UAE | General

From the pages of Gulf News dated August 16 to 22, 1979

From the pages of Gulf News dated August 16 to 22, 1979

  • Compiled by Abdul Rahim Kareem, head of Gulf News archives
  • Published: 23:42 August 21, 2008
  • Gulf News

August 16

Top Soviet soccer team killed in plane crash
A Soviet airliner on a flight from the central Asian city of Tashkent to Minsk crashed in the Ukraine killing all passengers and crew, including 17 players and officials of a top Soviet soccer team.

Young resigns
US ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young submitted his resignation to President Jimmy Carter. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance summoned Young to Washington following demands that he be sacked for having unauthorised discussion with a Palestine Liberation Organisation official.

August 18

F-4 downed in Iran
An Iranian Air Force Phantom jet crashed near the Kurdish border town of Paveh. Heavy fighting was under way between government forces and insurgents. Kurdish sources said the plane was downed by heavy volleys of automatic fire from the rebels.

August 19

Iran troops retake Kurdish town
Government forces ordered by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to crush a Kurdish revolt retook the border town of Paveh from rebel forces. The revolutionary guards attacked the town while besieged forces led by Deputy Premier Mustafa Ali Chamran launched a counter attack from inside Paveh.

Sri Lanka, Malaysia airlines to serve Dubai
Air Lanka, the national carrier of Sri Lanka will begin to operate two weekly flights to Dubai from September 2. The second airline that has obtained landing rights in Dubai is the Malaysian Airline System (MAS).

August 20

Space crew back after six months
Cosmonauts Vladimir Lyakhov and Valery Ryumin returned safely to earth, aboard their Soyuz-34 craft after orbiting the earth in the Salyut-6 space station for a record 175 days.

Dubal commissions second gas turbine
The Dubai Aluminium Company (Dubal) has just commissioned another gas turbine. It is the second in the complex of 13 gas turbines, which will supply power to the project at Jebel Ali when it is completed.

August 21

Singh out: Ram stakes claim
Indian Prime Minister Charan Singh resigned after only 24 days in power and was asked by President Sanjiva Reddy to continue in office as a caretaker administration. The President gave no immediate indication whether he intended to call on Opposition leader Jagjivan Ram to form a new Government or to order fresh elections.

August 22

Chad rival groups to agree from national government
Nine rival groups in Chad signed an agreement in Lagos to form a government of national union with Frolinat (Chad Liberation Front) leader Goukoni Oueddei as President. The agreement ends a longstanding feud in the Central African State, which led last February to a civil war in which tens of thousands of people died.

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