At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Sri Lankan community informed with timely updates. 2025 ඔක්තෝබර් 15 සිට, ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට පැමිණෙන සියලු විදේශීය සංචාරකයින් තම විද්‍යුත් සංචාරක අවසරය (ETA) අත්සන් කිරීමට පෙර අන්තර්ජාලය ඔස්සේ අයදුම් කළ යුතුය. මේ අනුව, ගුවන් තොටුපළේ පැමිණීමේදී විද්‍යුත් සංචාරක අවසරය (ETA) ලබා ගැනීම තවදුරටත් හැකි නොවේ. ලොව පුරා ශ්‍රී ලංකා තානාපති කාර්යාල කිහිපයක් විසින් තහවුරු කරන ලද මෙම නව නීතිය - මේ වන විට ETA ගාස්තු නිවාරණය ලැබූ චීනය, ඉන්දියාව, රුසියාව, ඉන්දුනීසියාව, තායිලන්තය, මැලේසියාව සහ ජපානය වැනි රටවල්ද ඇතුළත් වේ. ETA යනු ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට සංචාරය කරන බොහෝ සංචාරකයින් සඳහා අවශ්‍ය කෙටිකාලීන අන්තර්ජාල වීසා එකකි. අයදුම් කළ යුතු වෙබ් අඩවිය:   eta.gov.lk ගාස්තුව:  ඩොලර් 50 (ද්විත්ව ප්‍රවේශය) වලංගු කාලය:  නිකුත් වූ දිනය සිට මාස 6ක් පැමිණීමේ කාලය:  දින 30ක් (දේශීයව දිගු කළ හැක) ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ETA ගාස්තු නිවාරණ වැඩසටහන ඔස්ට්‍රේලියාව, එක්සත් රාජධානිය, එක්සත් ජනපදය, කැනඩා, ප්‍රංශය සහ UAE ඇතුළු රටවල් 33ක් වෙත පුළුල් කිරීමට සැලසුම් කරයි. එහෙත් මෙම වැඩසටහන තවම ක්‍රියාත්මක කර නැත. සංචාරක ව්‍යාපාරය අඛණ්ඩව ශක්තිමත් ලෙස වර්ධනය වන අතර, 2025 දී දැනටමත් මිලියන 1.7 ක සංචාරකයින් සංඛ්‍යාවක් වාර්තා වී ඇති අතර ඉන්දියාව ප්‍රමුඛතම මූලාශ්‍ර වෙළඳපොළ ලෙස පවතී. වසර අවසන් වන විට වාර්තාගත සංචාරක පැමිණීම් අපේක්ෂා කරන බව නිලධාරීහු පවසති. Stay tuned with Aus News Lanka  – the leading platform for news for Sri Lankans .

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Extreme weather is hitting Australians hard. New research from the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) shows insurers are paying an average of $4.5 billion annually in claims — three times more than 30 years ago. This year alone, three major events caused nearly $2 billion in losses: North Queensland floods: $289 million Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred: $1.43 billion NSW Mid North Coast and Hunter floods: $248 million Rising costs are linked to population growth in flood-prone areas and infrastructure not designed for climate change. Australia now ranks among the highest in the world for economic losses per person due to extreme weather. The report also highlights a worrying social impact: of 242,000 homes at highest flood risk, 186,000 lack insurance. Most are owned by low-to-average income households, leaving the most vulnerable with little protection. ICA CEO Andrew Hall warns that without more investment in resilient infrastructure, Australians will continue to bear a growing financial burden from extreme weather. Stay tuned with Aus News Lanka  – the leading platform for news for Australians .

