Since Rex shut down its jet services, flying in Australia has become both pricier and more crowded. According to a new report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), airfare prices have jumped across the board. For example, a one-way ticket from Adelaide to Melbourne has shot up by 95%, now costing around $296. Flying from Melbourne to the Gold Coast will set you back 70% more, at $432, and Canberra to Melbourne fares are up by 54% to $298. All of this is happening despite fuel costs dropping by 41% over the past year. Anna Brakey from the ACCC explained that the fare hike reflects less competition among airlines after Rex pulled out from nearly half of its routes between major cities. Now, Qantas Group (which includes Jetstar) and Virgin Australia dominate the domestic market with a massive 98% market share. Qantas tried to bring some excitement with a “Surprise Sale” on a million seats across the country, but their “special” fares aren’t quite as low as they used to be. For instance, the Melbourne-Sydney route, once on sale for as low as $99, now has a special fare of $145. Since July 2024, the number of seats available on domestic flights has dropped by 6%, even though demand hasn’t changed much. With fewer seats but the same number of passengers, flights are now fuller and airfares steeper. Brakey pointed out that with less competition, consumers have fewer choices and there’s less pressure on airlines to keep fares low or improve service. Rex, meanwhile, is still running its regional routes with smaller turboprop planes, as their Boeing 737s are being returned to their owners and sent out of the country. On the topic of cancellations, rates have been fluctuating, with an average of 3% of flights canceled in July, which later improved to 2% by September. Rex had the lowest cancellation rates, while Qantas was at the higher end of the scale.

ජනතාවට ඉදිරියට දින කිහිපය තුළ පාස්කු ඉරුදින ප්‍රහාරයන් සම්බන්ධයෙන් වැදගත් පුවතක් ලබා දෙන බව ජනාධිපති අනුරා කුමාර දිසානායක මහතා ප්‍රකාශ කරන ලදී. දඹූල්ලේ පැවති මහජන රැලියේදී ඔහු කීවේ, දේශපාලන බලය භාවිතා කර මිනීමැරුම් සහ ඒ සඳහා අනුබල සැලසීමේ යුගය අවසන් වී ඇති බවයි. පෙර විසඳා නොගත් සිද්ධිවලට අදාලව ඔහු කියා සිටියේ, "තජුදීන්ගේ මිනීමැරුමට කවුරුන් වගකිව යුතුද, ලසන්තගේ මරණයට තවමත් පිළිතුරක් නොමැත, එක්නැලිගොඩට සිදු වූ දේ පිටුපස ඇති සත්‍යය තවමත් නොදනී" යනුවෙන් ඔහු ප්‍රකාශ කළේය. "අපි මේ සියලුම කටයුතු සමාජ සාමකාමී පුරවැසියන් වෙනුවෙන් නීතිය පැවැත්වීමට සහ සාමාන්‍ය ජනතාවට නැවත ආරක්ෂිතව ජීවිතය ගත කිරීමට සුහද පරිසරයක් බිහිකිරීමට උත්සාහ කරමින් සිටී. පාස්කු ඉරුදින ප්‍රහාරයන් සම්බන්ධයෙන් වැදගත් පුවතක් එන කිහිප දින තුළ බලාපොරොත්තු වන්න" යැයි ඔහු සටහන් කළේය.

