News stories from Saturday February 14, 1976

Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:

The Nigerian government confirmed in a radio broadcast that the head of state, Gen. Murtala Ramat Muhammed, was assassinated today at the start of short-lived coup attempt. It was also announced that Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, chief of staff of the armed forces, was named head of the military government that was formed seven months ago. The announcement ended speculation about the fate of General Muhammed, but did not provide details about his death other than that he was killed by a Lt. Col. Dimka and "a few dissident troops who have been arrested." [New York Times] An analysis by the Population Council and made public by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America said that women over 40 who take oral contraceptives face a risk of death much greater than that associated with any other method of birth control, including abortion. In addition, the mortality risk for older women is higher than if they had used no birth control at all and faced instead the dangers of resulting pregnancies. For women under the age of 40 the risk associated with the pill is much lower, and for women under 30, the danger is not much different from that resulting from other birth-control methods. [New York Times] Apparently as a result of the recession, public libraries across the country are attracting record numbers of borrowers and browsers despite budget cutbacks. Book circulation was up as much as 10 percent in 1975 over the years since 1970. In many instances, attempts to limit library services or to close branches have been thwarted by vigorous citizen protests, as happened in New York last month. There is a big demand for how-to books, with emphasis on home repairs and automobile repairs; books on preparing job resumes or those that could help candidates for Civil Service, and books describing the qualifications for jobs in those areas of the labor market that seem to be employing people. [New York Times] Estate taxes are making it increasingly difficult for farm families to keep their land. Lloyd Royal, 59 years old, drives a 7-year-old Chevrolet with 110,000 miles on it, and owns a small farm In Nebraska. If he should die, his wife, Doris, would have to pay $32,000 in federal estate taxes. This, she says, would impoverish her. Mrs. Royal has started a movement to increase the exemption on all estates to $200,000 in the tax law. She and some friends have rounded up 70,000 petition signers in 42 states asking Congress to act on it. The government, it seems, will be sympathetic, at least in this election year. President Ford and several members of Congress have proposed legislation to ease estate taxes. [New York Times] In a report to the Securities and Exchange Commission on what it called "apparently improper practices," Tenneco, Inc., a Houston-based conglomerate, has admitted paying $500,000 to the military in a foreign country "for protection" of employees "working in remote, dangerous locations." The company also acknowledged having made several other foreign payments, as well as maintaining a fund for domestic political contributions. It also made cash payments to state public utility regulators and to a Louisiana judge who decided a labor case involving the company. Tenneco made the disclosures in an amendment to earlier information it had given the S.E.C., and it noted that it did so voluntarily. The S.E.C. has indicated that it might not require the same degree of disclosure -- for example, the names of recipients of foreign bribes -- if companies "voluntarily" disclosed improper payments. [New York Times] President Suleiman Franjieh of Lebanon announced a "new foundation" of political and economic changes sponsored by Syria and intended to end Lebanon's civil strife. In a radio and television address, Mr. Franjieh officially disclosed a series of changes in the country's sectarian political structure intended to give the Moslem majority a greater share of power, protect the position of the Christian minority and define the status of the powerful Palestinian guerrilla movement in Lebanon. The changes, to be submitted to Parliament for approval, were the results of months of mediation by Syria. [New York Times] With most of Angola in control of the Moscow-backed government in Luanda, there is growing concern among many African diplomats that the civil war could lead to continuing turmoil in southern Africa. Angola's neighbors -- Zaire, Zambia and South Africa -- which supported the rivals of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, face new and serious problems as a result of the Popular Movement's growing strength. [New York Times]