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India moved to the brink of victory on a dramatic Day 4 of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, setting the hosts a 372-run target before reducing them to 84/4 at stumps. India were bowled out for 193 in their second innings, with Rishabh Pant’s aggressive 66 off 69 providing the crucial momentum after KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal added a valuable partnership. Sri Lanka’s chase quickly unravelled as Mohammed Siraj dismissed Nishan Madushka, while Manav Suthar removed Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Lahiru Udara, and Prasidh Krishna accounted for Kamindu Mendis. Dhananjaya de Silva remained unbeaten on 31 alongside Sonal Dinusha on 25, but the hosts still need 288 runs on Day 5. India require six wickets for a 1-0 lead, although rain could yet influence the thrilling finish.

BY Photo Webdesk 18 August 2026

Markets remained shut in Imphal on the first day of a two-day strike called by the JFD, demanding NRC implementation and the return of IDPs to their original homes before the census

BY Photo Webdesk 18 August 2026

Find today's news in pics from India and around the world for August 18, 2026

BY Photo Webdesk 18 August 2026

Sanitation workers and auto-tipper drivers protested in Delhi demanding compensation and a government job for the family of a 27-year-old worker stabbed to death in Kalyanpuri.

BY Photo Webdesk 18 August 2026

One of Belgium's biggest wildfires on record has scorched thousands of hectares in the High Fens nature reserve, forcing evacuations and drawing firefighting help from across Europe.

BY Photo Webdesk 18 August 2026

PV Sindhu began her bid for a record sixth BWF World Championships medal with a dominant 21-7, 21-11 win over Ireland’s Sophia Noble in just 29 minutes in New Delhi on Monday. The ninth-seeded Indian controlled the match from the outset, using her experience, sharp drops, and powerful smashes to keep Noble under pressure. Sindhu will next face Canada’s Wen Yu Zhang, who defeated Bulgaria’s Stefani Stoeva 21-7, 21-19.

BY Photo Webdesk 18 August 2026

The death toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday has risen to at least 68, with more than 100 people injured, authorities said Monday, as the disaster cast a shadow over the country’s Independence Day celebrations

BY Photo Webdesk 18 August 2026

India's Ayush Shetty pulled off a sensational upset at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, stunning top seed and defending champion Shi Yu Qi 21-14, 13-21, 21-19. Fuelled by a partisan home crowd, the 21-year-old played fearless badminton to take the opener before Shi fought back to level the match. The grueling 73-minute encounter largely hinged on a dramatic momentum shift in the decider. Having built a commanding 17-7 and 20-15 lead, Shetty saw his comfortable cushion vanish as the Chinese star mounted a fierce comeback, winning 10 out of 12 points to narrow the gap to 20-19. However, keeping his composure under immense pressure, Shetty capitalized on his fifth match point. He sealed the landmark first-round victory by cleverly using his wrist to leave Yu Qi stranded with an audacious final shot, claiming his maiden win over Shi in four attempts and banishing the ghosts of a crushing defeat in the Badminton Asia Championships final earlier that year.

BY Photo Webdesk 18 August 2026

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday announced the cancellation of the JSSC\-CGL examination, meeting a key demand of protesting students who had alleged irregularities in the recruitment process

BY Photo Webdesk 18 August 2026

India strengthened their grip on the first Test against Sri Lanka on Day 3, taking a 178-run first-innings lead after bowling the hosts out for 284 at Galle. Sri Lanka slumped to 90/5 before Niroshan Dickwella and Sonal Dinusha revived the innings with a crucial 146-run partnership. Dickwella made 80 before Prasidh Krishna ended the stand, while Dinusha followed with a determined maiden Test century off 168 balls. India’s left-arm spinners then cleaned up the lower order, with Manav Suthar claiming 4/76 and Ravindra Jadeja returning 3/57, including his 350th Test wicket. India’s 462 had been built around Devdutt Padikkal’s 167 and KL Rahul’s 82. Rain and strong winds brought an early end to Day 3, leaving India firmly in control.

BY Photo Webdesk 17 August 2026