For many Australians, the Australia Day holiday is all about relaxing by the beach, catching up with friends, or enjoying a day out. But if you’re planning to drive anywhere during the long weekend, it’s essential to know when double demerit points might apply in your state. Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know for Australia Day 2025. NSW, ACT, and WA In NSW , ACT , and WA , double demerits will be in effect from Friday, January 24 , through to Monday, January 27 . Even though Friday isn’t a public holiday, the long weekend means many people will be hitting the roads early. During double demerit periods in NSW, you can lose double points for offences like speeding, illegal mobile phone use, not wearing a seatbelt, or carrying passengers without proper restraints. The ACT and WA have similar rules, with a few differences: In the ACT, minor offences like failing to keep left attract one additional demerit point  instead of doubling. In WA, offences like using speed camera-evading devices during this time will cost you 14 demerit points . It’s worth remembering that these three states and territories are the only ones in Australia that enforce double demerits over public holidays. Queensland Queensland takes a different approach. Instead of applying double demerits around public holidays, they have a year-round system  for repeat offences. If you commit the same offence—like speeding by more than 20 km/h, using a mobile phone illegally, or failing to wear a seatbelt— twice within 12 months , double demerits kick in.Queensland drivers should also note that if you commit a traffic offence anywhere in Australia, the penalty will count as though it happened in Queensland. Victoria, SA, NT, and Tasmania In Victoria , South Australia , Tasmania , and the Northern Territory , double demerit points don’t apply at all. These states and territories stick to their regular demerit point system, even over long weekends and public holidays. So, before you hit the road this Australia Day weekend, take a moment to check the rules for your state or territory. Staying safe—and keeping your license points intact—is worth it!

The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) is urging the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to scrap surcharges on all credit and debit card payments, arguing that these fees are costing Australians hundreds of millions each year. Right now, the federal government is already considering banning surcharges on debit card payments starting next year. But in a bold move, CBA has suggested going even further—completely eliminating all types of surcharges, according to reports from the Australian Financial Review . If this proposal is adopted, Australia would follow in the footsteps of regions like Europe and the UK, where surcharges are entirely banned. In the US and Canada, debit surcharges are also illegal, although businesses there can still charge for credit card payments. What Are Card Surcharges, and Why Do We Pay Them? Card surcharges are those little extra fees—typically between 0.5% and 1.5%—you might notice when paying with a card. Businesses add these charges to cover their own costs for processing card payments, called "merchant fees." Under Australian law, businesses can’t charge you more than what they pay their bank to process these payments. For instance, if a café is charged 0.5% for card payments, they’re not allowed to pass on a surcharge higher than that. While there are detailed regulations around this, CBA argues that the system is still unfair and overly complicated for consumers. Why Scrap Surcharges? CBA believes that banning all surcharges is the simplest way to ensure fairness for shoppers. They’ve raised concerns that, if only debit surcharges are banned, credit card users might still face unclear or higher fees. Worse, some businesses could start increasing fees for credit card transactions to make up for lost revenue. Eliminating surcharges entirely would create a level playing field for consumers and align Australia with international standards, CBA says. The RBA is still reviewing the issue, but if this proposal is taken on board, it could mean no more surprise fees when you pay by card—something many shoppers would likely welcome.

