A daily pick of news events that happened on this day in history from the pages of Gulf News dated April 16, 1979.

Arab Fund cuts aid

Egypt lost a valuable source of development aid when it was suspended from the 17-nation Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) for signing the peace treaty with Israel. The fund has given Egypt more than 200 million dollars in project aid since it was created nine years ago. The suspension conformed with political and economic sanctions agreed by Arab Foreign and Economy Ministers in Baghdad last month to punish Egypt.

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Killer Quake jars the Adriatic

A massive earthquake, possible the worst in this nation's history, struck the Adriatic coastal region of Yugoslavia, killing at least 100 people. The death toll was expected to go higher. Hundreds were injured and scores of industrial plants, hospitals, ports, hotels, homes and resorts damaged. Vladimir Ribaric, chief of the geophysical observatory in Ljubljana, said the killer quake registered 7.2 on the Richter scale.

Riots over rice

Liberian President William Tolbert appealed for calm after a night of rioting during which virtually all of the capital's stores and supermarkets were broken into and ransacked. As he spoke over the radio intermittent rifle fire could be heard in the streets. Soldiers were trying to scare off ranks of youths still rampaging in the city. The trouble began yesterday as large groups attempted to march on President Tolbert's state house to protest against a suggestion by Agriculture Minister Mrs Florence Cheneweth that the price of rice be raised to encourage farmers to grow more.

Assaults to protect elections

Rhodesian aircraft raided guerrilla targets in Zambia for the fourth time in a week as part of fierce ground and air assaults to protect general elections scheduled for tomorrow. Military headquarters announced the raid shortly after Military Chief, Lt. Gen. Peter Walls, said Rhodesia was on the offensive against guerrillas pledged to disrupt the elections. The poll will give Rhodesia its first Black majority government.