From the pages of Gulf News dated February 21, 1980. Following a decision to subsidise petrol prices in the northern emirates, Dubai government abolished all customs and municipal duties on oil products imported by Dubai. The Dubai Customs Department was imposing a 30-fils levy on each gallon of fuel imported, and in addition there were the municipal taxes.
Damascus boosts defence budget
Syria has announced plans to increase its defence spending to more than half its total budget amid concern about internal unrest and what it regards as a new threat from Israel.
Finance Minister Hamdinal-Saqqa told the People's Council (parliament) in Damascus that he was allocating 55 per cent of the seven billion dollar budget for this year to strengthening the armed forces.
Carter bent on Games boycott
US President Jimmy Carter reaffirmed his commitment to a boycott of the Moscow Olympics as the Soviet Union not only ignored his deadline to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan but virtually retaliated by pressing on with its military build-up in the area.
Kremlin didn't show any signs of desire to stave oft an Olympics boycott which was not even once mentioned in the Soviet media and diplomatic sources said all the political regions pointed to Soviet determination to"tough out" the worldwide criticism of its Afghan intervention rather than show flexibility.
St. Vincent and Grenadines become UN's 153rd member.
The Security Council unanimously recommended UN membership for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a Caribbean island group that became independent of Britain on October 27, 1979.
The General Assembly is expected to admit the country as the 153rd UN member and one of the smallest at its meeting on August 2. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was a population of 100,000 and area of about 220 square miles.
Ullrich makes Olympic history
Though his shooting was oil target again, world champion Frank Ullrich of East Germany won the first 10-kilometre biathlon in Olympic history.
The 22-year-old army lieutenant missed twice in ten shots on the rifle range and thought he had blown his second gold medal in four days. The two misses meant he had to ski two penalty loops of some 175 metres, which added about a minute to his time for skiing the 10-kilometre course. He finished in 32 minutes 10.69 seconds.
