Lifestyle
Two young men drown in Nanu Oya canal after rescue attempt fails
A 24-year-old visiting relatives from Haputale went under while bathing at Radella. A 23-year-old who entered the water to save him also drowned.
Lifestyle
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Lifestyle
Teenager killed as tractor swerves to avoid tethered cow and flips into Rambawala tank
A 17-year-old died and two others were injured after a tractor left the Rambawala tank bund on the Divulwewa-Weligollawa Road in Anuradhapura.
Lifestyle
Navy searches for missing man after boat capsizes in Kattankudy tank
One body has been recovered and a second person is missing after a boat overturned in a tank in Kattankudy, Batticaloa. A third person was rescued.
Lifestyle
Rain forecast for drought districts, but Met Department warns of a dry early 2027
Heavy rain forecast for drought areas this weekend, but El Niño expected to bring hot, dry conditions in early 2027.
Lifestyle
Drought drops Parakrama Samudraya far enough to expose a submerged royal ruin
Severe drought exposed the Sitha Maligawa ruins at Parakrama Samudraya, now at 66,000 acre-feet, amid fish kills and tank failures across the region.
Lifestyle
Cancer surgery saves Botham, Sri Lanka's only sea lion, at Dehiwala Zoo
Dehiwala Zoo says a first-of-its-kind operation removed a squamous cell carcinoma from its 16-year-old sea lion, sparing her the usual euthanasia.
Lifestyle
Dengue risk has not passed despite low case numbers, control unit warns
Community Physician Dr Prashila Samaraweera says mosquito populations rise before case numbers do, and urged the public to keep checking breeding sites at home.
Lifestyle
Galle Fort's 17th-century Dutch drainage network gets a long-awaited cleanup
The Galle Municipal Council has begun clearing the underground system built to flush itself twice a day using the movement of the tides.
Lifestyle
Animation pioneer Givantha Arthasad dies at 73
Givantha Arthasad, who made Sri Lanka's first animated film 'Dutugemunu' in 1979, has died at 73 while receiving treatment at the Panadura Base Hospital.
Lifestyle
Elephant calf pulled from mud pit in Kantale and reunited with its mother
Wildlife officers freed a one-month-old calf trapped neck-deep in an abandoned eight-foot sand excavation pit at Divulgas Wewa, then returned it to its herd.
Lifestyle
Suspected chemical tank on the roadway disrupts Colombo-bound Katunayake Expressway lane
Police say a tank believed to contain chemicals fell onto the Katunayake Expressway between the New Kelani Bridge and the Peliyagoda Interchange.
Lifestyle
MTV Sri Lanka among five broadcasters given Asiavision Jury Award in Sydney
News 1st was recognised at the ABU's 2026 Asiavision Awards. The broadcasting union lists MTV Sri Lanka as one of five Jury Award recipients.
Lifestyle
Kite strings forced emergency feeder shutdowns on Wednesday, grid operator says
The National System Operator says kites entangled in 220 kV and 132 kV lines destabilised the grid on September 2, cutting supply to some consumers.
Lifestyle
Rekawa marks 30 years of turtle conservation as village honours its own
Rekawa's turtle conservation project marks 30 years, supporting 28 livelihoods and boosting village tourism.
Lifestyle
Warm weather advisory for Friday adds Hambantota to the northern and eastern districts
The heat index is expected to reach the 'Caution' level in the North-Central and Eastern provinces and six districts during daytime on Friday.
Lifestyle
Wild elephant overturns pilgrim bus on Kataragama–Buttala road
A bus carrying pilgrims from Chilaw overturned after a wild elephant pushed it off the road near Kataragama. Injury counts differ sharply between outlets.
Lifestyle
24-hour water cut for Colombo suburbs from Thursday night
NWSDB cut supply from 8pm Thursday and has now extended it to 11.30pm Friday, affecting Dehiwala, Moratuwa, Nugegoda and Colombo 06.
Lifestyle
Ministry warns of legal action over abuse of children linked to scholarship results
Ministry warns that punishing children over exam results is a legal offence, and urges media to stop naming top scorers.
Lifestyle
Trincomalee tanks run dry as villagers ration the last water for wildlife
Four reservoirs emptied in Kantale and Thambalagamuwa. Farmers report 80% crop loss, milk yields down 75%, and compensation beginning.
Lifestyle
Sensor system to warn train drivers of elephants to be piloted at 13 locations
A public-private pilot will put three-beam detection sensors and in-cab alerts at 13 high-risk railway locations from next month.
Lifestyle
2026 Grade 5 Scholarship results released; cut-off mark set at 139
About 56,000 candidates cleared the 139-mark cut-off. Top scores were 193 in the Sinhala medium from Kurunegala and 188 in the Tamil medium from Jaffna.
Lifestyle
Polonnaruwa shuts off the last of its irrigation water as the FAO warns of an exceptional El Niño
Polonnaruwa's irrigation releases from main reservoirs stopped completely this week, as FAO warns of exceptional El Niño.
Lifestyle
Veteran singer and actor Priyankara Perera dies at 64
Priyankara Perera, the cassette-era singer and actor and eldest son of Milton Perera, has died at 64 at the Colombo National Hospital after a period of illness.
Lifestyle
Amber advisory narrows to the south-east: 50-60 kmph gusts off Hambantota to Pottuvil
Amber advisory issued for Hambantota to Pottuvil with 50-60 kmph winds and rough seas expected.