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This is a developing story brought to you by Aus News Lanka , your trusted source for news for Sri Lankans  in Australia and beyond. විදුලිබල හා බලශක්ති අමාත්‍ය කුමාර ජයකොඩි මහතා ගාල්ල හියාරේ ප්‍රදේශයේ මෙගාවොට් 5 ක සූර්ය බලාගාරයක් විවෘත කිරීම සිදු කළේය. මෙම ව්‍යාපෘතිය සංවර්ධනය කර ඇත්තේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ප්‍රමුඛතම පුනර්ජනනීය බලශක්ති සමාගමක් වන පෑන් ඒෂියන් පවර් පීඑල්සී හි අනුබද්ධිත සමාගමක් වන පීඒපී ඊජීඑස්එස් සූර්ය පුද්ගලික සමාගම විසිනි. උත්සවයේදී කතා කළ අමාත්‍ය ජයකොඩි මහතා පැවසුවේ රට පුරා පුනර්ජනනීය බලශක්ති ව්‍යාපෘති බාධාවකින් තොරව අඛණ්ඩව පවත්වාගෙන යාමට රජය කැපවී සිටින බවයි. බලශක්ති ආරක්ෂාව සහ දිගුකාලීන තිරසාරභාවය සහතික කිරීම සඳහා විදුලිබල අංශය ප්‍රතිව්‍යුහගත කිරීමේ අවශ්‍යතාවය ද ඔහු අවධාරණය කළේය. සමාරම්භක උත්සවයට තිරසාර බලශක්ති අධිකාරියේ අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජනරාල් හර්ෂ වික්‍රමසිංහ, අක්මීමන ප්‍රාදේශීය සභා සභාපති සුගත් ආනන්ද සහ පෑන් ඒෂියන් පවර් පීඑල්සී සභාපති ලක්ෂ්මන් ද සිල්වා ඇතුළු සම්භාවනීය අමුත්තන් කිහිප දෙනෙකු සහභාගී වූහ. Stay tuned with Aus News Lanka  – the leading platform for news for Sri Lankans .

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia has made several substantial changes to its skilled migration / temporary skilled worker visa program, especially changes effective from 1 July 2025, plus some updates later in the year. These changes are part of broader reforms under its Migration Strategy, aiming to align migration with labour market needs, ensure fair wages, and streamline visa pathways. What has changed New Visa: “Skills in Demand” (SID) replaces Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) / Subclass 482 As of 7 December 2024, the TSS visa (Subclass 482) was replaced by the Skills in Demand (SID) visa . The SID visa has multiple streams: Core Skills, Specialist Skills, and Labour Agreements. Reduced Work Experience Requirement For the SID visa, the required work experience has been lowered from two years full-time to one year (or equivalent part-time/casual), as long as it’s been obtained within the previous five years. Income / Salary Threshold Increases From 1 July 2025, several thresholds increased by ~4.6% in line with AWOTE (Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings). Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) & Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT): new figure ~ AUD 76,515 (from AUD 73,150). Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT): new minimum ~ AUD 141,210 (from AUD 135,000). Permanent Migration Program / Planning Levels Remain Steady The overall permanent migration intake for 2025-2026 is confirmed at 185,000 places, the same as the previous year. Within that, allocations for major skilled visa types (employer-sponsored, state-nominated, regional etc.) mostly stay similar. Visa Fee Increases & Other Changes Some visa application fees are increasing from 1 July 2025. Other procedural changes: more flexibility for visa holders in certain streams, adjustments in English language requirements (for some visa subclasses), etc. Northern Territory – DAMA Program Expanded The NT DAMA (Designated Area Migration Agreement) III program opened on 31 March 2025. It has an expanded occupation list, more nomination places, and streamlined processes until 2030. For example, in NT DAMA, nominations for overseas workers under Skills in Demand or Employer Sponsored Regional visas have increased (from 625 to 1,500 per year) and the occupation list has more occupations. English Language Test Adjustments As of 13 September 2025, English test requirements for the SID (Core Skills stream) have been relaxed in some components. PTE (Pearson Test of English) score requirements for Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking have new lower minima. More types of English tests are accepted (e.g. LanguageCert Academic, Michigan English Test (MET), CELPIP) for subclass 482/SID. What remains or what to watch out for Processing delays remain a concern. There are reports that SID/Core stream applications are not being processed as quickly as expected. The government had set targets (e.g., median processing times) but many applications are taking longer. Eligibility points and competition for permanent visas (like Skilled-Independent subclass 189, State-nominated subclass 190, Regional subclass 491) remain tight. Many occupations get minimum points, and invitations are limited. State nomination / regional visa quotas are still being managed, with some states closing nomination pathways temporarily or adjusting their criteria. Applicants should check state-by-state details. Implications for Applicants & Employers For Applicants: Make sure your salary offer meets the new thresholds (CSIT / SSIT / TSMIT), depending on stream. Offers below those new minimums will not qualify. If your work experience is under two years, the rules are more favorable now (down to one year for many streams). Ensure your documentation of part-time / casual / overseas work is strong. Choose the correct English tests, and make sure your scores meet the new (sometimes lower) requirements. Be mindful of state nomination requirements, regional quotas, and plan EOI (Expression of Interest) submissions ahead of invitation rounds. Watch processing times and factor in delays; apply early if possible. For Employers / Sponsors: Salary offers must comply with updated thresholds. If you are sponsoring someone, ensure you meet these benchmark incomes or exceed market salary (whichever is higher). Understand the SID visa’s streams, their requirements, and obligations. The employer role, nomination steps, Skilling Australia Fund (SAF) obligations etc. need compliance. For businesses in regions or under DAMA agreements (like Northern Territory), there may be more opportunities / flexibility. But also more competition. Monitor the changes in visa fees — these affect costs for both the sponsor and the visa applicant. The 2025 skilled migration updates in Australia reflect a tightening in income/salary thresholds, along with efforts to ensure the visa system continues to match labor market needs fairly. Replacing TSS with SID, reducing work-experience requirements, adjusting English test standards, and maintaining planning levels all show Government attempting to balance attracting skilled migrants with protecting local labour standards. If you're planning to apply (or sponsor someone), you’ll want to make sure your profile (salary, skills, work experience, English competency) is aligned with the new rules. The demand remains strong, but so does the competition. Stay tuned with Aus News Lanka  – the leading platform for news for Australians .

