Who will be the next Colombo Mayor? Decision tomorrow

The newly elected Colombo Municipal Council, following the conduct of the Local Government (LG) election on May 6, is scheduled to convene for its inaugural sitting tomorrow (16).

The gazette extraordinary in this regard was issued by the Commissioner of the Department of Local Government of the Western Province, Sarangika Jayasundara.

According to the gazette issued by the Commissioner, the inaugural sitting will commence at 9:30 a.m.

During the meeting scheduled to be held at the Town Hall, the election of the new Mayor and the Deputy Mayor will take place as the first order of business.

No party obtained an outright majority following the conduct of the LG election and therefore both the National People’s Power (NPP) and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) have announced in recent days that they have secured the backing of other political factions to elect a Mayor.

According to the LG election results, the National People’s Power (NPP) secured 48 seats, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) obtained 29 seats, the United National Party (UNP) won 13 seats, and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) gained 5 seats.

Additionally, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress received 4 seats, Independent Group No. 03 obtained three seats, the Sarvajana Balaya received two seats, and the United Peace Alliance also secured two seats according to the election results.

Independent Groups No. 04 and 05 received two seats each.

Furthermore, the United Republic Front, the National People’s Party, the National Freedom Front, the Podujana United Front, the Democratic National Alliance, Independent Group No. 01, and Independent Group No. 02 each received one seat.

However, to establish power in the Colombo Municipal Council, which consists of 117 seats, a party must secure at least 59 seats.

Accordingly, following the vote scheduled to be held tomorrow, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council will be appointed.

Decapitation strike: Israel’s silent war to dismantle State sovereignty

 

We are witnessing a new form of state conquest: not physical invasion, but intellectual destruction. By eliminating national brainpower, a state becomes paralysed, its institutions fragmented, and its sovereignty hollowed from within. Israel has mastered this doctrine earlier than most. Unlike old colonial models requiring troops, this model needs only intelligence superiority, targeted assassination capability, international legal immunity, and media control to shape global narratives. The world is being conditioned to accept such strikes as self-defence, while ignoring the strategic violations they represent

 

• Beyond Iran: The rise of clean warfare, intellectual targeting, and the new global architecture of control

 The world awoke to news of Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran. On the surface, it appeared to be another escalation in an already volatile Middle East. But for those observing the deep structure of global power, these were not ordinary attacks. Israel has crossed into a far more sophisticated form of warfare, one not focused on territory, but on systematically dismantling the intellectual and leadership architecture of its adversaries. This was not a general bombardment. This was a decapitation strike.

The reported deaths include not only military officers but senior members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), advanced nuclear scientists, and high-level strategic planners. 

These were the minds who formulated Iran’s defense posture, retaliation strategy, and long-term geopolitical alliances. Their removal sends Iran into operational paralysis. Historically, warfare aimed to capture land, destroy armies, and occupy capitals. But in the 21st century, real power lies in controlling how states think, plan, and respond. The removal of Iran’s key individuals is part of a broader strategy of disabling sovereign decision-making structures. When a state loses its brain centre, even temporarily, its ability to retaliate, negotiate, or maintain internal stability is compromised. Weapons without leadership are ineffective. Diplomatic channels without intellectual depth become hollow.

Silent consent

Israel has applied this doctrine before. The assassination of General Qassem Soleimani in 2020 (in coordination with the United States), and the killing of top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, followed the same model: eliminate the architects and disarm the system. The United States officially distanced itself from this most recent strike. But US personnel were evacuated from sensitive Middle East locations days before the operation. US satellites and regional intelligence almost certainly monitored and likely enabled the strikes. The removal of US troops prior to Israeli action is not the behaviour of a disinterested party. This is silent consent. The US-Israel military alliance operates on multiple levels: intelligence cooperation, weapons transfers, and strategic coordination. Public denials serve diplomatic theatre, while operational coordination remains intact.

What is perhaps most revealing is that neither Israel nor the United States express concern about international legal consequences. The United Nations remains silent. The International Criminal Court, despite issuing warrants against weaker states, takes no practical action. The global legal system, once designed to restrain state violence, has collapsed entirely when applied to Western allies and Zionist operations. This is not arrogance. This is calculated immunity. Israel operates with full confidence that no global tribunal will prosecute its leadership. The rules-based order applies selectively, to adversaries, not to allies.

