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Elephant allegedly abused in Sri Lanka flown back to Thailand

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A Thai elephant gifted to Sri Lanka two decades ago arrived back in its birth country on Sunday (03 July), following a diplomatic spat over the animal’s alleged mistreatment.

Thai authorities had gifted the 29-year-old Muthu Raja – also known as Sak Surin in its birthplace – to Sri Lanka in 2001. But they demanded the elephant back last year after allegations that it was tortured and neglected while kept at a Buddhist temple.

The 4,000kg (8,800-pound) mammal arrived in Thailand just after 2pm (08:00 GMT), having been transported inside a specially constructed giant steel crate onboard an Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane.

“He arrived in Chiang Mai perfectly. He travelled five hours and nothing is wrong, his condition is normal,” Thai environment minister Varawut Silpa-archa said at the airport.  “If everything goes well, we will move him,” he added, referring to plans to quarantine the elephant at a nearby nature reserve.

Varawut helped give the elephant a drink after Muthu Raja’s decorated crate was removed from the plane, with the thirsty animal eagerly reaching his trunk through a hole to accept the water. The elephant could be seen when officials briefly opened the crate’s rear doors and it was sprayed.

Muthu Raja was moved from its temporary home at a zoo in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo before dawn, accompanied by four Thai handlers and a Sri Lankan keeper, with two CCTV cameras monitoring its health in transit. It left Colombo at 7:40am (0210 GMT) on a commercial reparation flight that Thai officials said cost $700,000.

Muthu Raja was in pain and covered in abscesses when it was rescued from the Buddhist temple last year, the zoo’s chief veterinarian, Madusha Perera, told the AFP news agency.

Animal welfare groups said the elephant had been forced to work with a logging crew and that its wounds, some allegedly inflicted by its handler, had been neglected. The elephant will undergo hydrotherapy in Thailand to treat a remaining injury on its front left leg, Perera said.

Elephants are considered sacred in Sri Lanka and are protected by law.

The organisation Rally for Animal Rights and Environment (RARE), which led a campaign to rescue Muthu Raja from the temple, expressed its unhappiness over the animal’s departure. RARE organised a Buddhist blessing for the elephant on Friday ahead of its journey and has petitioned authorities to prosecute those it says are responsible for neglecting the animal.

Sri Lanka’s wildlife minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said Thailand was “adamant” in its demands for the elephant’s return.

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told parliament in June he had personally conveyed Sri Lanka’s regrets to the Thai king over the elephant’s condition.

Thailand has stopped sending elephants abroad, Thai environment minister Varawut said, adding that Bangkok’s diplomatic missions are checking the conditions of elephants already sent overseas.

(Aljazeera)



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Trump threatens to bomb a power plant for each ship strike

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The Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's seaborne oil passes, has become a focal point of escalating US-Iran tensions [Aljazeera]

Predent Trump warns the US will bomb and destroy critical Iranian infrastructure every time Tehran shoots at ships in the Strait of Hormuz

The United States attacks Iran for an 11th consecutive night as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the cost of the war has reached $37.5bn.

The Revolutionary Guard launches more retaliatory attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, with multiple drones and missiles intercepted.

Iran says it will “confront any hostility” after Trump threatens to attack a suspected Iranian nuclear site called Pickaxe Mountain “pretty soon and very heavily”.

[Aljazeera]

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Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa retires after 22-year career

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Guillermo Ochoa waves to fans in Mexico City in the World Cup round of 16 match against England at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on July 5, 2026 (Aljazeera)

Guillermo Ochoa, widely considered among the greatest Mexican goalkeepers in history, has announced his retirement from professional football, bringing an end to a distinguished 22-year professional career.

Ochoa, who turned 41 last week, had previously stated that the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be his last tournament although speculation had swirled about whether he might sign with a new club to extend his playing days.

He put those rumours to rest on Tuesday.

“I gave it my all; I left everything on the field for my clubs and the national team, and today I hang up my gloves,” Ochoa posted on social media. “Being a goalkeeper means knowing you might wait 90 minutes for a single moment when everything depends on you. And when that moment arrives, you cannot hesitate.”

Ochoa was on Mexico’s roster for six World Cups – a number shared only by icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He served as Mexico’s starting goalkeeper in three of them: Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.

Ochoa made his top-flight debut with Mexico City’s Club America in February 2004. He spent his first seven seasons there before transferring to French club Ajaccio in 2011, becoming the first Mexico-born goalkeeper to play in Europe. His European career also included stints with Malaga, Granada, Standard Liege, Salernitana, AVS Futebol and AEL Limassol, punctuated by a three-year return to Club America from 2019 to 2022.

“I never imagined how far a dream could take me. Today, I can only look back with pride and say: Thank you,” Ochoa wrote. “I take with me the affection of millions and the peace of mind that comes with knowing I gave everything for Mexico.”

Although he served primarily as a backup to Raul Rangel in the recent World Cup in North America, manager Javier Aguirre brought Ochoa on for the final 13 minutes against Czechia in Mexico’s last group-stage match. After the final whistle, an emotional Ochoa kissed the goalposts at Azteca Stadium – the venue where his career began – before kneeling to accept an embrace from his teammates. Long after the stands had cleared, Ochoa walked out to the centre circle one last time to take in his final farewell.

At the club level, Ochoa captured a league title with Club America during the 2005 Clausura tournament and won the Belgian Cup with Standard Liege. On the international stage, he led Mexico to six CONCACAF Gold Cup titles and earned a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Ochoa began his top-flight goalkeeping career in 2004 for the Mexico City side Club America
Ochoa began his top-flight goalkeeping career in 2004 for the Mexico City side Club America [File: Aljazeera]

(ALJAZEERA)

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Thushara four-for, Udara fifty hand Kandy Royals first points

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Lahiru Udara batted fluently [Cricinfo]

A  34 ball 51 from Lahiru Udara and a four wicket haul by Nuwan Thushara helped Kandy Royals defeat  Kandy Royals defeat Dambulla Sixers by 34 runs in the sixth match of the Lanka Premier  League 2026 played at Dambulla on Tuesday [21st]

Scores:
Kandy Royals 194/6 in 20 overs [Kusal Perera 25, Lahiru Udara 51, Moeen Ali 24, Wanidu Hasaranga 29, Angelo Mathews 29, Vijay Shankar 13*;  Fazalhaq Farooki 2-20, Mohammad Wasim 1-42, Dushmantha Chameera 1-37, Maheesh Theekshana 1-39, Vishwa Lahiru 1-40]
Dambulla Sixers 151/8 in 20 overs [Shahibzada Farhan 74, Dinesh Chandimal 12, Niroshan Dikwella 26, Reeza Hendricks 27; Shaheen Shah Afridi 1-32. Nuwan Thushara 4-29, Wanidu Hasaranga 1-19, Duushan Hemantha 2-23]

 

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