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Sri Lanka’s Australian-based swimmer Akalanka Peiris has etched his name in the record books, breaking a national short course record while also achieving one of the highest-ever finishes by a Sri Lankan at the Australian National Short Course Swimming Championship in Melbourne this week. On the opening day, the 25-year-old clocked 55.89 seconds in the 100m Individual Medley, erasing his own Sri Lanka national short course record of 56.49 set in 2022. His performance placed him among the top six swimmers in Australia, an extraordinary achievement given Australia’s status as the world’s No. 2 swimming nation. Akalanka Peiris continued his fine form on the second day, storming to a 24.84-second finish in the 50m Backstroke final, earning a 4th place overall in Australia. Although he narrowly missed his own Sri Lanka short course record of 24.52 seconds, his effort earned 705 FINA points, cementing his position as Sri Lanka’s second-highest ranked swimmer in terms of FINA points. The result carries extra significance, as the 50m Backstroke has been officially added to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic programme, with qualification beginning in 2027. “I am pretty happy because last year I was sixth in Australia, and now I am fourth,” Peiris said after his race. “I am balancing my studies and job here in Australia with the support of my family. My target is to represent Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games next year.” The three-day Australian Nationals also serve as a selection trial for the Australian national squad, making Akalanka Peiris’s performance even more notable. He is scheduled to compete in his final event, the 100m Backstroke, later today (Friday). Akalanka Peiris breakthrough marks the first time a Sri Lankan swimmer has reached such a high rank in Australia, further highlighting his potential on the road to the Olympics. Source: Daily News, The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (Lake House), Colombo 10, Sri Lanka. Stay tuned with Aus News Lanka  – the leading platform for news for Australians .

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Millions of Aussie drivers could be breaking the law with their high beams — and not even realise it. In fact, getting it wrong could cost you up to $1000 in fines. A lot of people think high beams are only allowed on dark country roads, or that you need to flick them off the second you see another car. Others leave them on until just before they pass an oncoming vehicle. Turns out, none of those are quite right. Here’s how the rules actually work. Under the Australian Road Rules, you can use high beams on any road, but there are two key limits: You must dip your lights if you’re within 200 metres of an oncoming car. You must also dip them if you’re within 200 metres of a car ahead of you going in the same direction. On top of that, you can’t use your lights to dazzle other road users. You can give a quick flash of your high beams before overtaking, though. The penalties vary depending on where you’re caught. In the NT, it’s just $50. In Queensland it’s $66, WA $100, and NSW $140. The fines climb higher in the south: $202 in Tasmania, $224 in the ACT, up to $300 in SA, and in Victoria they start at $305 — but can blow out past $1000 if it ends up in court. Everywhere in Australia, you’ll also lose one demerit point. And if you’ve ever flashed your headlights to warn about a police speed trap — be careful. While it’s not technically a specific offence, you could still be fined for illegal high beam use, dazzling another driver, or even charged with hindering police. So next time you’re driving at night, keep that 200-metre rule in mind — it could save you money, points, and a nasty surprise in the mail. Stay tuned with Aus News Lanka  – the leading platform for news for Australians .