NSW is feeling the full force of a low-pressure system that's bringing wild weather to the state. Ferries are being cancelled, and residents are being told to stay away from the beach as massive waves and dangerous conditions take over. The swells are hitting hard along the east coast, with beaches like Manly, Coogee, and Bondi seeing waves up to 4.9 metres high. The chaos has led to ferry services across Sydney being suspended, including the Manly, Mosman Bay, Blackwattle Bay, and Taronga Zoo routes. And it’s not just the waves that are causing trouble. The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) warns that strong winds will continue driving those powerful southerly waves into tonight. Areas from Ulladulla to Smoky Cape are bracing for very heavy surf, which could lead to coastal damage and erosion. Officials are urging everyone to avoid the water and stay away from exposed areas. The wind is already packing a punch. Newcastle recorded gusts of 72km/h this morning, while Sydney Airport and Kurnell were lashed with 91km/h winds. At Wattamolla in the Royal National Park, gusts peaked at a whopping 106km/h. Adding to the drama, thunderstorms are combining with the low-pressure system, bringing heavy rain that could stick around through Sunday. Damaging winds averaging 55-65 km/h—and up to 90km/h in exposed areas—are expected to peak this afternoon before easing tonight. Rain is soaking much of NSW today, with the northern Hunter and Mid-North Coast at risk of flash flooding. Some areas could see up to 200mm of rain over the next 48 hours. The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has issued warnings for severe storms in northern parts of the state. “The most severe weather is expected from Port Stephens to South West Rocks and in the far northeast,” said NSW SES Commissioner Mike Wassing. His advice? “Prepare now, know your risks, and if you come across flooded roads, don’t risk it. Never drive, walk, ride, or play in floodwaters.” Stay safe out there, NSW!

A powerful thunderstorm has wreaked havoc across New South Wales, leaving one person dead, thousands in the dark, and widespread damage in its wake. In Cowra, an elderly driver tragically lost his life when the storm tore through central NSW. Meanwhile, four others were injured in Wagga Wagga when high winds ripped the roofs off their demountable huts. The driver has not yet been formally identified. NSW State Emergency Service crews have been inundated with calls for help, responding to over 1800 incidents in just 24 hours. Most of these were related to fallen trees and property damage. The storm also caused chaos on the power grid, leaving more than 120,000 customers without electricity. Newcastle has been hit the hardest, with over 60,000 outages, followed by 31,000 in Sydney and 4000 on the Central Coast. At Royal North Shore Hospital, a fallen tree created significant problems, while in Carlingford, 14 people had to find alternative accommodation after the storm tore the roof off their building. The Bureau of Meteorology warns that severe thunderstorms will continue to combine with a low-pressure system, bringing even more rain. Up to 80mm is expected by Saturday, with Friday set to see the heaviest downpours, with some areas bracing for up to 100mm. A minor flood watch has been issued for several regions, including the Orara, Coffs Coast, Bellinger, and Kalang river catchments, along with other areas such as Manning, Gloucester, and the Paterson and Williams rivers. Authorities are urging residents to remain vigilant, take precautions, and monitor updates as the storm system continues its path through the state.

ජනාධිපති අනුර කුමාර දිසානායක මහතා සහ චීන ජනාධිපති ෂී ජින්පින් මහතා අතර නිල හමුව ආරම්භ විය. ජනාධිපති කාර්යාලය සඳහන් කළේ, රාජ්‍ය නායකයින් දෙදෙනා අතර හමුව චීනයේ බීජිං නුවර මහජන මහා ශාලාවේදී පැවැත්වෙන බවයි. ජනාධිපති අනුර කුමාර දිසානායක මහතා මේ වන විට චීනයට ගොස් සිටින්නේ සිය චීන සහකාර ෂී ජින්පින් මහතාගේ ආරාධනයකට අනුව ය.

Small to medium businesses in Australia have had a tough year, with nearly 80% struggling to manage cash flow, according to new data from Commbank. While many of these businesses have strategies in place to tackle the issue—around 85% to be exact—some of those solutions aren’t exactly sustainable. Over a quarter of business owners reported having to dip into their personal savings or forgo paying themselves a salary just to keep things running. “Small business owners are clearly taking proactive steps to manage cash flow, but strategies like using personal savings or not drawing a salary can take a toll in the long run,” said Rebecca Warren, CBA’s Executive General Manager for Small Business Banking. The survey found that declining revenue was the biggest culprit behind cash flow issues, making up 35% of cases. Low cash reserves accounted for another 30%, while seasonal fluctuations contributed to 27%. “Running a small business is a constant balancing act,” Warren explained. “From managing customers and employees to dealing with suppliers, there’s a lot to handle. And the economic challenges of the past year have made it even harder for many Australian SMBs to maintain healthy cash flow.” To support businesses, Commbank has launched a free cash flow management course, designed in collaboration with Lifelong Learning at the University of New South Wales. The course is open to all Australian small businesses, regardless of whether they’re Commbank customers, aiming to provide tools and insights to navigate these challenges more effectively.

