Gulf News Report Published: December 23, 2007, 23:19
A daily pick of news events that happened on this day in history from the pages of Gulf News dated December 24, 1978.
108 perish in air disaster
At least 108 people died when a Christmas holiday flight plunged into choppy seas and broke up and sank near Palermo. There were scenes of panic and pandemonium on board the Alitalia DC-9 airliner which hit the sea at more than 160 KPH (100 MPH) minutes before it was due to land at the Sicilian capital's airport at about 2400 GMT.
The 129 people on board, mostly Sicilians returning home for the Christmas holiday, were already strapped to their seats ready for landing. Only 21 survivors, some plucked from the sea unconscious, bleeding and with their clothes in shreds, managed to float and struggles free from the wreckage in the darkness.
Armed troops ring New Delhi
Half a million Indians issued a direct challenge to the government by staging a rally celebrating the 76th birthday of dissident former Minister Charan Singh. The rally diverted attention from the countrywide demonstrations in support of former Premier Indira Gandhi in which 19 people have been killed and about 100,000 arrested since she was jailed by Parliament.
Students storm out in challenge to Shah
1,000 High School pupils marched through the streets of Tehran demanding the overthrow of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, but police took little action to stop them and life in the Iranian capital continued at a largely normal pace.
The pupils began spilling into the streets within minutes after their schools had reopened for the first time in weeks.
Heeding leaflets pasted on walls urging them to abandon their classes, the pupils scrambled out through school gates and sometimes over walls to join the crowds.