This is a developing story brought to you by Aus News Lanka , your trusted source for news for Sri Lankans  in Australia and beyond. සංශෝධිත ආගමන හා විගමන රෙගුලාසි (2023 නොවැම්බර් 27 දිනැති අතිවිශේෂ ගැසට් අංක 2360/24) යටතේ හඳුන්වා දී ඇති තනි පුද්ගල ආයෝජක කාණ්ඩය යටතේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සිය පළමු නේවාසික වීසා බලපත්‍රය නිකුත් කර ඇත. මහජන ආරක්ෂක හා පාර්ලිමේන්තු කටයුතු අමාත්‍ය ගරු ආනන්ද විජේපාල මහතා විසින් ජර්මානු ජාතිකයෙකු වන ආචාර්ය ප්‍රේ ඩ්‍රෙච්සෙල් වෙත මෙම වීසා බලපත්‍රය ප්‍රදානය කරන ලදී. මෙම යෝජනා ක්‍රමය යටතේ, විදේශිකයන්ට ඇමරිකානු ඩොලර් 100,000 ක් හෝ ඇමරිකානු ඩොලර් 200,000 කට හෝ ඊට සමාන විදේශ මුදල් වර්ගයකට ආයෝජනය කිරීමෙන් වසර 5 ක නේවාසික වීසා බලපත්‍රයක් ලබා ගත හැකිය. ආයෝජනය තැන්පත් කිරීම සඳහා අයදුම්කරුවන් බලපත්‍රලාභී ශ්‍රී ලාංකික බැංකුවක වීසා වැඩසටහන් විදේශ මුදල් ගිණුමක් (VPFCA) විවෘත කළ යුතුය. ආයෝජකයින්ට ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ජීවත් වීමට සහ ආයෝජනය කිරීමට විධිමත් මාර්ගයක් ලබා දීමෙන් විදේශ ආයෝජන ආකර්ෂණය කර ගැනීම සඳහා වැඩසටහන සැලසුම් කර ඇත. More updates to come on AusNewsLanka .

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Brisbane is about to bake, with the city tipped to hit its hottest October day in years. Forecasters say the mercury will soar to 35 degrees today — that’s more than nine degrees above the October average. It’ll make Brisbane the warmest capital city in the country, while nearby spots like Ipswich, Gympie and Logan will also roast in the mid-30s. Further north, Rockhampton is on track for a sizzling 39 degrees. If Brisbane does crack 35, it’ll be the city’s hottest October day since 2021. The heat will ease a little tomorrow and Saturday, but temperatures are still expected to sit in the high 20s. Sydney, meanwhile, is also sweating through an unusually hot start to October after its second-hottest September on record. Last month was wild for the city — it had its wettest September day in 146 years, yet overall the month was the second-warmest since records began back in 1858. Weatherzone says Sydney’s average maximum temperature last month was 23.5 degrees, more than three degrees above average, while nights were also warmer than usual. Only September 2013 was hotter overall, with 2023 edging out this year for daytime highs. And the warmth is sticking around. The Harbour City is set to hit 30 degrees on Sunday — just in time for the NRL and NRLW grand finals. With the women’s match kicking off mid-afternoon, players and fans will be battling through some pretty oppressive heat. Conditions should cool down early next week, but temperatures will still hover in the mid to high 20s. According to Weatherzone, the recent burst of heat is being driven by both the broader warming climate and a sudden stratospheric warming event over Antarctica. Stay tuned with Aus News Lanka  – the leading platform for news for Australians .

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Home prices are on the move again — and experts say things could get even hotter as more first-home buyers jump into the market with tiny deposits. According to property research group Cotality, national dwelling values rose 0.8% in September — the strongest monthly lift since October last year. That makes it eight months in a row of gains. Over the September quarter, prices climbed 2.2%, adding about $18,000 to the cost of the average home. The national median value now sits at a hefty $857,280. Darwin was the standout performer, with prices up 1.7% for the month. Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, and Hobart also saw growth, though not as strong. Cotality’s head of research, Eliza Owen, says the pace of growth is really picking up as the spring selling season kicks in. “We were seeing about half a per cent growth earlier this year. Now that increase is ramping up,” she said. PropTrack’s data also backs it up, showing prices rose 0.5% nationally in September. So what’s behind it? A mix of factors: expectations of interest rate cuts in 2025, real wage growth giving people more borrowing power, and not enough homes on the market to meet demand. Add in more confidence among buyers and the government’s expanded First Home Guarantee, and it’s no surprise prices are climbing. More updates to come on AusNewsLanka .