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President Wickremesinghe and other world leaders extend condolences on the death of Iranian President Raisi

Published

2 years ago

2024/05/21

President Ranil Wickremesinghe with Iranian President Raisi during the latter’s recent visit to Sri Lanka.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday expressed condolences following the demise of Iranian President Dr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

He said that Sri Lanka is deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic death of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian and other senior Iranian officials.

“I express my deepest sympathies and sincere condolences to the bereaved families, the government and the people of Iran.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of President Raisi and his entourage,” he said, in a post on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter).

World leaders offered their condolences on Monday following the tragic death. Here are other reactions to the news:

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN:

“Seyed Ebrahim Raisi was an outstanding politician whose entire life was devoted to serving the Motherland.

“As a true friend of Russia, he made an invaluable personal contribution to the development of good neighbourly relations between our countries and made great efforts to bring them to the level of strategic partnership.”

TURKISH PRESIDENT TAYYIP ERDOGAN:

“As a colleague who personally witnessed his efforts for the peace of the Iranian people and our region during his time in power, I remember Mr. Raisi with respect and gratitude.”

NECHIRVAN BARZANI, PRESIDENT OF THE IRAQI KURDISTAN REGION:

“The passing of President Raisi is an immense tragedy and a profound loss for the Islamic Republic of Iran, its people, and its friends.

“Nevertheless, we have faith that the noble people of Iran and the Islamic Republic will overcome this immense loss. May God Almighty provide assistance and protection to all, and may the memory of the departed be blessed.”

ARAB LEAGUE CHIEF AHMED ABOUL GHEIT:

“We pray to God to shower them with mercy and forgiveness and to inspire their families with patience and solace.”

SUDAN’S SOVEREIGN COUNCIL HEAD ABDEL FATTAH AL-BURHAN:

“While the President of the Sovereign Council extends his sincere condolences and sympathy to the friendly Iranian people, he prays to God Almighty that the President and his companions may have mercy on him and grant their families patience and solace, expressing the solidarity of the Government of Sudan and its people with the leadership and the Iranian people in this great loss.”

MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER ANWAR IBRAHIM:

“I had the honour of meeting President Raisi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last November.

“He exemplified a deep commitment to the welfare of his people and the dignity of his nation, which represents a proud and rich civilisation rooted in the principles of Islam.

“His dedication to justice, peace, and the uplift of the ummah was truly inspiring. We committed ourselves to bolstering Malaysia-Iran relations, working together for the betterment of our peoples and the Muslim world. Our pledge will be fulfilled.”

ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER GEORGIA MELONI:

“I see in these hours that the Iranian authorities are crediting the thesis of the accident and not conspiracy theories.

“I do not see any changes in the internal order in Iran, we are in constant contact with our European and G7 allies because we are talking about an incident that is part of a particularly complex regional framework.

“I hope that the future Iranian leadership wants to commit itself to the stabilisation and pacification of the region.”

CHARLES MICHEL, PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL:

“The European Union expresses its sincere condolences for the death of President Raisi and Foreign Minister Abdollahian, as well as other members of their delegation and crew in a helicopter accident. Our thoughts go to the families.”

JAPAN’S GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON YOSHIMASA HAYASHI:

Japan expresses its deepest condolences to the government and people of Iran over the death of President Raisi and the Foreign Minister.

VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO:

“…Deeply saddened to have to say goodbye to an exemplary person, an extraordinary leader of the world as our brother Ebrahim is, and will always be, an excellent human being, defender of the sovereignty of his people and unconditional friend of our country.

“From Bolivarian lands, we express our deepest condolences to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and wish for divine consolation for such a sensitive loss. We join the feelings of his family and our Iranian brothers and sisters in these difficult moments.”

EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT ABDEL FATTAH EL-SISI:

“The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt extends his sincere condolences and sympathy to the brotherly Iranian people, and prays that the deceased Iranian President and the departed may rest in God Almighty’s mercy, and grant their families patience and solace, expressing the solidarity of the Arab Republic of Egypt with the Iranian leadership and people in this terrible incident.”

