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From the pages of Gulf News dated March 8 - 14, 1980

From the pages of Gulf News dated March 8 - 14, 1980

  • Compiled by Abdul Rahim Abdul Kareem, Head of Archives
  • Published: 00:29 March 14, 2008
  • Gulf News

March 8

Syrian pullout from Beirut begins
Syrian peacekeeping troops began handing over positions in parts of Beirut to Lebanese army regulars as part of a planned withdrawal from the Lebanese capital. Security sources said the Lebanese army was in contact with the all-Syrian Arab Deterrent Force about security treasures in the capital. They said that Lebanese army soldiers had started manning about a dozen roadblocks in parts of northeast and south Beirut previously held by the Syrians.

March 9

Tehran recalls envoy
Iran will withdraw its ambassador from Iraq and has asked the Iraqi Government to call back its ambassador from Tehran "within the next few days". The diplomatic relations between Iran and Iraq will be reduced to the Chargé d'Affaires level. "The Government of Iran, in view of the continuous intervention of the Iraqi Government in the internal affairs of Iran, decided to reduce its relationship with the Iraqi Government to Chargé d'Affaires level."

March 10

Botha's liberalism divides White ranks
Prime Minister Pieter Botha's call for all races to take part in decision-making in white-ruled South Africa has brought signs of a deepening division in his ruling National Party. Botha, while categorically rejecting a one-man one-vote system for South Africa, called for a multi-racial national conference to discuss the country's future. Botha stressed that change in the country's rigid apartheid laws was vital if South Africa want to combat growing isolation.

March 11

Khomeini imposes new condition on hostages
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini put the clock back on the US hostage crisis by strongly backing militant students holding the captives and put in doubt the future of a visiting United Nations commission. In a statement issued after an hour-long meeting with the ruling Revolutionary Council the religious leader categorically ruled "if the commission announces its opinion on the crimes of the Shah and American intervention during their present visit to Teheran, they will be allowed to meet all captives."

March 12

Two whites in cabinet
Prime Minister-designate Robert Mugabe named his first cabinet of an independent Zimbabwe, presenting British Governor Lord Soames with a government list dominated by his followers but including veteran nationalist Joshua Nkomo and two whites. Mugabe named the two whites as former finance minister David Smith, who takes the commerce and industry ministry, and Dennis Norman, the chairman of the Commercial Farmers Union, who was appointed agricultural minister.

March 13

Spanish tanker explodes and sinks
A 122,000-ton Spanish tanker exploded and sank in less than a minute off the African coast, just 100 miles from where another ship sank in mysterious circumstances two months ago. Only seven members of the 42-man Spanish crew had been recovered 20 hours after the Maria Allejandra went down. A Norwegian tanker and another vessel were at the scene continuing the search for the missing 36 men.

Zayed, Rashid okay budget plan
The emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai are to contribute 50 per cent of their revenues to the federal budget of the UAE. This amount is to be deposited in the Central Bank, whose establishment was approved at a meeting between President His Highness Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and His Highness Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai (picture on top). It was agreed to allocate Dh1 billion annually for four years to the Central Bank.

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