At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Thinking about hiring a car on your next overseas holiday? You might want to check if your Aussie driver’s licence is actually recognised where you’re headed. A new global study has revealed that Australian licences don’t stack up too well compared to other countries – in fact, they’re among the lowest ranked in the world. The research, by Compare the Market, looked at 19 countries and scored them based on three things: how much it costs to learn to drive, how long a licence lasts, and how widely it’s recognised overseas. And the winner? Finland. The Nordic nation came out on top with an almost perfect score of 98.08. Finnish licences last 15 years, are recognised in 141 countries, and it only costs around $406 on average to learn to drive there. Belgium snagged second place with recognition in 106 countries, 10 years of validity, and a much cheaper average cost. France rounded out the top three, followed by Cyprus and Spain. The rest of the top 10 included Italy, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland and Greece. Australia, on the other hand, didn’t do so well. We landed in 13th spot with a score of just 37.95. The big downsides? Our licences only last five years and are recognised in just 24 countries. On the plus side, they’re relatively affordable to obtain at about $770. A spokesperson for Compare the Market said the results show why convenience and recognition matter. “With only five years’ validity, Australians face more renewals and fees across a lifetime. And the limited recognition can cause real headaches when travelling overseas,” they explained. For many Aussies, that can mean being turned away at the rental car desk in places like Greece, Italy or Japan, or even facing fines if stopped by police. The advice? If you’re travelling overseas, it’s best to apply for an international driving permit through the Australian Automobile Association, or state-based groups like Service NSW or RACV. Just keep in mind some countries, like China, don’t recognise foreign or international permits at all. Interestingly, Australia isn’t alone near the bottom of the rankings. The US and Canada also scored poorly, thanks to their licences being recognised in very few countries. And right at the bottom was Japan – with high costs, limited recognition, and short validity dragging its score to just 24.73. More updates to come on AusNewsLanka .

This is a developing story brought to you by Aus News Lanka , your trusted source for news for Sri Lankans  in Australia and beyond. ජාතික අධ්‍යාපන විෂය මාලාවට "නීතිය" විෂයයක් ලෙස හඳුන්වා දෙන ලෙස ශ්‍රී ලංකා නීතිඥ සංගමය (BASL) රජයෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටී. අධ්‍යාපන අමාත්‍ය ගරු හරිනි අමරසූරිය මහතා වෙත ලිපියක් යවමින්, ප්‍රාථමික අධ්‍යාපනයේ අනිවාර්ය අංගයක් ලෙස සහ අ.පො.ස. උසස් පෙළ විභාගයේදී තේරීම් විෂයයක් ලෙස නීතිය හෝ ඒ හා සමාන විෂයයක් ඇතුළත් කිරීමේ අවශ්‍යතාවයක් සහ සාධාරණීකරණයක් ඇති බව ශ්‍රී ලංකා නීතිඥ සංගමය (BASL) පැවසීය. සිවිල් දැනුවත්භාවය සහ ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදී සහභාගීත්වය සඳහා ප්‍රධාන පදනමක් ලෙස එය පිළිගනිමින් බොහෝ රටවල් දැනටමත් තම පාසල් පද්ධතිවලට නීතිය හඳුන්වා දී ඇති බව ශ්‍රී ලංකා නීතිඥ සංගමය (BASL) සඳහන් කළේය. අධ්‍යයන දැඩි බව සහ සංස්කෘතික අදාළත්වය සහතික කිරීම සඳහා විෂයමාලා සැලසුම් කිරීම සහ සමාලෝචනය කිරීම සඳහා අධ්‍යාපන අමාත්‍යාංශයට සහාය වීමට සංගමය සිය සූදානම ප්‍රකාශ කළේය. 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. It’s been another soggy week in New South Wales, with Sydney drenched almost daily this August. In fact, the city copped 79.9mm of rain in just 24 hours to 9am Thursday – more than the entire monthly average in a single day. So, what’s going on? The main culprit is a stubborn high-pressure system sitting over the Tasman Sea. Normally, at this time of year, it would sit further north. But right now, it’s parked unusually far south. Because air circulates anti-clockwise around high-pressure systems, it’s been driving a steady stream of moist air in from the ocean. That moisture then collides with a persistent coastal trough, producing heavy showers and rain day after day. But there’s another big factor making all of this worse: the ocean itself. Sea surface temperatures off the NSW coast are running much warmer than average. In fact, readings show a big patch of unusually warm water southeast of Sydney – and this warmth has been hanging around all winter, recently intensifying. These sea surface temperatures are in the top 10% of historical records, which means the atmosphere is being fed more moisture than usual. More moisture equals heavier, more frequent rain. So, while the high-pressure system sets up the perfect weather pattern for rain, those warmer-than-normal seas are supercharging it. 