News stories from Saturday October 1, 1977

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

A three-year decline in natural gas production paused unexpectedly in the first six months of this year, according to reliable but still unpublished figures from the United States Bureau of Mines. Although the plateau in production could be an anomaly caused by last winter's subnormal temperatures, there an indications that a genuine leveling off -- even a turnaround in gas production -- may be here. [New York Times] Corporate employers are shaken by the prospect of an end to mandatory retirement at 65 and are insisting on exemption and delay. A dismantling of personnel policies is one thing they fear if a bill that would bar mandatory retirement before age 70 is passed by Congress. Blacks and women will not be hired or promoted and future executives will be held back, some businessmen say. [New York Times] Public broadcasting would be aided and strengthened under a bill that President Carter will propose this week, according to White House officials. The proposal would authorize more than $1 billion for non-commercial television and radio over five years, the largest federal contribution to date. [New York Times] A discovery that the human brain produces a substance similar in effect to that made by opium poppies has opened a new field of brain chemistry research, offering clues to the nature of pain, pleasure, the emotions, and perhaps new light on drug addiction, epilepsy and mental illness. [New York Times] The aims of a Mideast peace conference were outlined in a joint statement by the United States and the Soviet Union. The peace conference, the statement said, should insure "the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people" and establish "normal peaceful relations" in the Middle East. The statement, released in New York by Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and in Moscow by Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, was intended to accelerate efforts to convene the Geneva meeting by the end of the year. It was regarded as certain to arouse considerable controversy, particularly in Israel. [New York Times] Elections in Pakistan were cancelled by Gen. Mohammad Zia ul-Haq, the military government's leader. Martial law also was extended indefinitely. The parliamentary election had been scheduled for Oct. 18. [New York Times] An attempted coup in Bangladesh was crushed, the government reported, after junior officers tried to overthrow the military regime during negotiations for the release of hostages held on a hijacked airliner at the Dacca airport. The rebels reportedly seized the Bangladesh radio and attacked government forces at the airport. But two hours later, the government announced that the insurgents had been defeated. The attack reportedly began after Japanese terrorists completed the release of 59 hostages in return for a $6 million ransom and the release of six imprisoned comrades. At least six Bangladesh air force officers were killed during the fighting at the airport, where 82 hostages remained on the hijacked Japan Airlines DC-8. [New York Times]