ඩිජිටල් ජාතික හැඳුනුම්පත් (NIC) මෙම මාසය වන විට නිකුත් කරන බව ඩිජිටල් ආර්ථිකය පිළිබඳ නියෝජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය එරංග වීරරත්න මහතා පවසයි. මෙම ක්‍රියාවලියේ පළමු පියවර ලෙස නව ජාතික හැඳුනුම්පත් (NIC) ඩිජිටල් ආකෘතියකට පරිවර්තනය කරන බව ඔහු පැවසීය. ඩිජිටල් ජාතික හැඳුනුම්පත් මාරුකිරීමේ අරමුණ වන්නේ හැඳුනුම්පත් නිකුත් කිරීමේ වත්මන් ක්‍රමයට බලපාන සැලකිය යුතු ප්‍රමාදයන් සමනය කිරීමටය. කෙසේ වෙතත්, ඩිජිටල් හැඳුනුම්පත් ක්‍රමය ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම සඳහා ඇස්තමේන්තු කර ඇති මුළු මුදල රු. බිලියන 20 කි. "ඩිජිටල් හැඳුනුම්පත් පද්ධතිය ගැන සැලකිලිමත් වීමට අවශ්‍ය නැත. ඉන්දියානු සමාගම තාක්ෂණික සැකසුම සඳහා පමණක් සහාය වන අතර කිසිදු පුද්ගලික දත්තයකට ප්‍රවේශ විය නොහැක. තොරතුරු වෙත ප්‍රවේශය ඇති එකම ආයතනය රජය වනු ඇත," ඔහු පැවසීය. තවදුරටත්, මූල්‍ය පීඩනය අවම කිරීම සඳහා, ව්‍යාපෘතියේ මුළු පිරිවැයෙන් අඩක් ආවරණය කිරීමට ඉන්දියාව සහය වන බව නියෝජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යවරයා පැහැදිලි කළේය.

Two beaches in Sydney’s north are still off-limits after strange, ball-shaped debris washed up along several popular coastal spots. The white and grey balls, mostly small in size, were spotted across beaches including Manly, Dee Why, Long Reef, Queenscliff, Freshwater, North and South Curl Curl, North Steyne, and North Narrabeen. While most of these beaches have since reopened, South Curl Curl and Dee Why remain closed as crews work to assess and clean up the areas. Northern Beaches Council has asked locals to report any sightings of similar debris by calling 1300 434 434. Meanwhile, reports of similar debris at South Maroubra and South Coogee beaches prompted checks by Randwick Council. While South Coogee had a small amount of the balls, South Maroubra was clear, and both beaches are now open. A council spokesperson assured residents they are keeping a close eye on the situation. The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has collected samples from the Northern Beaches for testing. Officials advise against touching the debris, which resembles similar material found on Eastern Suburbs beaches last October. Previous tests revealed the balls were made up of fatty acids and petroleum hydrocarbons, but their exact origin remains a mystery. If you come across these unusual balls, you’re encouraged to report them to your local council or the EPA’s Environment Line at 131 555.

දිනකට විදේශ ගමන් බලපත්‍ර 2500ක් නිකුත් කිරීමට පියවර ගෙන ඇති බව මහජන ආරක්‍ෂක අමාත්‍ය ආනන්ද විජේපාල මහතා පවසයි. මීට පෙර දිනකට නිකුත් කළේ විදේශ ගමන් බලපත්‍ර 1200ක් පමණක් බව අමාත්‍ය විජේපාල මහතා පැවසීය. හදිසි විදේශගත වීමට අවශ්‍ය ඕනෑම අයෙකුට විදේශ ගමන් බලපත්‍ර ලබා ගැනීම සඳහා වෙනම කවුළුවක් විවෘත කර ඇති බව ඔහු වැඩිදුරටත් පැවසීය. එම කවුන්ටරයට ඉදිරිපත් කරන අයදුම්පත් කමිටුවක් මගින් සලකා බලා හැකි ඉක්මනින් විදේශ ගමන් බලපත්‍ර ලබාදීමට පියවර ගන්නා බව අමාත්‍ය විජේපාල මහතා පැවසීය.