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector is on the brink of a major opportunity, and industry leaders are pushing for a unified approach to drive growth while keeping the country’s unique character intact. At the recent South Asian Tourism Leadership Forum during the Colombo Design Festival, Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts CEO Mikael Svensson and Resplendent Ceylon MD Malik Fernando shared insights on how Sri Lanka could double or even triple its tourist arrivals in the coming years. Svensson emphasized that Sri Lanka’s diverse offerings are a strength, but they need a more focused marketing strategy. “We have something for everyone, but our real competition is with regional destinations that offer similar experiences. With all we have, it’s about targeted marketing. If we focus on one or two unique elements, the rest will follow. A singular approach will attract the largest crowds,” he said. He added that past tourism campaigns hadn’t left a lasting impact, stressing that both public and private sectors must fully support a focused plan. Fernando also weighed in, calling the country’s marketing efforts “pathetic” compared to its actual tourism potential. “We have a fantastic product, but the demand isn’t there. Strong marketing and positioning would bring in investment and allow us to set better prices. Right now, we’re accepting too-low rates because of weak demand,” he noted. Fernando believes a well-structured, multi-year plan could change this, creating sustainable tourism growth and improving experiences at iconic sites like Sigiriya and Yala. Svensson also highlighted the importance of preserving Sri Lanka’s authenticity as tourism grows, cautioning against transforming the country’s rich culture into a touristy version of itself. “The biggest challenge as we grow is keeping our authentic identity. Other places in South Asia have deep culture, heritage, and food, but they sometimes lose that in the rush to cater to tourists. As we aim for higher numbers, we need to hold on to what makes us unique,” he explained, pointing to Vietnam’s rapid growth as an example of what Sri Lanka could achieve. Both Svensson and Fernando agree that a well-coordinated, strategic plan involving both the private and public sectors can set Sri Lanka on a path to growth without sacrificing its cultural heritage.

Victoria Police officers in Victoria are preparing to walk off the job for the first time in 25 years, pushing for better pay and improved working conditions. Police Association Secretary Wayne Gatt explained that officers plan to stop work at the police academy and several stations, including Broadmeadows, on Thursday. "Our members are struggling financially, and they're facing a lot of pressure at work," Gatt said. Just two months ago, the police rejected a government offer of a 3% pay rise and a nine-day fortnight. In contrast, nurses and midwives recently secured a 28.4% pay increase over four years. Gatt emphasized that police deserve a better deal. "We’re dealing with over a thousand job vacancies, a concerning attrition rate, and hundreds of officers on long-term sick leave. They’re doing more work than ever but for less pay," he explained. "Now, they're reclaiming something the employer has long taken from them— their time." He reassured the public that safety won't be at risk. “Our members will always prioritize the community's safety, and if a triple-zero call comes through during a stoppage, they’ll respond,” he said. "The community isn’t the target here—the employer and the government are."

A tragic incident occurred at the Golden Plains Wind Farm in Victoria's west when a worker was crushed by a fan blade from a wind turbine. Emergency services arrived at the scene on Bells Road in Rokewood around 8 a.m., but despite their efforts to revive him, the man sadly passed away. The company, Vestas, which owns the wind farm, confirmed the incident and announced they would be closing the site temporarily. They're expected to provide an update soon. Aerial images show a large area taped off as police and investigators examine the site. This worksite was part of the first stage of what will eventually be the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere. The incident occurred in Rokewood, located about 133 kilometers west of Melbourne. WorkSafe has been notified and will be investigating to determine what happened.

ශ්‍රී ලංකා ආගමන හා විගමන නිලධාරීන්ගේ සංගමය විසින් වර්තමාන පාස්පෝර්ට් අර්බුදයට වගකිව යුතු උසස් නිලධාරීන් පිළිබඳ පරීක්ෂණයක් ආරම්භ කිරීමට ඉල්ලා ප්‍රකාශයක් නිකුත් කර ඇත. මෙම සංගමය ප්‍රකාශයේ දැක්වෙන්නේ පාස්පෝර්ට් නිකුතුවේ සැබෑ තත්ත්වය වගකිව යුතු අමාත්‍යවරයාට හෙළි නොකිරීමේ අසමත් වීම හේතුවෙන් ජාතික පරිපාලනය සහ රජයේ කටයුතු කෙරෙහි බලපෑමක් ඇති වීමට ඇතැයි යන්නයි. සංගමය කියා සිටියේ, උසස් නිලධාරීන් විසින් අසත්‍ය තොරතුරු ලබාදීම මීට අලුතින් පත් වූ රජයට අභියෝග එල්ල කරන බවයි.

