis of Israel, is the movement for the return of the Jews to Palestine to establish a national homeland there. Mrs Ilana Ben Ami of the Israeli delegation told the Assembly its actions revived "the tendentious formula of 1975," when it caused a furor by passing a similar resolution that called Zionism "a form of racism".
It's a Knights Cross for helpful Sangren
The Swedish Consul Tor Sangren presented with the Knights Cross of the Order of St Olav, First Class, for his services to Norwegian interests in the UAE for the past 10 years.
The medal was presented at the Norwegian Seamen's Mission in Dubai by the Norwegian Ambassador Bjarne Grindem on behalf of King Gustav of Norway.
Bomb blast English cities
Bombs exploded in five English cities slightly injuring at least nine people and causing damage to business premises. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blasts in Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, Coventry and Southampton.
