At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australians are feeling more upbeat about the economy, with consumer confidence jumping 12.8% in November to 103.8 points, according to the latest Westpac survey. It’s the first time optimism has outweighed pessimism since February 2022 — ending nearly four years of subdued sentiment. Westpac’s Matthew Hassan said the lift reflects stronger signs of economic recovery, driven by improving consumer demand and housing activity. He noted the rise came despite lingering concerns about inflation and interest rates. The Reserve Bank of Australia kept rates on hold at 3.6% last week, signaling no immediate plans for more cuts after three earlier reductions this year. Households are feeling more secure financially, with the “family finances – next 12 months” index rising 12.3% to 109.1. However, those with mortgages remained slightly less optimistic. Despite the upbeat outlook, job worries increased. The Unemployment Expectations Index climbed 9.3% to 139.5, showing more Australians expect unemployment to rise in the coming year. Meanwhile, a NAB business survey showed business confidence dipped in October, even as sales, profits, and employment continued to improve — a sign the economy is stabilizing but still facing mixed conditions. Credit : Bloomberg 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. මෙම වසරේ අපේක්ෂිත ආදායම ඉදිරි දින තුන ඇතුළත ලබා ගත හැකි බව ශ්‍රී ලංකා රේගුව පවසයි. රේගු අධ්‍යක්ෂ චන්දන් පුංචිහේවා මහතා අවධාරණය කළේ නොවැම්බර් 6 වන දින රට ඉතිහාසයේ ඉහළම එක්දින ආදායම වාර්තා කළ බවත් එය රුපියල් බිලියන 27.7 ක් බවත්ය. මීට පෙර, ඉහළම එක්දින ආදායම 2025 ඔක්තෝබර් 15 වන දින රුපියල් බිලියන 24.4 ක් වූ බව ඔහු සඳහන් කළේය. “රේගු එකතු කිරීමේ ඉතිහාසයේ, එක්දිනක ඉහළම ආදායම 2025 ඔක්තෝබර් 15 වන දින වාර්තා වූ අතර, එහිදී අපි රුපියල් බිලියන 24 කට වඩා රැස් කළෙමු. නොවැම්බර් 6 වන දින, අපි එය රුපියල් බිලියන 27.7 කින් ඉක්මවා ගිය අතර, එය දැන් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ බදු එකතු කිරීමේ ඉතිහාසයේ ඉහළම තනිදින ආදායමයි,” පුංචිහේවා පැවසීය. වාර්ෂික බදු ඉලක්කය රුපියල් ට්‍රිලියන 2.115 ක් බවත්, ඊයේ වන විට මුළු එකතු කිරීම් රුපියල් බිලියන 2,066.7 ක් දක්වා ළඟා වී ඇති බවත් ඔහු පැවසීය. "ලබන බදාදා වන විට, අපගේ වාර්ෂික ආදායම් ඉලක්කය සපුරා ගැනීමට අපි අපේක්ෂා කරන අතර, ඉන් ඔබ්බට, අපට එය ඉක්මවා යා හැකිය," ඔහු පැවසීය. Credit : Newswire More updates to come on AusNewsLanka .