International travelers at Australian airports are dealing with big delays today due to a nationwide passport system outage. The issue, affecting the Australian Border Force systems, has led to long lines at places like Sydney and Melbourne airports, where passengers are being processed manually. While inbound and outbound queues are longer than usual, flight schedules haven’t been heavily impacted. Passengers are still being advised to check their flight status and allow extra time if they’re heading to the T1 International Terminal. The Australian Border Force has brought in extra officers to help process travelers manually and keep things moving as smoothly as possible. They’ve stated that the issue is being worked on, with systems gradually coming back online. Though wait times at border control are stretching out, flight delays are minimal so far. Airport authorities are apologizing for the inconvenience and appreciate everyone’s patience as they work to resolve the outage.

A grassfire broke out at Sydney Airport today after reports that an aircraft’s right engine experienced an explosion during takeoff. The Qantas flight, QF520, had just departed for Brisbane around 1 p.m. with 174 passengers onboard when passengers heard a loud bang. One passenger, Georgina Lewis, shared with 9News that "one of the engines appeared to have gone." About 10 minutes later, the pilot confirmed they had an issue with the right-hand engine. Following the problem, the Boeing 737 circled back to Sydney and landed safely. A spokesperson from Sydney Airport said investigations are underway to determine if the engine issue and the grassfire, which started along the eastern side of the airport’s runway, are connected. Fire crews from the Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Service quickly brought the grassfire under control. Qantas Chief Pilot Captain Richard Tobiano reassured passengers, explaining that pilots are well-trained for situations like these and followed all the necessary safety procedures. He also mentioned that Qantas would be reaching out to customers to offer support and conducting an investigation into the cause of the engine problem. Fire and Rescue NSW are on site, and the airport is working to get all operations back to normal. Although the main runway is open, some delays are expected, and passengers are encouraged to check their flight status. No injuries have been reported, and airport staff are focused on inspecting the runway to resume full operations. More updates to come.

In a remarkable display of global recognition, Australia and Sri Lanka have both earned prestigious awards in the travel world, cementing their status as two of the most desirable travel destinations. Australia: The Most Desirable Country in the World For the third time in four years, Australia has been named the Most Desirable Country in the World by global readers. This accolade highlights Australia’s continuing appeal, which has been further enriched by the increasing popularity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-run cultural tours. These tours offer unique insights into Australia’s ancient roots, allowing travelers to experience the rich cultural heritage of the Indigenous peoples. From exploring the deep Indigenous connections of iconic cities like Sydney to venturing into the Northern Territory’s vast red deserts, which are home to over 65,000 years of cultural history, visitors are finding new and profound ways to connect with this extraordinary land. Australia’s appeal is not limited to its cultural heritage. Travelers are also discovering the country’s far-reaching corners, seeking out the wonders of Ningaloo Reef, where they can swim with whale sharks, turtles, and manta rays. Additionally, wildlife enthusiasts are flocking to Kangaroo Island and Tasmania to encounter the country’s iconic critters in their natural habitats, further elevating Australia's status as a top travel destination. Sri Lanka: The Most Desirable Island in the World In a stunning turnaround, Sri Lanka has claimed the Most Desirable Island in the World title, moving up from last year’s eighth place. Known as the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean,’ Sri Lanka offers a captivating mix of history, culture, and natural beauty. The island’s ancient monuments, such as the awe-inspiring Sigiriya Rock, the cave temples of Dambulla, and the ancient ruins of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, bring the nation’s rich history to life. Nature lovers are also drawn to Sri Lanka’s lush national parks, where leopards roam freely, and the pristine beaches of Tangalle and Trincomalee, which remain fringed by untouched jungles. More recently, the island’s tea plantations and verdant highlands have captivated travelers, with the newly introduced Pekoe Trail offering an exciting way to explore Sri Lanka’s lush interior. These diverse offerings have helped Sri Lanka rise to the top of the most desirable island rankings, showcasing its ability to cater to a wide range of traveler interests. Both Australia and Sri Lanka’s wins reflect their enduring appeal to travelers worldwide, each offering a unique blend of cultural, historical, and natural wonders that continue to captivate the hearts of adventurers from every corner of the globe.