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 Sri Lanka is getting ready to welcome some very special guests from Australia — not just tourists, but some of the country’s most popular social media stars. The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) has put together an exciting influencer familiarization tour to position the island as a must-visit long-haul destination for Australians. From 20 to 31 August 2025, four well-known digital creators will travel across Sri Lanka, experiencing the very best the island has to offer — and sharing it all with their millions of followers around the world. Their journey is carefully designed to showcase every side of Sri Lanka. They’ll climb up to Sigiriya, explore the Dambulla Cave Temple, and visit the sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic. They’ll also hop on the iconic Ella train ride, go on safari at Yala National Park, soak up the sun at Pasikuda Beach, explore the historic Galle Fort, and check out modern highlights like Port City Colombo and the Lotus Tower. It’s the perfect blend of heritage, wildlife, beach escapes, and vibrant city life. Here’s who’s coming along: Sheridyn Fisher – a lifestyle and wellness creator with nearly 500k Instagram followers and a huge 3.4 million on Facebook, known for elegant travel storytelling and mindful living. Ashley Parker – a TikTok sensation with 2.5 million followers who brings a fun, adventure-filled vibe to her content. Cerys Lily – once a nurse, now a full-time traveler, admired by her 215k TikTok followers for honest and relatable stories. Ella DelNore – a rising digital nomad voice with almost 200k TikTok followers, focused on wellness, remote work, and eco-friendly travel. Together, their posts, reels, vlogs, and stories are expected to reach a global audience of over 200 million people. That’s massive visibility for Sri Lanka — and exactly what SLTPB is aiming for. Tourism officials say this is more than just a marketing push — it’s about reaching younger, experience-driven travelers who want authentic, diverse, and sustainable experiences. By turning these influencers into “digital ambassadors,” Sri Lanka hopes to showcase the island in the most genuine and inspiring way possible. With Australia quickly becoming one of Sri Lanka’s most important tourism markets, the timing is perfect. As the southern summer approaches, this campaign could help drive a surge in arrivals. More importantly, it reflects a new chapter for SLTPB — one where storytelling, digital engagement, and authentic experiences take center stage in promoting the island globally. Sri Lanka is ready to shine on millions of screens, and these Aussie influencers are going to make sure the world is watching. 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. Commonwealth Bank has backtracked on its plan to cut 45 call centre jobs to make way for an AI chatbot. Just last month, the bank – which reported a massive $10.25 billion annual profit – announced dozens of roles would be axed, saying the technology would make customer service “easier and faster.” But after pushback from the Finance Sector Union (FSU) and a dispute heard by the Fair Work Commission, CBA has now reversed course. Staff who were facing the chop will instead be given the option to stay in their roles, look for another position within the bank, or take voluntary redundancy. The union says the damage has already been done, with workers left hanging for weeks about their future. “This is a massive win for workers, proving what can be achieved when members stand together – but let’s be clear, this is no victory lap,” FSU national secretary Julia Angrisano said. “CBA has been caught out trying to dress up job cuts as innovation. Using AI as a cover for slashing secure jobs is a cynical cost-cutting exercise, and workers know it.” The bank admitted its initial decision was an “error,” saying it didn’t fully consider all the relevant business factors. “We have apologised to the employees concerned and acknowledge we should have been more thorough,” a CBA spokesperson said. “We’re now supporting affected employees and reviewing our internal processes.” CBA stressed that none of the roles were being sent offshore, despite broader union concerns about hundreds of other jobs allegedly moving overseas. For context, the 45 jobs in question are just a fraction of CBA’s 38,000-strong workforce. Still, the reversal comes after the bank already slashed 164 jobs from its tech division earlier this year. More updates to come on AusNewsLanka .