Far more dangerous war

The consequences for Iran extend far beyond the loss of personnel. The removal of its top strategists creates multiple layers of vulnerability. With key commanders eliminated, coordinated decision-making is severely disrupted. High-level negotiations become weaker without experienced intellectual leadership. Leadership vacuums risk factionalism within Iran’s political structures. Israel’s timing creates a period where Iran is unable to respond decisively, allowing global narratives to normalize the strike. Iran now faces a far more dangerous war, not of weapons, but of leadership continuity and intellectual survivability.

This is not merely an Israel-Iran conflict. It is part of a long-term containment strategy where the ultimate target remains China. Iran’s role as a sovereign energy and strategic corridor to China’s Belt and Road Initiative has made it a permanent obstacle to Western and Zionist interests.

Neutralizing Iran weakens China’s western flank. The same strategy has unfolded through Syria’s destabilization, Lebanon’s economic collapse, and pressure on Russia’s partners. Independent power centers aligned with China are being systematically isolated through proxy conflicts, sanctions, regime change operations, or surgical eliminations of leadership. The strike on Iran fits directly into this multi-front preparation for confrontation between US-led alliances and emerging Eurasian blocs.

We are witnessing a new form of state conquest: not physical invasion, but intellectual destruction. By eliminating national brainpower, a state becomes paralyzed, its institutions fragmented, and its sovereignty hollowed from within. Israel has mastered this doctrine earlier than most. Unlike old colonial models requiring troops, this model needs only intelligence superiority, targeted assassination capability, international legal immunity, and media control to shape global narratives.

The world is being conditioned to accept such strikes as self-defense, while ignoring the strategic violations they represent.

Critical warning

For smaller states like Sri Lanka, these events offer a critical warning. Sovereignty is no longer defended only by borders and armies. It is protected by the survival of national intellect, independent leadership, and resistance to external ideological infiltration. Sri Lanka has faced its own forms of destabilization: regime changes, constitutional manipulations, economic coercion, and foreign policy interference. The Zionist doctrine applied to Iran is an extreme version of the same principle: neutralize leadership, and the state collapses quietly. As the global system moves into a more ruthless phase, small nations must strengthen their intellectual defenses alongside military preparedness. Survival depends not only on resisting invasions, but on preserving the state’s capacity to think independently.

Israel’s strike on Iran signals a dangerous evolution. We are witnessing the rise of clean warfare, no invasions, no occupations, but selective elimination of individuals carrying the strategic DNA of sovereign states. Iran is not defeated, but it has been strategically paralysed. Its ability to respond is crippled not by lack of weapons, but by absence of leadership to direct them. The world is moving toward open confrontation between global systems no longer governed by the old rules. The deeper question for all nations is simple: when the intellectual class is targeted, who remains to defend the state?

(The writer is a civilian intelligence architect and nationalist doctrine strategist, known for her analytical work on state sovereignty, global power structures, and strategic legal frameworks. Her writings offer deep investigations into the mechanisms of geopolitical influence, legal-state manipulation, and civilizational defense. She can be reached via email at jihan@jihanhameed.org)

Communist Party of Sri Lanka Condemns Zionist Aggression, Calls ‘Hands Off Iran’

The Communist Party of Sri Lanka (CPSL) has issued a strong statement denouncing Israel’s recent airstrikes on the Islamic Republic of Iran, condemning it as an act of Zionist aggression and imperialist provocation. The CPSL, in its statement titled “Hands Off Iran,” accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilian areas, resulting in the deaths of women, children, and senior Iranian military and scientific leaders, including IRGC commander Major General Hossein Salami and nuclear scientists.

The CPSL further asserted that the United States had advance knowledge of the attack, as American personnel were evacuated prior to the strikes, despite Washington’s official denial of involvement. The party emphasized that Israel’s actions are part of a long-term imperialist strategy, using conflicts against sovereign states like Iran to destabilize the region and indirectly target larger global powers such as China.

The statement urged the Government of Sri Lanka to condemn the attacks, sever all ties with Israel, and ensure the safety of Sri Lankan workers residing in West Asia. The CPSL called on all peace-loving forces to resist what it describes as the combined aggression of Zionism and global imperialism.

