In Brief

US to pull out all troops from Iraq

President Barack Obama vowed on Friday to pull out all US. troops from Iraq this year, symbolically ending the war but dashing US hopes of leaving a few thousand troops to buttress a still shaky Iraq and offset neighbouring Iran's influence.

After months of negotiations with officials in Baghdad failed to reach an agreement to keep possibly thousands of US troops in Iraq as trainers, Obama said he would stick to plans to pull out the remaining force of 40,000 by the year's end.

Reuters

Saudi Crown Prince passes away

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud passed away at dawn on Saturday abroad, the country's royal court said in a statement carried by state media.

Sultan, who was thought to be about 86 years, had been in the United States for medical treatment since June.

'Lies Agreed Upon' to be screened at Capitol

The Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Sri Lanka, in conjunction with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in the US has organised a "Congressional Briefing on Post-Conflict Sri Lanka" at the Capitol Visitors' Centre on Wednesday, November 2 at 3 p.m.

Symposium on Venezuela

A symposium on Venezuela and its leader Hugo Chavez will be held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo from 9.30 a.m. tomorrow under the patronage of Venezuela’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Milena Santana Ramras.

Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa, Cuban Ambassador to Sri LankaNirshiya Castro Guevera and Dr. Athula Sumathipala will address the symposium.

- LSAW

Lanka Philex 2011 from Oct 28-30

Lanka Philex 2011 the stamp exhibition organised by the philatelics society of Sri Lanka and the Philatelic Bureau of SL Post, will be opened on Friday, October 28 at 9.00 a.m. by the Postal Services Minister, Jeevan Kumarathunga at the Sri Lanka Post Headquarters building, D.R. Wijewardana Mawatha, Colombo 10.

The program is as follows: 28th Friday: 3.30 to 4.30 p.m. Session on Postal Cancellation by Harsha Rupasinghe; 29th Saturday; 10.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. Session on ‘Investment Opportunities in Philately’ by Mahesh Widhanage; 29th Saturday: 12.00 noon to 1.00 p.m. - Philatelic Auction, conducted by the society; 30th Sunday; 11.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon Session on themetic collection by Lalith Prasanna.

AGM of Tholangamuwa Central

The Annual General Meeting of the Old Students’ Association of Tholangamuwa Central College will be held at the Serasinghe Hall of the College on October 30 at 8.30 a.m..

Sports events among past and the present students will take place, President of the Association said.

Literary evening

Writer, critic and editing professional Madeleine Wightman will deliver a lecture at the ICES Auditorium, Colombo 8 on ‘Social Realism in Literature’ at 5.30 p.m. tomorrow.

Appeal for O+ kidney

Sport legend Samath Tuan Farideen (63) of 3/4, Salawatta Road, Wellampitiya is suffering from end stage renal disease.

Consultant Nephrologist of Lanka Hospitals, Dr. Surjit Somiah has advised immediate kidney transplant.

His family appeals for a kidney with O+ group.

Please contact Mrs. T. F. Samath on: 071-3518397, 077-6089790.