Gulf News Archive Published: April 14, 2008, 00:08
A daily pick of news events that happened on this day in histort taken from the pages of Gulf News dated April 14, 1979.
Hunt for Amin on
Thousands of jubilant Ugandans gave a rapturous welcome to their new head of state when exile leader Yusufu Lule flew home from Tanzania to claim the office of fugitive President Idi Amin. Professor Lule took his oatn as President on the steps of Parliament, called for a moment's silence in memory of those who died under President Amin, and told the crowd “we are not masters, but your servants.
We will do our best to serve you." The antl-Amin forces sent out plainclothes commando squads to hunt down Field Marshal Amin and fetch him to Kampala alive for trial for mass murder.
South Africa expels US diplomats
South Africa recalled its two top diplomats in the United States but said the action was not linked to its expulsion on spying charges of three US Embassy officials in Pretoria. The United States expressed regret at South Africa's decision to expel the US defence attache, the assistant air attache and crew chief of the embassy plane. A south African embassy spokesman said Ambassador Donald Sole and Chief UN Representative Riaan Eksteen had been recalled for a major parliamentary debate on the budget, and not because of the spy charges.
UAE census
The first ever organised census of people, buildings and businesses in the UAE will be held in December 1980. According to a spokesman for Central Statistics such a census will take place once in five years. The population is 550,000 according to 1975 figures. This has been increasing since then and the present population is around 850,000.
Anti-Islamic outbursts break out in Tehran
Scattered demonstrations broke out in downtown Onyan supporting and opposing the transformation of the country into an Islamic republic, but no violence was reported. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini proclaimed the nation an Islamic Republic on April 1 following a two-day national referendum, and the decision is to be formalized by a new constitution within two months.
Bombay Billa and Ranga convicted
Billa and Ranga two notorious Bombay criminals were convicted for macabre killings of two teenager children of an Indian Naval Officer. Both have been sentenced to death. Describing the double murder as one of the worst of the decade, of horrifying magnitude, the Additional Sessions Judge M K Chawla, held “the ends of justice would be met only if the two accused are put to eternal sleep."