In a move to tackle concerns over social media’s impact on kids, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced new legislation that could ban young people under 16 from using social media. The proposed law, which is expected to take effect a year after it passes, would hold social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram responsible for ensuring users meet the age requirement. Albanese made the announcement in a message aimed directly at parents, acknowledging their worries about the harm social media can cause. He explained, "I want parents to be able to say, 'Sorry mate, it's against the law for me to let you do this.'" Under the new rules, social media companies would need to prove they're taking reasonable steps to block access to users under 16. There would be no penalties for underage users, but platforms failing to comply could face consequences. In fact, the eSafety commissioner would be tasked with making sure the rule is enforced. This proposed change follows South Australia’s earlier push for social media giants to ban kids under 14, and it’s getting support from the Coalition as well. Albanese also emphasized that, while the law might not solve all the problems right away, it would set important boundaries, much like laws around buying alcohol for under-18s.

2023 වසරේ පසුගිය රජය ගත් තීරණයකට අනුව Galle face green පරිසරය ආගමික කටයුතු සඳහා පමණක් අනුමැතිය ලබා දුනි. ගෝල්ෆේස් පිටිය 2022 දී අරගලය පැවැත්වූ ස්ථානය සහ එවක ජනාධිපති ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂගේ ඉවත්වීමට ද හේතු වූ ස්ථානයයි නව කැබිනට් තීරණය අනුව, Galle face green පිටිය, Sri Lanka Ports Management and Consultation Services මාර්ගෝපදේශනය සහ පාලනය යටතේ, ආගමික ක්‍රියාකාරකම් පමණක් නොව, උත්සව, සංගීත වැඩසටහන් සහ විවිධ උත්සවවලට ද ඉඩ ලබා දීමට තීරණය කර ඇත. කෙසේ වෙතත්, ගෝල් ෆේස් ග්‍රීන් පවත්වා ගෙන යාම හා නඩත්තු සඳහා සම්පූර්ණ රු. 2.5 – 3.0 මිලියනක් වැය වේ. ඒ තුළින් Galle face green පරිසරය පිරිසිදු හා හරිත බව අරමුණු කරගෙන, කාර්යක්ෂමව ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීමේ මූලික සැලැසුම වේ. ආගමික කටයුතු සඳහා සීමා නොවී, උත්සව, සංගීත වැඩසටහන් සහ වෙනත් උත්සවවලටද විධිමත් නියමයන්ට අනුකූලව මහජන ක්‍රියාකරකම් සඳහා අවසර ලබා දෙන බව පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී විජිත් හේරත් මහතා මාධ්‍ය හමුවේ දී පවසන ලදී.

Australian stargazers are in for a treat this week with not one, but two stunning meteor showers lighting up the night sky. Every year from September to November, the Taurid meteor showers deliver a spectacular display of bright fireballs, and right now, they’re at their peak. The Southern Taurids kicked off the show with a dazzling peak last night, sending fiery trails across the sky. But don’t worry if you missed it—there’s another opportunity just around the corner. On November 12, the Northern Taurids are set to take center stage, giving stargazers a second chance to catch this rare phenomenon. So, what exactly are the Northern Taurids? Both the Northern and Southern Taurids come from the same origin: the debris of Comet Encke, which orbits around the sun. When bits of this comet enter Earth’s atmosphere at around 104,000 km/h, they burn up and create bright streaks of light. Both meteor showers appear to come from separate points in the constellation Taurus, which is why they’re named the “Taurids.” The best time to catch the Northern Taurids will be on the night of November 12, between midnight and the early morning hours before dawn. They’ll be visible across Australia, but if you’re hoping for the best views, it’s ideal to head out to a dark area, away from city lights. Rural spots will offer the clearest sights of this celestial display. One more tip: the waning moon makes for better viewing since moonlight can wash out the meteors. So, get ready to enjoy the show, and if you miss this peak, there’s still a chance to spot both meteor showers into December, though they won’t be quite as bright.