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Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33027, 21 September 1972, Page 15

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Bakr in Moscow

President Bakr has now wound up his talks with the Kremlin leadership in Moscow, the news agency, Tass, reports. Little has been disclosed about the substance of the talks, but Soviet Union aid in developing and marketing Iraqi oil, and the Middle East situation, are certain to have been among the topics discussed. — Moscow, Sept. 20.

Pianist dead

Robert Casadesus, the in-ternationally-known French pianist, has died in Paris, aged 73. Casadesus won the first pianoforte prize awarded by the Paris Conservatoire when he was 14, and gave his last performance a few weeks ago.—Paris, Sept. 20.

Sydney Opera House

The Queen will open the Sydney Opera House on October 20 of next year. The Australian Prime Minister (Mr McMahon) told Parliament today that the Royal visit would be a short one, limited to Canberra and Sydney.—Canberra, Sept. 20. Commonwealth call The Commonwealth Secre-tary-General (Mr Arnold Smith) has called on members of the Commonwealth to make more contributions to their fellow-members in the form of multi-lateral aid, which, he said, would do more to bring them together than old ties. He was speaking to members of the governing board of the newlyfounded Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-opera-tion at the first of a series of meetings in London this week which will culminate, on Thursday and Friday, in talks between Commonwealth Finance Ministers. — London, Sept. 20. City at standstill The Peruvian city of lea, 165 miles south of Lima, was yesterday blanketed with sand which virtually immobilised the population, and halted all business activities. The day before, the city had experienced its worst sand storm for 20 years. — lea, Sept. 20.