A daily pick of news events that happened on this day in history from the pages of Gulf News dated April 29, 1979.
Big spy swap
United States and the Soviet Union carried out a dramatic prisoner exchange, believed to be the largest ever between the two countries. Five political and religious dissidents were freed from Soviet jails and flown to New York in exchange for two Russians convicted last year of trying to steal US defence secrets. White House officials said they believed the five-for-two swap was the largest such arrangement worked out between the two countries.
The regional international office of World Tourism Organization was transferred to Amman from Cairo by a decision of an emergency session of the Middle East Travel Commission. The office became the first branch of an international organization to be moved out of Cairo after Egypt signing a peace treaty with Israel.
Ex-PM held
Former Nepalese Prime Minister B.P. Koirala was put under house arrest, while other leaders of his banned Nepali Congress Party were taken into police custody. Police fired into the air to disappear a crowd of between 3,000 and 4,000 demonstrators at Hetaura, south of Katmandu.
Iran to keep out Martial Law
Under a new constitution being drawn up for the Islamic Republic of Iran, minority faiths including Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism, would be recognized and the imposition of Martial Law would be banned "no matter what the circumstances may be."
Goa under Central rule
Indian Government placed Goa, under direct rule from New Delhi following political instability. President Neelam Sanjiva Reddy signed an order imposing central rule on the territory and dissolving its Legislature after consultations with Prime Minister Morarji Desai. Desai advised Reddy there was no possibility of a stable government following the defeat of the ruling Regional Party in the Legislature during a budget debate earlier this week.
