At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia will expand efforts to deal with visa overstayers, but Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says the changes will not lead to US-style immigration raids. The government plans to establish a 100-person Border Force team to locate and manage people who remain in Australia without valid visas. Around 77,000 visa overstayers are currently estimated to be in Australia. The government will

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Eastern Australia is facing a growing bushfire risk as a strengthening El Nino pattern combines with an unusually dry winter. Weather forecasters are warning that the coming weeks could bring challenging conditions, particularly across parts of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Rainfall was well below average across many areas during winter. El Nino has weakened the trade winds that

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Two of Australia’s major banks have increased fixed mortgage rates just days before the Reserve Bank’s next interest-rate decision. ANZ and NAB raised their fixed home loan rates by 0.20 percentage points on Thursday, taking their lowest advertised fixed rate to 6.49 per cent. The moves follow ING, which lifted fixed rates for both owner-occupier and investor loans by the same amount a day

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia is set to tighten several migration rules, including changes affecting backpackers, international students and people who remain in the country after their visas expire. Under changes to the Working Holiday Maker Program, applicants seeking second- and third-year visas will face a ballot system. They will also be required to complete work in regional areas. The government will als

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia’s new home market is showing signs of a sharp slowdown, with sales falling 10 per cent in August and almost 20 per cent over the past three months. Housing Industry Association (HIA) data shows new home sales have declined for four consecutive months. Sales were also lower than a year earlier, highlighting growing pressure on the construction sector. HIA chief economist Tim Reardo

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia could face significant economic risks if the global rules governing trade continue to weaken, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has warned. In its latest annual report, the WTO said the international trading system is at a critical point as countries increasingly move away from the framework that has supported global trade for decades. WTO chief economist Robert Staiger said Aust

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia’s largest bank has warned that global oil prices could surge to US$150 a barrel if disruptions to Middle Eastern supplies worsen. Commonwealth Bank economists said Brent crude could reach that level in the coming weeks as concerns grow over potential shortages. The warning follows Saudi Arabia’s decision to keep a major oil pipeline closed for several weeks after attacks by Houthi

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Millions of people across Victoria, NSW, the ACT and Tasmania are set for a sudden return to wintry conditions from Tuesday. A cold front will replace the recent spring warmth with much lower temperatures, strong winds and snow in elevated areas. Tasmania and Victoria will feel the change first. Hobart is forecast to reach only 13°C, while Melbourne is expected to peak at around 14°C. The B

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Competition among Australia’s major banks is intensifying as lenders cut home loan rates to attract customers, despite growing expectations that the Reserve Bank could raise interest rates again. Commonwealth Bank reduced rates across several mortgage products in late June. ANZ and Westpac followed, while Macquarie Bank also cut rates in July. Mortgage broker Julian Choo said dozens of lend