Attempt to smuggle diesel foiled at Dammam seaport DAMMAM – Customs officials at King Abdul Aziz Seaport in Dammam seized 98 containers laden with illegal cargo of smuggled diesel fuel Saturday, authorities said. Processed as vegetable oil in the export request transaction, the consignment of smuggled diesel was found to have been carried out in three separate transactions, said Othman Ruqaie, chief of Customs at the seaport. The diesel was found filled in plastic bottles in containers isolated from the ones selected for sample test for confirmation purposes of the consignment prior to exportation, he said. Smugglers resorted to export illegal cargo like diesel and subsidized foodstuffs to benefit from the price difference between the local market and the outside market, he said. Investigation is on and authorities did not divulge more details of the illegal operation. – SPA Surgery helps paralyzed girl walk again By Fawziyah Al-Shihri TAIF – A paralyzed girl has been able to walk again after surgery at King Abdul Aziz Specialist Hospital. The patient suffered injuries in a car accident that left her with a lateral dislocation of the 12th spinal vertebra and the first lumbar vertebra, resulting in complete paralysis of the lower body. Dr. Abdullah Al-Zahrani, head of the Surgery Department at the hospital and a spine surgery consultant, performed the six-hour surgery to realign the dislocation and release the pressure from the spinal cord. – Okaz/SG Saudi student wins UPU award RIYADH – A Saudi student, Yousuf Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, who participated in the international contest for writing messages for youth for 2008, has won recently the fourth merit certificate from the Universal Postal Union and UNESCO. His message, which was under the title of a message to a friend, shed light on tolerance. – SPA SR43m projects in Yanbu and Jubail By Muhammad Al-Zahrani and Muhammad Al-Solami JUBAIL/YANBU – Yanbu Municipality is set to put into action plans worth SR30 million for rainwater drainage in Yanbu Al-Bahar and the Central Zone. Municipality head Abdulali Al-Shiekh said work would begin as soon as contracts have been awarded. Al-Shiekh said the municipality had set up an emergency plan for future rains. The municipality in Jubail is carrying out several projects worth SR13.5 million to repave and improve the city's streets, with work having already begun on Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz Street. – Okaz/SG Search for missing schoolteacher widens By Sulaiman Al-Nahabi ONAIZAH – Search operations have moved into their third week for a schoolteacher who went missing nearly three weeks ago during floods in Onaizah region. Authorities began combing the Wadi Al-Romah area and have now extended their search to the edge of the Al-Shamasiyah region, four kilometers from where the missing man's car was first located.