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Your personal details might already be floating around the dark web, and you’d have no way of knowing — or stopping it. Cybersecurity experts are warning Australians that with the surge in cyberattacks this year, sensitive information like phone numbers, email addresses, driver’s licences, passport details, and even home addresses could be up for sale to the highest bidder. Major companies like Qantas, iiNet, Genea, Funlab, several superannuation funds, and Western Sydney University have all suffered data breaches in 2024 alone. And once your data is stolen, it’s out of your hands. “Once it’s on the dark web, it rarely stays with just one cybercriminal,” said Tyler McGee, Head of APAC at antivirus giant McAfee. “It changes hands multiple times — one person might use it for identity theft, another for phishing scams. Victims can end up being targeted again and again.” The value of stolen data varies. According to cybersecurity firm Enovise Group, credit card details can sell for as little as $7. But medical records are where the real money is. A full medical profile can fetch between $380 and $1500, since criminals can use it for insurance fraud, prescription scams, or even creating false medical identities. We’ve already seen this play out — in 2022, Medibank Private suffered a massive breach that exposed a treasure trove of sensitive health data. And it’s not just about selling data. Hackers also use it to extort companies directly. Cybercriminals extorted a record $1.7 billion globally in 2023. As cybersecurity strategist Tony Jarvis explained, “Attackers often go back to the company they’ve hit and demand ransom — pay up, or your files get encrypted, your data gets leaked, and your reputation takes a hit.” The dark web is where much of this stolen data eventually lands. “It’s basically a black market where people quietly buy and sell data,” Jarvis said. “It’s cloak and dagger, not an open marketplace.” Australian law enforcement is trying to fight back. The Australian Federal Police said shutting down these underground markets is a top priority: “Combating cybercrime is a key part of our efforts to protect Australians. We work to disrupt anonymous cybercriminals who are using the dark web to evade detection.” In response, the federal government passed the Cyber Security Act 2024, which introduced mandatory reporting of ransomware attacks and payments, and created a Cyber Incident Review Board to strengthen national defences. Still, experts warn that people can’t afford to be passive. “If your details have been leaked, act fast,” Jarvis said. “Don’t just wait for an email notification. Change your passwords immediately — especially if you’ve reused them across accounts.” McGee added that while data can’t be scrubbed from the dark web, Australians can reduce their risks: “Review your credit statements, change your account passwords, and be extra cautious with suspicious emails.” Despite new laws and stronger security, both McGee and Jarvis expect ransomware and cyberattacks to keep rising. The weakest link? Human error. “The number one cause of breaches is still employees falling for convincing phishing emails or social engineering attacks,” McGee said. “Other weak points include unpatched systems, outdated apps, and suppliers with weaker defences.” your data might already be out there — and while you can’t get it back, you can take steps now to make sure criminals can’t use it against you. Stay tuned with Aus News Lanka  – the leading platform for news for Australians .

