Gotabaya Rajapaksa claims victory in Sri Lanka presidential election
(WorldNews Asia)

Colombo: Sri Lanka's former wartime defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been elected president, his spokesman said Sunday following a fiercely fought election seven months after terror attacks killed 269 people. The 70-year-old retired lieutenant colonel had a 48.2 per cent share of the vote with close to three million ballots counted but results from Sinhalese-majority regions -- the Rajapaksas' core support base -- were expected to push this above 50 per cent. "We got between 53 to 54 per cent," his spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told AFP. "It is a clear win. We envisaged it. We are very happy that Gota will be the next president. He will be sworn in tomorrow or...