The devastating wildfires in Los Angeles aren’t just wreaking havoc in the U.S.—they could also hit Aussies where it hurts: their wallets. Insurance experts warn that this disaster, which has destroyed thousands of properties, could drive up premiums here in Australia. How? It’s all about reinsurance. Reinsurance is when local insurers get their own insurance from big global companies to protect themselves against massive losses from disasters like these. David Richardson from The Australia Institute explained, "When reinsurers take a financial hit from events like the LA fires, they pass those costs down the line." In simple terms, global reinsurers are likely to hike their rates, which means Aussie insurance companies will have to do the same. The LA wildfires are shaping up to be one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history, with damages potentially hitting a staggering $242 billion AUD. And while the fires may seem a world away, their financial ripple effects will be felt globally, including here at home. KPMG insurance expert Scott Guse said Aussies could see premiums rise by a few percent as a result. "These global companies will reassess the risk here in Australia to recover some of their losses overseas," he said. But there’s a glimmer of hope. Guse noted that Australia’s recent run of calm weather—no major floods, bushfires, or storms—might help offset some of the cost pressures and even lead to a slight drop in prices in certain areas. That said, rising insurance costs are already leaving many Australians struggling to cover their homes and belongings. Richardson warns that any further price hikes could force even more people to go without insurance. So, while the fires rage thousands of kilometers away, their impact could hit closer to home than many of us expect. It’s a reminder of how interconnected the world of insurance—and risk—really is.

Regional Victorians are set to feel the pinch as electricity bills rise, with households and businesses facing higher costs. The increase comes as part of the state government’s efforts to recover a $6 million deficit through the state’s energy regulator. According to a briefing obtained by the opposition, Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) has been given the green light to raise $14.6 million through industry levies. This means consumers can expect an average hike of 44.8%, adding about $5.30 per household. Annabelle Cleeland, the Nationals’ Member for Euroa, has criticized the move, accusing the government of “financial mismanagement” and calling the levies a taxpayer-funded bailout. She highlighted that regional communities are bearing the brunt of these increases, with electricity costs in some areas significantly higher than in Melbourne. For example, AusNet customers in regional eastern Victoria face a default residential tariff of $1902 and $4388 for businesses. In contrast, metropolitan CitiPower customers are charged $1456 for households and $3025 for businesses. “Regional Victorians are already dealing with unreliable power and frequent outages, and now they’re being hit with higher bills,” Cleeland said. “Every week, I hear from people worried about how these rising costs are affecting their lives and businesses. Our towns are desperate for some relief.” As the debate over rising energy costs continues, many regional residents are left wondering how they’ll manage the added financial pressure.

Get ready, eastern Australia—it’s shaping up to be a stormy week ahead! Several major cities are in the crosshairs, with stormy skies and heavy rain expected to sweep across the region. Sydney could see its first storm of the week tomorrow, with showers forecast to linger right through until next Monday. Brisbane is also set to join the rain-soaked lineup later in the week, while Melbourne might face a couple of wet days on Wednesday and Thursday. The wild weather comes on the heels of a weekend that saw intense downpours in parts of the eastern seaboard. The Gold Coast, Tweed Heads, and some areas of Tasmania were drenched with over 100mm of rain. According to Weatherzone, last weekend’s rain was largely driven by troughs linked to low-pressure systems in the southeast. However, this week’s storms are expected to pack an extra punch, thanks to something called “steering winds.” “Steering winds are mid-level atmospheric winds—about 3000 meters up—that direct the movement of weather systems,” explained Weatherzone meteorologist Anthony Sharwood. He said these westerly winds would bring extra energy and wind shear, making the upcoming storms more severe. The most dangerous storm period is likely to hit from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning. This includes Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra, with forecasts warning of potentially damaging wind gusts and even flooding. So, if you’re in the area, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the forecasts and stay prepared. It’s going to be a bumpy week of weather ahead!