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. In a world-first move, Australia will ban anyone under 16 from creating accounts on major social media platforms starting December 10, 2025. The new Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 makes it illegal for platforms to allow children under 16 to sign up — even with parental consent. Platforms included in the ban are: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (Twitter), YouTube, Threads, Reddit, and Kick. Children will still be able to view content on some sites like YouTube and Reddit, but cannot post or comment without an account. Excluded from the ban are apps like Messenger, WhatsApp, Discord, Twitch, Roblox, Steam, Google Classroom, GitHub, LEGO Play, and YouTube Kids. The government says the move aims to protect young Australians from online harm, not punish them. “These laws will make a meaningful difference,” said Communications Minister Anika Wells. Platforms must take “reasonable steps” to remove or deactivate underage accounts and prove their compliance to the eSafety Commissioner, or face fines of up to $49.5 million. Authorities have instructed companies to inform users before December 10 using clear and empathetic language and outline an appeals process for those affected. Children or parents won’t face penalties — the focus remains on holding platforms accountable for enforcing the rules. Australia’s new laws mark a major shift in online safety, setting a global precedent for regulating how young people use social media. Credit : 9News 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. ලංකා විදුලිබල මණ්ඩලය (CEB) රට පුරා ජනනය වන අතිරික්ත සූර්ය ශක්තිය උපයෝගී කර ගනිමින්, දිරි දීමනා ගාස්තුවක් සමඟ වේගවත් ආරෝපණ පහසුකම් ලබා දෙන විදුලි වාහන (EV) ආරෝපණ මධ්‍යස්ථාන ස්ථාපනය කිරීම සඳහා නව ව්‍යාපෘතියක් හඳුන්වා දීමට සූදානම් වන බව CEB නියෝජ්‍ය සාමාන්‍යාධිකාරී (ව්‍යාපාර සහ මෙහෙයුම් උපායමාර්ග) නොයෙල් ප්‍රියන්ත මහතා පැවසීය. මාධ්‍ය වෙත අදහස් දක්වමින් ප්‍රියන්ත මහතා පැහැදිලි කළේ, රට පුරා ස්ථාපනය කර ඇති සූර්ය පද්ධති අමතර ශක්තියක් නිපදවන බවත්, එය දැන් ප්‍රවාහන අංශයට හරවා යවනු ලබන බවත්ය. “රජය මෙම සේවාව මාස දෙකක් ඇතුළත ක්‍රියාත්මක කරන ලෙස විදුලිබල මණ්ඩලයට උපදෙස් දී ඇති අතර, අදාළ ගාස්තු ක්‍රමය දැනට අවසන් කරමින් පවතී,” ඔහු පැවසීය. EV ඉල්ලුම කළමනාකරණය කිරීමේ අභියෝගය ප්‍රියන්ත මහතා ඉස්මතු කළේය: “අරමුදල් හෝ නිසි යෝජනා ක්‍රම නොමැතිව වුවද හරිත සංකල්ප අනුගමනය කිරීමේදී, විදුලි වාහන මිලදී ගැනීමේදී පාරිභෝගිකයින් CEB ට වඩා ඉදිරියෙන් සිටී. විශාල EV සංඛ්‍යාවක් ආනයනය කිරීම ජාතික විදුලිබල පද්ධතියට විශාල පීඩනයක් ඇති කළ හැකිය, විශේෂයෙන් බොහෝ වාහන දැනට බලශක්ති සැපයුම සීමිත වන විට රාත්‍රියේදී ආරෝපණය වන බැවින්.” මෙම මුලපිරීම විදුලි වාහන භාවිතය වර්ධනය වන විට ජාලක ස්ථායිතාව කළමනාකරණය කරන අතරම, ප්‍රවාහන අංශයට පුනර්ජනනීය බලශක්තිය ඒකාබද්ධ කිරීමට රජය දරන උත්සාහයේ කොටසකි. Credit : Daily Mirror 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. Millions of Australians along the east coast are preparing for heavy rain, strong winds, and thunderstorms this weekend. The Bureau of Meteorology warns that a developing cold front will bring unsettled weather across much of southeastern Australia from Friday through Saturday. Forecaster Jonathon Howe said thunderstorms could hit areas from southern Victoria and South Australia up to northern NSW, with damaging winds expected in parts of northern Victoria and northwestern NSW. Major cities including Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, and Brisbane may all experience storm activity, with the worst conditions likely on Saturday. Severe storms could bring heavy rain, hail, and strong gusts from Wollongong to Newcastle, stretching inland into Queensland. Sydney can expect a hot Saturday (31°C) followed by a cooler Sunday (19°C), while Melbourne will see a sharp temperature drop and rain. Brisbane will remain warm and humid with scattered storms, and Canberra could see morning thunderstorms before cooling down. The weather is expected to ease by Sunday, though some light storms may linger over northeast NSW and eastern Queensland. The warning follows Monday’s flash storms in Sydney, which caused flooding, fallen trees, and more than 400 emergency calls. Weekend Outlook Snapshot: Sydney: Hot, storms Saturday; cooler Sunday Melbourne: Rain and wind, then showers easing Brisbane: Warm, storms possible Canberra: Morning storms, cooler change Hobart & Perth: Mostly sunny Darwin: Hot and partly sunny Residents are urged to stay updated on local forecasts and take precautions as the weather system moves through. Credits : www.news.com.au More updates to come on AusNewsLanka .