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At AusRi Lawyers, we are a team of experienced South-East Melbourne lawyers and one of the leading Sri Lankan legal service providers in Melbourne. We pride ourselves on being approachable, transparent, and client-focused. We understand that legal matters can be complex and stressful — that’s why we use plain language, offer fixed fees, and ensure you feel supported every step of the way. Why Choose Us? ✅ Experienced & approachable lawyers ✅ Clear communication without legal jargon ✅ Fixed-fee structure for transparency ✅ Trusted by Melbourne’s Sri Lankan community Areas of Practice Family Law Property & Conveyancing Wills & Estate Planning Business & Commercial Law Migration & Visa Law Contact Us 📍 Address: 475 Blackburn Road, Mount Waverley, VIC 3149 📞 Phone: 0423 428 022 📧 Email: dishni@ausrilawyers.com 🌐 Web: www.ausrilawyers.com

කාම්බෝජයේ සේවකයින් නැවත පැමිණීමෙන් පසු ඇති වූ ශ්‍රම හිඟය සමනය කිරීම සඳහා තායිලන්තය ශ්‍රී ලාංකික සේවකයින් 10,000 ක් බඳවා ගැනීමට අනුමැතිය ලබා දී ඇති බව තායිලන්තයේ ජ්‍යෙෂ්ඨ නිලධාරියෙක් අඟහරුවාදා නිවේදනය කළේය. ජාත්‍යන්තර කම්කරු සංවිධානයේ දත්ත වලට අනුව, වයස්ගත වන ජනගහනයක් සහ අඩුවන ගෘහස්ථ ශ්‍රම බලකායකට මුහුණ දී සිටින තායිලන්තය, කෘෂිකර්මාන්තය, ඉදිකිරීම් සහ නිෂ්පාදන ක්ෂේත්‍රයන්හි ලියාපදිංචි විදේශීය සේවකයින් මිලියන තුනකට අධික සංඛ්‍යාවක් මත දැනටමත් රඳා පවතී. තායිලන්ත කම්කරු අමාත්‍ය පොන්කාවින් ජුන්ග්රුන්ග්රුආන්කිට් පැවසුවේ ශ්‍රී ලාංකික සේවකයින් 30,000 කට වැඩි පිරිසක් දැනටමත් ලියාපදිංචි වී ඇති බවත්, ආරම්භක අදියරේදී 10,000 ක් යොදවා ඇති බවත්ය. නව ප්‍රතිපත්තිය යටතේ නේපාලය, බංග්ලාදේශය, ඉන්දුනීසියාව සහ පිලිපීනය යන රටවල සේවකයින්ට ද අවස්ථා ලබා දෙන බව ඔහු පැවසීය. පසුගිය මාසයේ තායිලන්තය සහ කාම්බෝජය අතර මාරාන්තික දේශසීමා ගැටුමකින් අවම වශයෙන් පුද්ගලයින් 43 දෙනෙකු මිය ගොස් 300,000 කට වැඩි පිරිසක් අවතැන් වීමෙන් පසුව මෙම පියවර ගෙන තිබේ. එතැන් සිට දෙරට බිඳෙන සුළු සටන් විරාමයකට එකඟ වී ඇත, නමුත් කාම්බෝජයේ සේවකයින් දහස් ගණනක් ආපසු සිය රට බලා යාමත් සමඟ අර්බුදය තායිලන්තයේ ශ්‍රම පරතරය තවත් උග්‍ර කර තිබේ. 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. Australians are just weeks away from getting a massive internet speed boost — but there’s a catch. If you don’t have the right connection or equipment at home, you might miss out. NBN Co announced earlier this year that it would be rolling out a major speed upgrade from mid-September. And it’s big — some households could see download speeds jump by up to 500 per cent. Right now, Australia’s not exactly leading the world in internet. In fact, Speedtest’s global rankings put us at 75th in June — behind countries like Egypt, Slovakia, and Argentina, and only just above Ukraine. This upgrade is designed to change that. Here’s how it works: The faster speeds will only be available to homes with fibre to the premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connections. If you’re on satellite, fixed wireless, fibre to the node (FTTN), or fibre to the curb (FTTC), sadly, you won’t qualify. You’ll also need to be on a plan of at least 100Mbps (NBN’s “Home Fast” plan). Most Aussies are currently on 50Mbps plans, so an upgrade will be needed to take advantage. What will change? Home Fast: jumps from 100Mbps to 500Mbps. Home Superfast: 250Mbps to 750Mbps. Home Ultrafast: upload speeds double from 50Mbps to 100Mbps. Plus, a brand-new Home Hyperfast plan with 2000Mbps downloads will launch. The good news? The upgrades should come at no extra cost — as long as you’ve got the right set-up. Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, TPG and iiNet have all confirmed they’ll pass the speed increases straight to eligible customers. But here’s the kicker: your biggest bottleneck might be your modem or Wi-Fi setup. Many households are still using older routers or basic Wi-Fi extenders that won’t be able to handle the faster speeds. So, before the upgrade kicks in, it’s worth checking: What type of NBN connection you have. Whether your plan is eligible. If your modem and Wi-Fi can keep up. As Telstra put it: “It’s a good idea to check your setup before they hit the accelerator.” With the average Aussie home now having around 25 connected devices — from phones and laptops to TVs and smart speakers — faster, more reliable internet couldn’t come at a better time. Stay tuned with Aus News Lanka  – the leading platform for news for Australians .

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