LEBANON’S IRAN-BACKED HEZBOLLAH GROUP:

It praised the struggle of the martyrs in defending the causes of the nation and their service to Iran, calling upon God to bless them with His mercy, to protect Khamenei, and to grant Iran the ability to overcome the ordeal with patience and determination.

JORDAN’S KING ABDULLAH:

“My deepest condolences to the brothers, leadership, government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the death of Brother President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Brother Hossein Amir Abdullahian and those accompanying them, may God have mercy on them all.

“We stand in solidarity with our brothers in Iran in this difficult circumstance”

UAE PRIME MINISTER SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHID

AL-MAKTOUM:

“Our hearts are with you in this difficult time. Our prayers are that God will cover them with His vast mercy and dwell them in His spacious Paradise.”

SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR

AL-ASSAD:

In a statement of condolence, Assad affirmed Syria’s solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the families of the dead, adding that Raisi’s dedication to his work and duties had taken him to East Azerbaijan to inaugurate a vital project for his country, where he was martyred in the line of duty.

Assad added that Syria had worked with the late President to ensure strategic ties between Syria and Iran remained prosperous, recalling Raisi’s important visit to Syria as part of enhancing ties for the benefit of both nations.

IRAQ PRIME MINISTER MOHAMMED SHIA AL-SUDANI:

“We extend our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei, and to the nation of Iran, its government and people.

“We express our solidarity with the brotherly Iranian people and the officials of the Islamic Republic during this painful tragedy.”

HAMAS STATEMENT:

The statement conveyed Hamas’ “deepest condolences…for “this immense loss.”

It praised the deceased Iranian leaders for supporting the Palestinian cause and resistance against Israel and expressed confidence that Iran’s “deep-rooted institutions” will enable it to overcome “the repercussions of this great loss.”

MOHAMMED ALI AL-HOUTHI, HEAD OF YEMEN’S HOUTHI SUPREME REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE:

“We ask God to grant their families patience and solace. Verily we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return. The Iranian people will remain adhering to the loyal leaders of their people, by God’s will.”

QATAR’S EMIR SHEIKH TAMIN BIN HAMAD AL-THANI:

“Sincere condolences to the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran…asking God Almighty for mercy and forgiveness for them and for their families with patience and solace.”We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.”

PAKISTAN PRIME MINISTER SHEHBAZ SHARIF:

“The great Iranian nation will overcome this tragedy with customary courage.

“Pakistan will observe a day of mourning and the flag will fly at half mast as a mark of respect for President Raisi and his companions and in solidarity with brotherly Iran.”

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI:

“Deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise of Dr. Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. His contribution to strengthening India-Iran bilateral relationship will always be remembered.

“My heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of Iran. India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow.”

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Move to extend judges’ retirement ages could damage Sri Lanka’s global image, warns Prof. Peiris

Published

6 hours ago

2026/07/21

Thilina Walpola

Prof.Peiris

Former Foreign Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday warned that any move by the government to extend the retirement age of superior court judges could have serious repercussions for Sri Lanka’s international standing, particularly ahead of the next session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), in Geneva, in September.

Addressing a media briefing, organised by the People’s United Opposition, at its Flower Road, Colombo office, Prof. Peiris claimed that attempts to interfere with the judiciary, through extensions of judges’ terms, would undermine the credibility of Sri Lanka’s courts and weaken the country’s position before the international community.

Prof. Peiris said there was widespread opposition to the proposal to extend the superior court judges’ tenure by two years, with lawyers’ organisations, academics and civil society groups expressing concerns over the move.

“There is no clarity whatsoever from the government’s side,” Prof. Peiris said, claiming that unlike in other countries where such proposals were subjected to lengthy public consultations, there had been no transparency regarding the government’s intentions.

He argued that if such extensions were granted to judges, similar privileges would have to be considered for other sectors, including the public service, university academics and medical specialists.

Prof. Peiris said the issue had gained greater significance due to Sri Lanka’s engagement with the UNHRC, which he described as having established a special investigative mechanism relating to the country.

He alleged that the politicisation of the judiciary would provide further grounds for international criticism against Sri Lanka, which was already facing scrutiny over alleged human rights issues.

“The next session of the UN Human Rights Council will be held in Geneva, in September,” Prof. Peiris said. “This issue will not only affect our country internally, but will also cause serious damage to Sri Lanka internationally.”