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. The Victorian Government is tightening its underquoting laws to prevent real estate agents from misleading homebuyers with unrealistic price guides. From today, CAV can compel agents to justify the comparable sales they use to set property prices - including key attributes such as a home's age, design, renovation level, size, zoning and location. Agents that fail to maintain appropriate records or contravene these new rules will face significant fines. The crackdown follows the thousands of complaints and investigations done by the state's underquoting task force, which has monitored over 2800 sales, issued 293 warnings, and fined agents $2.3 million since the laws began. Consumer Affairs Minister Nick Staikos says the reforms are about making buying a home fairer and more transparent. “Purchasing a home is already stressful - Victorians shouldn't have to deal with misleading price estimates," he said. CAV Director Nicole Rich also promised the changes will aid honest agents and protect buyers: “We’ll continue to monitor campaigns closely — and won’t hesitate to act when we find wrongdoing.” Industry bodies and experts have welcomed the move. The Real Estate Institute of Victoria said more transparency benefits everyone, while buyer's advocates noted that the reforms will help reduce — though not completely eliminate — underquoting, particularly in Melbourne's auction-heavy market. The new rules mark another major step toward restoring trust and fairness in Victoria’s property market. Credit : Herald Sun More updates to come on AusNewsLanka .

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia is set to roll out its landmark social media ban for children under 16 from December 10, marking a world-first step in online safety. Under the new rules, nine major platforms — including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, and Kick — will be classed as “age-restricted platforms.” They must take reasonable steps to block underage users or face fines of up to $49.5 million. Other platforms, such as Messenger, WhatsApp, YouTube Kids, Discord, GitHub, LEGO Play, Roblox, Steam, and Google Classroom, will remain exempt as they fall under categories like messaging, gaming, or education. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the list isn’t fixed and could expand over time. Platforms like Yubo and Bluesky are being closely monitored in case young users flock there to bypass restrictions. Grant stressed that while the law is a major step forward, no platform is completely safe — urging parents to stay actively involved in their children’s online lives. The new law aims to protect young Australians from online harm while setting a global precedent for digital accountability. Credit : ABC News 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. Australian education continues to be a cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s development, helping shape the skilled workforce needed for its future economy. Speaking in Colombo at the 10th Anniversary of the Monash College–UCL partnership, Australian High Commissioner Matthew Duckworth highlighted education as one of the strongest and most trusted links between the two nations. Each year, around 20,000 Sri Lankan students study in Australia, gaining world-class qualifications. Thousands more pursue Australian university programs locally through Transnational Education (TNE) partnerships like Monash–UCL — combining global exposure with local opportunity. Since its launch in 2015, the Monash–UCL partnership has seen over 800 students transfer to Monash campuses in Australia and Malaysia, with more than 2,500 Sri Lankans graduating from Monash overall. Many now contribute to key sectors such as business, health, technology, and education in Sri Lanka. High Commissioner Duckworth praised the outstanding academic standards at UCL, noting that its students “often outperform their peers in Australia.” Over 400 students have received Monash Global Awards of Excellence, underscoring the program’s success. Monash College CEO Fabian Marrone described the partnership as a “blueprint for sustainable skills development in the Indo-Pacific,” while UCL Director Steven Enderby urged graduates to use their global knowledge to drive Sri Lanka’s next phase of growth. Duckworth concluded that as Sri Lanka rebuilds, it will need globally minded leaders to guide its transformation — reaffirming Australia’s commitment to helping develop graduates who are globally capable and locally impactful. More updates to come on AusNewsLanka .

