According to observers, with pro-China Rajapaksa winning the election, the result will have a bearing on India's presence in the Indian Ocean region where Beijing is increasingly making inroads.
The 25-year-old Indian, who is on a comeback trail after recovering from injuries, beat Mithun 21-9, 21-15 in just 31 minutes to set up a title clash with Japan's Koki Watanabe on Sunday.
Some of the bodies were so badly blown up that officials feel it may take some time to identity them.
Pandya and teammate K L Rahul were issued show cause notices by the BCCI for their remarks on women which triggered a social media storm. Regret and not apology was what Pandya offered in his reply.
IMAGES from Australian Open matches played at Melbourne Park on Friday
Gael Monfils stormed back from 4-1 down in the second set to beat Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-4 in the semi-finals of the Qatar Open on Friday and set up an all-French final against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga following Roger Federer's withdrawal with a back injury.
KKR hopeful of Russell, Lynn for IPL opener vs RCB
San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore told reporters that the suspect in the accident has been identified as 19-year-old John Earnest.
Leicester City won at Arsenal for the first time in 47 years on Sunday, with substitute Jamie Vardy's late close-range header enough to secure victory in the Premier League at The Emirates.
Maoists blew up a police station in Orissa's Nabarangpur district on Thursday night, police said. No casualties or injuries were reported in the attack.
Images from the UEFA Champions League matches on Tuesday night.
Following September's 1-0 win over Espanyol, Real had five games without a win -- a run in which they went eight hours and one minute without scoring.
England showed glimpses of their best in last two games, says Morgan
Striking for the second time this week, heavily-armed Maoists swooped down on Kasari village in Bihar's Jamui district on Wednesday night, setting fire to thatched houses killing 12 tribals and injuring 8 others.
As the West Bengal chief minister was busy containing the fallout of an internecine feud in her TMC following a rebellion by a redoubtable Suvendu Adhikari, the Centre shot off a fresh letter to her government to immediately relieve three IPS officers for central deputation.
Coric was quick out of the blocks at the Qi Zhong Stadium as he broke in the opening game against the top seed and only lost five points on serve to clinch the first set in 34 minutes.
New world number one Ashleigh Barty has suffered a pre-Wimbledon injury scare, withdrawn from this week's Eastbourne grasscourt tournament with a recurrence of a right arm injury.
Tomy has now been shifted to INHS Kalyani, the naval hospital of Eastern Naval Command, for observation and medical assistance as required.
"He has been sprinting and the knee is absolutely no issue for the World Cup. We still have a bit of time and it is nothing dramatic."
Japan's Kei Nishikori overcame Daniil Medvedev in the Brisbane International final on Sunday for his first ATP title in nearly three years and the 12th of his career.
While the BJP slammed CPI-M for Monday night's murder of RSS worker, Sujit, the Marxist party has denied it, saying it was the fallout of a local incident relating to insulting a girl.
World number one Novak Djokovic is on verge to become the first man to win US$100 million in prize money as he aims to book his place in the quarter-finals of the French Open for the 10th time.
England's beaten and beleaguered World Cup players made a sullen and silent dawn return to London on Tuesday, dodging waiting fans as the storm of criticism at their early exit continued.
Images from Day 8 of the 2021 US Open in New York on Monday.
Additional Afghan forces have been deployed around the Indian consulate which was attacked on Wednesday in Jalalabad city of Afghanistan by heavily-armed terrorists including suicide bombers.
17 MLAs of the TDP were suspended from the assembly for disrupting CM Jagan Mohan Reddy's address on the Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill, 2020.
American Noah Lyles shot to 200 meters world championships gold on Tuesday, providing a bright finish to a day darkened by yet another doping scandal.
Rafael Nadal overcame a temporary blip on his way to victory at the ATP Cup on Saturday
'If you are caught in a violent storm at sea you have to deal with it and find a way out which Abhilash Tomy did.'
A spellbinding display of brutal hitting and raw speed from Rafa Nadal secured the Spaniard his second Wimbledon title on Sunday with a 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory over 12th seed Tomas Berdych.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test match between England and Pakistan in Manchester, on Wednesday.
Roger Federer took 55 minutes to dispel all injury doubts with a 6-2, 6-1 routing of unheralded German Tobias Kamke in the second round of the Brisbane International on Thursday. Media speculations swirled around the fitness of the world number three less than two weeks before he launches his bid for a fifth Australian Open title and the Swiss maestro dismissed them by dropping only three games in a lop-sided contest. "I'm going to do my best to stay injury free and give myself a chance to win another grand slam," Federer said after setting up a quarter-final against Grigor Dimitrov.
A Delhi court Monday awarded death penalty to Ariz Khan for the murder of decorated Delhi Police Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma in connection with the sensational 2008 Batla House encounter case, saying the offence fell under the 'rarest of the rare category' warranting the maximum sentence.
Roger Federer overcame a sluggish start to defeat Filip Krajinovic 7-5, 6-3 and Kevin Anderson's booming serve proved too much for Joao Sousa as the big names advanced to the fourth round of the Miami Open on Monday.
Rafael van der Vaart scored an injury-time winner as Real Madrid came back to beat Sevilla 3-2 and replace Barcelona at the top of La Liga on Saturday, after the champions were held 2-2 in Almeria.
At least 21 civilians were killed and over 20 others injured when a group of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels opened indiscriminate fire at them in eastern Sri Lanka, the Defence Ministry said on Sunday. "According to latest reports received, the death toll at the LTTE village massacre on Saturday at Kirimetiya has risen to 21 civilians, while over 20 others including children had sustained serious injuries," it said.
'We saw Messi play like a kid in the school playground today'
Jamaica's Elaine Thompson completed a memorable sprint double on Wednesday after storming to victory in the women's 200 metres final, blowing away the field with a season's best run of 21.78 seconds.
On the eighth day of CWG 2018, the 22-year-old from Hyderabad made everything look so easy as she clinched a comfortable 21-15, 21-9 win over Wendy Chen in a one-sided last-16 clash of the women's singles event that lasted 34 minutes at the Carrara Sports Arena.
