Gulf News Report Published: October 03, 2007, 08:43
A daily pick of news events that happened on this day in history from the pages of Gulf News dated October 3, 1978.
Belt up The Gulf News has a simple message today for all car drivers - belt up, you'll live longer.
This appeal to you to wear seat belts whenever you're out and about in the car comes after both local police and hospital officials expressed concern to us about the number of people dying in car accidents unnecessarily.
In one day alone last week there were over 14 accidents, more than half of them resulting in serious injuries. This, say doctors, is a typical example of an average day.
The figures for the whole of the United Arab Emirates are even more startling. More than 1,000 people were killed in traffic accidents during the last four years. During that time there were 46,662 accidents in which 1,047 people died and 10,385 people were injured.
Click here to see a Gulf News page from October 3, 1978 (pdf) Big defeat for curbs on wages Britain’s Labour Government suffered a shattering defeat last night at the hands of its own supporters when the party conference rejected Prime Minister James Cailaghan's proposed wage curbs by a margin of more than two to one.
The curbs would limit pay increases to five per cent in the Government's campaign to combat inflation, which has seen prices jump by 50 per cent in three years. The conference then defeated a motion supporting the Government's economic strategy.
Delegates to the labour party conference come from local Labour parties throughout the country and from the trade unions, with the unions controlling 90 per cent of conference votes and 60 per cent of the seats on the party's National Executive Committee.
The National Executive and Government leaders including Prime Minister Callaghan and Chancellor of the Exchequer Denis Healey had tried desperately to avert defeats on these votes.
Sadat blasts peace critics President Anwar Sadat has attacked Arab critics of the Camp David accords and invited them to join in peace talks with Israel if they think they can do better.
In his first public appearance since returning from Camp David nine days ago, Sadat reported to the Egyptian Parliament on the agreements, which have been bitterly criticized by most Arab Governments.
The Egyptian leader focused his anger on the leaders of Syria and the Palestine Liberation Organization, who have declared that Sadat was guilty of treason for signing the Camp David agreements with Israel.
Iraq woos Saudi Iraq is seeking Saudi Arabian support for its plan to lure Egypt away from the Middle East peace agreements with billions of dollars provided by wealthy Arab states.
Saudi's Crown Prince Fahd heard full details of the anti-peace proposals from senior Iraqi politician Saddam Hussein, who arrived unexpectedly last night and went straight into talks. Iraq hopes the Arab nations will win over Egypt by giving a 50 billion dollar gift, spread over ten years.
Mr Hussein, vice-chairman of Iraq's ruling Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), explained that Iraq wanted the states to provide at least nine billion dollars a year.
Five billion dollars a year would go to Egypt if it changed its summit stand. The rest would help meet military requirements and provide financial aid for the PLO and Palestinian Arabs in Israeli-occupied territory.
Saudi Arabia has reservations about the peace plans it says they are an unacceptable basis for solving the Arab-Israeli conflict.