The statement was issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka on June 13, 2025.

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රු. 3690/-කට ලිට්රෝ තියෙද්දී, ගෑස් වලට ඇයි රු 4100/- ගෙවන්නේ?

එල්.පී.ජී ගෑස් අවශ්‍යතාවයෙන් 80% අධික කොටසක් සපයන ලිට්රෝ ගෑස් සමාගම රාජ්‍ය සමාගමක් වශයෙන් තම වගකීම ඉටුකරමින්  ජනතවට එල්.පී ගෑස් සහන මිලට සැපයීමට කටයුතු කරනු ලබයි. ලෝක ගෑස් මිල උච්චාවචනය වුවද, ජනතාවට සහන සලසමින් ලිට්රෝ ගෘහස්ත 12.5Kg ගෑස් සිලින්ඩරයක මිල රු.3690/-ක මුදලකට  පසුගිය මාස 8 පුරාවටම නොකඩවා පවත්වාගෙන යන ලදි. 

නමුත් ලාෆ් ගෑස් 12.5Kg ගෑස් සිලින්ඩරයේ මිල රු 410කින් ඉහළ නංවා 12.5Kg සිලින්ඩරය 4100/- මුදලකට අලෙවිකරුණු ලබද්දීද, ලිට්රෝ ගෑස් ලංකා සමාගම රජයේ සමාගමක් වශයෙන් පාරිභෝගිකයන් හට එල්.පී ගෑස් අවශතාවය  සපුරාලමින් කාර්යක්ෂම සේවාවක් ලබා දෙමින් රටේ ආර්ථික වාර්ධනයෙහිලා කැපී පෙනෙන කාර්ය භාරයක් නිසි වගකීමෙන් යුතුව ඉටුකරනු ලබයි.

Ahmedabad Plane Crash: One survivor found in Air India flight, say police

The rescuers have found one survivor among the passengers of the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad this afternoon, according to the police.

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik said, “The police found one survivor in seat number 11A.”

Indian media outlets have identified the survivor as Vishwas Kumar Ramesh.

“Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was loud noise…there were pieces of plane all around me…Someone grabbed me and put me in an ambulance,” Ramesh was quoted as saying.

Speaking to media, Vishwash, a British national, said, “Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed.”

‘When I got up, there were bodies all around me...There were pieces of the plane all around me...Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital,” he recalled.

Footage shared on social media showed a man that appears to be Vishwash limping away from the crash site and being led towards emergency services.

Vishwash was in India for a few days to visit his family. He was headed back to the UK with his brother.

The Air India flight AI171 had 242 passengers and crew members. Minutes after the takeoff, the flight crashed into a hostel of a medical college.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was en route to London Gatwick Airport when it lost contact with air traffic control shortly after takeoff.

The aircraft took off from runway 23 at 1:39pm and made a “Mayday” call indicating an emergency situation before disappearing from radar.

There are reports from Indian media outlets that the death toll exceeds 242.

Some media outlets say that close to 20 MBBS students died when the plane fell on the building.

Altogether, it is the biggest aviation disaster in India which has saddened everyone.

However, the government of India or the aviation ministry is yet to reveal the final details of the deceased.

The Air India flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick airport crashed minutes after it took off. The pilot had given a Mayday call to the ATC but the signal was lost when ATC responded back.

Meanwhile, it is revealed that former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani was also on the flight but he is declared dead now. Shockingly, he was the second Gujarat CM to lose life in a plane crash.

Vijay Rupani served as Gujarat’s 16th Chief Minister from 2016 to 2021.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has expressed condolences to the bereaved family members of the victims of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.

In a post on ‘X’, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of many lives in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.

“Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members of the victims of this tragic incident”, the Foreign Ministry added.

Meanwhile, the Indian Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has expressed sadness over the plane crash in Ahmedabad.

Reacting to the incident, Modi, in a post on his X account, sympathized with everyone affected and vowed to assist those affected.

“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us.

“It is heartbreaking beyond words,” Modi said.

The Indian Prime Minister also revealed that he has been in touch with Indian authorities, including Ministers who he said are working to assist those affected.

-With Agencies inputs

Two Disasters, One Corridor: Is a New Hybrid Threat Emerging in the Indian Ocean?