He claimed that Sri Lanka had previously defended itself against international interventions by highlighting the independence and reputation of its judicial system.

Referring to the country’s legal history, Prof. Peiris said Sri Lanka had possessed a judiciary respected globally, citing former Supreme Court Judge Dr. Christopher Weeramantry’s tenure as Vice-President of the International Court of Justice in The Hague as an example of international recognition of Sri Lankan judicial expertise.

He said that during his tenure as Foreign Minister, he had maintained that Sri Lanka’s own courts were capable of addressing domestic issues and that foreign intervention was unnecessary.

Prof. Peiris also referred to discussions he had held with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, claiming that both had supported Sri Lanka’s position that external interference in domestic matters should not be permitted.

However, he alleged that the current situation was different, claiming that the judiciary was being politicised through selective extensions of service while vacancies remained in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.

He questioned why judicial vacancies had not been filled if the government’s stated objective was to reduce delays in the administration of justice.

“The responsibility of filling these vacancies lies with the executive,” he said, adding that the failure to do so could affect the international reputation of Sri Lanka’s judiciary.

Prof. Peiris also claimed that the Bar Association of Sri Lanka had repeatedly called for the vacancies to be filled, warning that the present developments could have an adverse impact on the country’s standing internationally.

He questioned whether it was justified to place Sri Lanka in a difficult international position to serve, what he described as, “a narrow and partisan political objective.”

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Dengue surge infects 76,000, claims about 53 lives

Published

6 hours ago

2026/07/21

Thilina Walpola

The total number of dengue cases reported in Sri Lanka so far this year has risen to 76,044, with health authorities warning the public to remain vigilant amid a continued surge in infections.

The National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) said 2,652 dengue cases had been reported on Sunday (19) alone, while 162 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) divisions across the country continue to be classified as high-risk dengue zones.

The latest figures indicate a sharp rise in dengue infections during the past few months, with 8,590 cases recorded in May, followed by 21,537 cases in June. A further 20,666 cases have been reported during the first 19 days of July.

The dengue outbreak has claimed 53 lives so far this year, with the case fatality rate standing at 0.07%, according to the NDCU.

The Western Province remains the worst affected region, accounting for 40,009 cases, or 52.61% of the country’s total infections. The Southern Province has recorded 11,707 cases (15.40%), while the Central Province has reported 6,431 cases (8.46%).

At district level, Gampaha has recorded the highest number of dengue infections with 15,910 cases, followed closely by Colombo with 15,110 cases. Of the Colombo District cases, 3,073 were reported within the Colombo Municipal Council area.

Matara has recorded 5,330 cases, Kandy 5,111 cases and Kalutara 5,010 cases.

Health authorities have urged the public to take preventive measures by keeping their surroundings clean and eliminating mosquito breeding grounds, particularly amid prevailing rainy conditions.The public has also been advised to seek immediate medical attention if symptoms such as fever develop, as early medical intervention is essential in preventing severe complications from dengue.

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SC dismisses challenge to gender change procedures

Published

6 hours ago

2026/07/21

Thilina Walpola

The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed, without taking up for consideration, a Fundamental Rights petition seeking to invalidate a circular that permits individuals in Sri Lanka to change their gender legally .

The petition had been filed by retired Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Warrant Officer Shantha Jayathilake, who challenged the legality of procedures allowing individuals to alter their gender designation following medical and psychiatric assessments.

Former Presidents Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe, as well as incumbent President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, were among those named as respondents in the petition.

The petitioner alleged that successive governments, including the present administration, had facilitated gender changes through medical procedures in a manner contrary to Sri Lankan law.

Jayathilake contended that the law did not permit a person to change their sex from male to female or female to male through medical intervention in the absence of a biological basis. He further argued that individuals had been allowed to alter their gender identity on the recommendation of a psychiatrist, under guidelines issued in 2016 by the then Director General of Health Services.

The petitioner also claimed that authorities had been issuing revised birth certificates and National Identity Cards to persons who had undergone gender-transition procedures, maintaining that such actions were unlawful.

However, the Supreme Court declined to entertain the application and dismissed the petition without granting leave to proceed.