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. A new ARC Research Hub for Protected Cropping has been launched to make Australian farming more sustainable, productive, and climate-resilient. Backed by the Australian Research Council (ARC), the Hub brings together top researchers, growers, and industry leaders to transform the way food is produced. Protected cropping systems—which let farmers grow fresh, high-quality produce year-round while using fewer resources and protecting crops from pests and extreme weather—currently make up only 17% of Australia’s horticulture. The new Hub aims to change that. By uniting science and industry, the Hub will help farmers boost yields, develop premium food and plant-based medicines, and embed sustainability across every level of production. ARC Executive Director Professor Alastair McEwan said the initiative is about more than just improving crops — it’s about building Australia’s resilience. “The solutions developed here will help secure our food future, protect the environment, and deliver benefits to all Australians,” he said. The Hub’s work is expected to create jobs, strengthen regional economies, and support food security as Australia adapts to a changing climate. 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. Australians are becoming more worried about rising prices, with new data showing inflation expectations climbing to 5.2%, up 0.4 percentage points from the previous survey. According to the ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Index, confidence remains weak at 84.5 points, well below the long-term average of 109.3. Rising inflation and unemployment, now at a four-year high of 4.5%, are weighing heavily on households. Fewer people think it’s a good time to make major purchases, with that measure falling to 85.6 points. ANZ economist Sophia Angala said the latest data likely reflects concerns after inflation failed to ease last quarter. Renters, she added, now report the lowest confidence levels of all housing groups. Inflation data showed prices rose 1.3% in the September quarter, the biggest jump since March 2023. The annual rate now stands at 3.2%, above both market and RBA expectations. Economists warn the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) faces a tough challenge. High inflation expectations may push workers to demand higher wages or spend faster before prices climb further — trends that can make inflation even harder to control. Warren Hogan, chief economic adviser at EQ Economics and Judo Bank, said keeping interest rates steady would be the best outcome for mortgage holders, but a rate cut is unlikely as inflation remains above target. 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. මේ වසරේ මේ දක්වා ශ්‍රී ලංකාව වාහන 220,000 කට වඩා ආනයනය කර ඇති අතර එමඟින් රුපියල් බිලියන 587.11 ක රේගු ආදායමක් උපයා ඇති බවත්, එය 2025 දී ආනයන වලින් රාජ්‍ය ආදායමට විශාලතම දායකත්වයක් සපයන බවත් නිලධාරීන් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ මාර්ග සහ විධි පිළිබඳ කාරක සභාවට පැවසූහ. පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී විජේසිරි බස්නායක මහතාගේ සභාපතිත්වයෙන් යුත් කමිටුවට ඉදිරිපත් කරන ලද දත්ත වලට අනුව, ඔක්තෝබර් 14 වන විට මෝටර් රථ 55,447 ක්, භාණ්ඩ ප්‍රවාහන වාහන 7,331 ක්, යතුරුපැදි 142,524 ක්, ත්‍රිරෝද රථ 15,035 ක් සහ මගී බස් රථ සහ වෑන් රථ 1,679 ක් රේගුව හරහා නිෂ්කාශනය කර ඇත. නිලධාරීන් පැවසුවේ වාහන ආනයනයෙන් ලැබෙන ආදායම මෙම වසරේ මුළු රේගු ඉපැයීම්වලින් 37% ක් වන අතර එමඟින් දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවට වාර්ෂික ආදායම් ඉලක්කය නියමිත කාලයට වඩා බොහෝ කලකට පෙර ඉක්මවා යාමට උපකාරී වූ බවයි. සැප්තැම්බර් 30 වන විට රේගුව රුපියල් බිලියන 1,737 ක් රැස් කර ඇති අතර එය අපේක්ෂිත ඉලක්කය වන රුපියල් බිලියන 1,485 න් 117% ක් ලබාගෙන ඇති බවයි. රාජසන්තක කරන ලද භාණ්ඩ වෙන්දේසි කිරීම සඳහා ඩිජිටල් ඊ-ටෙන්ඩර් ක්‍රමයක් ඉක්මනින් හඳුන්වා දෙන බව කමිටුවට දන්වන ලද අතර, එය රේගු මෙහෙයුම්වල විනිවිදභාවය සහ කාර්යක්ෂමතාව වැඩි දියුණු කිරීම සඳහා අපේක්ෂා කෙරේ. More updates to come on AusNewsLanka .

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australian households in New South Wales, South-East Queensland, and South Australia will soon enjoy three hours of free solar power every day, even if they don’t have rooftop panels. The federal government’s new “Solar Sharer” scheme will launch in July 2026, allowing homes with smart meters to run appliances, charge electric vehicles, and power up batteries at zero cost during daylight hours. Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the plan will ensure “every last ray of sunshine powers our homes,” reducing waste from excess solar energy produced each day. Australia already has over 4 million solar systems, and much of that energy goes unused in the middle of the day. The new program aims to shift electricity use away from evening peaks, helping lower prices and ease pressure on the grid. Bowen said the initiative proves that “what’s good for the planet is good for your pocket.” Renters and homeowners alike will benefit, and the more people who take part, the greater the savings for everyone. The Australian Energy Regulator will oversee the scheme to make sure households still get fair prices outside the free solar hours. The government also plans to expand the offer nationwide by 2027. While solar advocates welcomed the move as a “win for households and the environment,” the Australian Energy Council raised concerns about the lack of industry consultation, warning it could affect confidence and innovation in the energy market. Still, the Smart Energy Council called the plan a bright step forward. “The sun doesn’t send you a bill,” said its chief advocacy officer David McElrea, “and this program helps make that a reality for more Australians.” Stay tuned with Aus News Lanka  – the leading platform for news for Australians .