By Jihan Hameed

Indian Plane. Chinese Ship. Sri Lanka’s Silent Exposure.

In the space of days, two serious transport disasters have unfolded in South Asia’s most sensitive zone. An Air India Express aircraft crashed. Days later, a Singapore-flagged cargo vessel operated by Wan Hai Lines, a major Chinese shipping player, caught fire after departing Colombo en route to Mumbai.

Two events. Two sectors. Two powers. Both tied to the Indian Ocean corridor where Sri Lanka sits quietly but dangerously at the midpoint.

Most will dismiss these incidents as technical failures. But to those who understand how hybrid destabilization works, the question is not whether they are connected. The question is: who gains from such disruption? This corridor is the future battlefield of great power competition. India seeks to project aviation dominance. China builds commercial maritime control. Third-party actors, state or non-state, may seek to disrupt both without direct confrontation.

When planes fall from the sky and ships burn on the water in close sequence, hybrid signals cannot be ruled out. Intelligence professionals call this “pattern escalation” when multiple domains are tested simultaneously to measure national response, expose weaknesses, or quietly send warnings.

Sri Lanka’s position at the crossroads makes us a passive target zone for such operations. Our airspace, sea routes, and data corridors form part of a larger struggle that most of our public discourse remains blind to.

At this stage, these may still be isolated incidents. But if further disruptions follow in the weeks ahead, the pattern will harden into something far more deliberate. It is time for the Sri Lankan state to remain alert, and for the public to begin understanding how invisible wars unfold long before official conflicts ever begin.

The Nationalist

Sri Lanka’s Pest Crisis 2025: Jihan Hameed Calls for Urgent National Pest Control to Secure Food Sovereignty

By Jihan Hameed | The Nationalist

Sri Lanka is currently facing a grave threat to its agricultural foundations and national food sovereignty. Recent official data reveals an alarming surge in pest animal populations devastating the country’s crops: 5.17 million toque monkeys (rilawa), 1.74 million gray langurs (wandura), 2.66 million giant squirrels (dandu lena), and 4.24 million peacocks. These millions of animals are not just wildlife statistics; they represent a direct, ongoing assault on farmers’ livelihoods, rural communities, and the nation’s ability to feed itself independently.

For decades, previous governments either ignored or concealed the scale of this crisis. Instead of confronting the issue, they chose to side with fragile conservation narratives and foreign-funded programs that prioritized wildlife protection at the expense of food producers. This negligence allowed pest populations to explode unchecked, stripping Sri Lanka’s fruit trees, paddy fields, and village crops bare. The result is a growing hunger threat for a nation that cannot afford to import its food at scale.

The current government must be acknowledged for its rare display of courage in publicly releasing these critical figures and finally bringing the issue to the national stage. For the first time, there is transparency and official recognition that this problem exists on an unprecedented scale. This move alone breaks the decades-long silence.

Yet, acknowledgment is only the first step. The true test lies ahead: the urgent formulation and implementation of a comprehensive, science-driven national pest management strategy. This must be a balanced policy designed to restore harmony between wildlife and agricultural productivity. It should include ongoing ecological monitoring, strict population control measures, community engagement programs, and research-backed integrated pest management techniques. Importantly, such a plan must respect Sri Lanka’s ecological diversity while prioritizing the survival and prosperity of our farmers and rural communities.

Food sovereignty is not merely an economic policy. It is a national security issue. Unlike affluent Western nations that can afford to import food freely, Sri Lanka depends on its fertile lands and hardworking farmers to sustain its people. Ignoring this threat will force the nation into dependency on volatile international markets, exposing us to price shocks and political leverage that undermine true sovereignty.

The responsibility rests on the government and all stakeholders to act decisively now. There is no room for delay or denial. Farmers, rural families, and every Sri Lankan must see that their government values their survival and livelihood. A structured pest control plan will protect crops, ensure food availability, and safeguard Sri Lanka’s future.

In conclusion, this pest crisis is a wake-up call demanding bold leadership, scientific rigor, and national unity. We must reclaim the balance between nature and agriculture before it’s too late. The path forward is clear: a strong, coordinated, and ecologically sensitive national pest control policy — the cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s food sovereignty and independence.

The nation is watching. The farmers are waiting. The time to act is now.