From the pages of Gulf News dated June 28 to July 4, 1979

June 28

PLO shoot down Israeli F4's

PALESTINIAN fighters shot down two Israeli warplanes during a raid on south Lebanon, eyewitnesses reported. Three pilots bailed out from the planes struck by shoulder-fired SAM-6 Strela missiles and a search was underway to capture them.

June 30

Comecon goes nuclear

Soviet-BLOC government leaders have signed an agreement on manufacturing nuclear power stations. The premiers of the 10 Comecon member states, meeting for their annual session in the same week as the non-Communist summit in Tokyo, also approved long-term measures to develop transport and consumer goods in their countries over the next decade.

July 1

Zayed on threats from US

PRESIDENT His Highness Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, commenting on reported American threats to invade the Gulf and control oil supplies, said nobody has the right to threaten the area's safety and security. The threats do not frighten us as long as we are taking the just and right path, he said and added "we have the right to defend our nation if anybody intends to harm us".

July 2

President announces new UAE Cabinet

PRESIDENT His Highness Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan approved a new Federal Cabinet under the premiership of the Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum. The new administration has two Deputy Premiers, Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan. The newcomers to the Cabinet are Saif Al Jarwan, Mohammad Abdul Rahman Al Midfa and Hamid Nasser Al Owais.

July 3

Cut-price air charters for Asians

SHARJAH Civil Aviation authorities have given the green light for the operation of special cut-price air charters for Asian workers in the Gulf. The cheap charters, offered at 40 per cent less than the normal fare, will be operated from Sharjah to Bombay.

July 4

Rashid opens water and power complex

HIS Highness Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, inaugurated the steam station and water desalination complex at Jebel Ali. The complex, considered to be the first of its kind in the UAE, supplies the emirate and its suburbs with 60 mega watts of electricity and 3 million gallons of water a day (top picture).

Ghana youth tear up flag

GHANA university students stormed the United States embassy in Accra, pulled down the American flag and tore it up in protest against what they called US interference in Ghana's internal affairs.

- Clippings from Gulf News archives, compiled by Abdul Rahim Abdul Kareem, Head of Archives