Gulf News Report Published: December 31, 2007, 00:29
A daily pick of news events that happened on this day in history from the pages of Gulf News dated December 31, 1978.
Fierce riots engulf Iran
Fierce fighting rocked major cities in Iran as big crowds pressed their campaign to topple the Shah. The heaviest fighting was reported in Mashhad, near the Soviet border in the country's northeast, and in Ahvaz, the country's oil capital in the southwest. In Teheran, demonstrations and shooting flared in many areas amid feverish efforts to install an opposition leader as the new Prime Minister.
The mother of the Shah of Iran and some other members of the Royal Family are under a heavy security guard in Los Angeles after flying to the US from Iran. An Iranian Air Force Boeing 747 brought the party of 18 people headed by the Queen Mother, Tadj-OI-Molouk, from the chaos of Iran where the Shah is struggling to maintain power in the face of mounting demonstrations.
Funeral row erupts
A row flared between Algeria and Morocco hours after Algerian President Houari Boumedienne's state funeral because of an alleged Algerian refusal to admit a Moroccan delegation. The two countries have been at loggerheads since Spain ceded the former Spanish Sahara to Morocco and Mauritania three years ago.
Algerian-backed liberation forces are fighting for the territory's independence. Morocco, which has no diplomatic relations with Algeria because of the Sahara dispute, said the Algerian government had refused to allow a Moroccan delegation led by Prime Minister Ahmed Osman to attend funeral.
Troops ordered to shoot at rioters
Army Commanders authorised troops to open fire if necessary to prevent new disturbances in Turkey. The green light was given in a military proclamation covering 13 provinces, including Ankara and Istanbul, where martial law was imposed five days ago after clashes in which at least 105 people were killed. The proclamation was issued after Prime Minister Bulerit Ecevit met army commanders.
