On this day: October 17, 1978

A daily pick of news events on this day in history from the pages of Gulf News dated October 17, 1978.

World stunned by Polish Pope

Roman Catholic Cardinals have stunned the world by electing a 58-year-old Pole, Karol Wojtyla, as successor to Pope John Paul I. The new Pope, who took the name of John Paul II, is the first non-Italian to be elected supreme Pontiff since 1522 and the first Pole ever to picked.

Click here to view Gulf News page on October 17, 1978(pdf)

A beaming, round-faced and silver-haired man, John Paul II is a blunt-spoken critic of what he calls "programmed atheisation"in Communist schools and is regarded as a hardline defender of the church in Poland, eastern Europe's most staunchly Catholic country. News of his election was greeted with disbelief, amazement and then joy in Poland and analysts said the election would give a big boost to the church in eastern Europe.

Sharjah's biggest visitor
The Biggest container vessel to arrive at Port Khalid, Sharjah, started unloading.

The Seatrain Rotterdam arrived at the port with a cargo of 1,300 containers destined for all parts of the Emirates and carrying everything from boots for the armed forces and soda water to American tinned food and aluminium door frames.

It takes the giant container vessel just 50 days for the roundtrip from Holland via the UK and Jeddah to Dubai and back again. The vessel was unloaded within 36 hours.

UFO mad Sir Eric is looking to the stars
Leaders of other emerging nations may limit themselves to down-to-earth activities. But not Sir Eric Gairy of Grenada.

Sir Eric wants the United Nations to set up an agency to "collate, co-ordinate and corroborate information"about Unidentified Flying Objects.

The Prime Minister of the tiny West Indies nation says he has seen two UFOs in the last three years, the second time earlier this year from a hotel room in Grenada.

Guerrillas shell garrison town
The Rhodesian military has reported mortar attacks on two borders and said its troops have clashed with Botswana forces in a third incident.

The most serious attack was a 50-minute rocket and mortar barrage on the east border garrison town of Umtali launched by nationalist guerrillas firing from a range of hills within the border and overlooking the city.

About 50 shells landed in a five square mile area of the city and suburbs, injuring five people.