At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Department of Home Affairs has increased visa application fees for most visa categories, with the new charges applying to applications lodged from 1 July 2026. Some of the biggest increases include: Visa Category & Description Subclass Previous Fee (AUD) New Fee (AUD) Increase (AUD) Increase (%) Student and Student Guardian visas 500, 590 $2,000 $2,500 $500 25.0% Skilled Migration visas 189, 190, 491, 494 $4,910 $6,135 $1,225 25.0% Temporary Graduate visa 485 $2,300 $5,750 $3,450 150.0% Partner visas 309, 100, 820, 801 $9,365 $11,710 $2,345 25.0% Employer-sponsored SID visa 482 $3,210 $4,015 $805 25.1% Employer Nomination Scheme visas 186, 187 $4,910 $6,140 $1,230 25.1% The offshore Visitor visa (Subclass 600) application fee has also increased from $200 to $250, while the onshore Visitor visa and Citizenship by Conferral application fees remain unchanged. The updated fees apply only to visa applications submitted on or after 1 July 2026. Source : Visaenvoy 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 currently experiencing El Niño conditions, with weather officials warning that the country could face a mix of extreme weather over the coming months, including reduced rainfall, floods and possible drought. The Department of Meteorology says there is a 63% chance of a strong El Niño and a 33% chance of a weaker event. Officials expect below-average rainfall in August, followed by increased rain during October and November, which could raise the risk of flooding in some areas. Early next year, conditions may turn much drier, with drought likely to affect water supplies, agriculture and other key sectors. The potential impacts of El Niño were discussed at a special government meeting chaired by Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi. The committee, appointed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, is preparing short-, medium- and long-term plans to strengthen food security, water management and energy conservation. Government agencies have been asked to submit action plans within two weeks, while the Department of Meteorology will remain the official source for all public updates on El Niño. Source : Daily Mirror News More updates to come on AusNewsLanka.

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. A tropical low near the Solomon Islands could become a rare winter cyclone this weekend, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology. The Bureau says there is a low chance of cyclone formation between late Friday and Monday, with the risk peaking at around 10% from Saturday to Monday before dropping again. Even if the system does not strengthen into a cyclone, it is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Forecasters do not expect any direct impact on mainland Australia. Cyclones in the Australian region are most common between November and April, making any July cyclone highly unusual. Records dating back to 1970 show only four regional cyclones have occurred in July, and some were identified only after later analysis. If this system reaches cyclone strength, it would be among the rarest winter cyclone events recorded in the region. Source : 9 News 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. Australian footwear retailer Betts has entered administration and will shut more than half of its stores as it shifts toward an online-first model. The company, founded in Western Australia over 130 years ago, currently operates 35 stores nationwide. Around 20 stores will close, including major locations across SA, NT, NSW, Victoria, Queensland, and WA. At its peak, Betts had more than 200 stores across Australia, making it a familiar name in shopping centres nationwide, including flagship sites in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Administrator Pitcher Partners said weak retail conditions and falling in-store traffic had made many locations unsustainable. The business will now focus on strengthening remaining stores and expanding its online operations. Large clearance sales will begin Friday, with more than 120,000 pairs of shoes and accessories to be heavily discounted as stock is cleared. Betts is the latest in a growing list of struggling retailers, following recent collapses including Barbeques Galore, Lincraft, and fashion chain Glue Store. Earlier closures also included well-known names such as Rivers and Jeanswest. The closures highlight ongoing pressure on brick-and-mortar retailers as consumer spending shifts further online. Source : 9 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. World Bank Group has upgraded Sri Lanka to Upper Middle Income status, after the country recorded about 5% real GDP growth in 2025. This marks a step up from its previous Lower Middle Income classification. The change reflects a stronger economic recovery and improving growth momentum following a challenging period. The World Bank classifies economies into four income groups: Low Income, Lower Middle Income, Upper Middle Income, and High Income. The system is based on gross national income per person and is updated every year. Sri Lanka’s latest upgrade signals an improved position in the global economic ranking, driven by its rebound in 2025. Source : Newswire More updates to come on AusNewsLanka.

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia’s property market has entered its ninth downturn in three decades, with Sydney and Melbourne expected to experience the biggest falls. New analysis from Domain forecasts house prices could drop 7 per cent in Sydney and 8 per cent in Melbourne over the next financial year as higher interest rates, tax changes and weaker buyer confidence weigh on the market. More affordable markets such as Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide are expected to continue seeing growth, supported by stronger demand and lower entry prices. The current slowdown follows three interest rate increases, changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing rules, along with broader economic uncertainty. However, previous market cycles suggest downturns are usually temporary. All eight past declines were followed by recoveries, with property prices eventually reaching new highs. Historically, housing downturns lasted around eight months on average, with prices falling about 2.9 per cent. Recovery periods have typically been longer, delivering average growth of around 32 per cent. Domain economist Nicola Powell said interest rates, borrowing capacity and buyer confidence would determine how quickly the market improves. Major banks are also predicting further price falls. NAB expects Sydney and Melbourne to record declines, while other banks including CBA, ANZ and AMP forecast a national slowdown over the next year. Despite the pressure on homeowners, economists say the correction is unlikely to trigger a wider economic downturn. AMP deputy chief economist Diana Mousina said slower property growth could reduce household spending but may also help ease inflation pressures and support future interest rate decisions. Source : 9 News 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 Australians will see changes to their pay, taxes, superannuation and everyday costs from July 1 as new federal and state reforms come into effect. Here are some of the key changes: National changes Minimum wage increase The national minimum wage will rise by 4.75 per cent, increasing pay to $26.44 an hour or $1,004.90 a week for a 38-hour working week. Award wages will also increase by the same amount. Paid parental leave boost Government-funded paid parental leave will increase from 120 days to 130 days (26 weeks). Partner leave will also rise from 15 to 20 days for eligible parents. Superannuation paid more frequently Employers will now need to pay superannuation at the same time as wages instead of quarterly. The concessional super contribution cap will also increase from $30,000 to $32,500. Tax cuts begin Workers earning between $18,201 and $45,000 will receive a tax reduction, with the tax rate falling from 16 per cent to 15 per cent.The change will provide up to $268 in savings from the 2026-27 financial year, with further reductions planned from 2027. A new $1,000 instant tax deduction will also benefit around 6.2 million workers, allowing eligible employees to reduce taxable income without keeping receipts. Scam message crackdown Businesses will need to register sender IDs used in messages. Unregistered senders will begin appearing as “unverified” as part of efforts to reduce scam texts. Seafood labelling changes Restaurants, cafes and food outlets selling seafood will need to clearly show whether products are Australian, imported or mixed origin. Small business changesThe $20,000 instant asset write-off will become permanent for eligible small businesses with turnover under $10 million. Property and housing ACT stamp duty changes The ACT will become the first Australian jurisdiction to fully remove stamp duty for many first-home buyers from July 1. Some pensioners and eligible groups will also receive exemptions. NSW changes Food recycling rules expand Large supermarkets, hospitality businesses and other organisations will begin transitioning to mandatory food and garden waste recycling. Building industry reforms New requirements will apply to certain building professionals, including mandatory insurance rules. Anti-money laundering laws expand More industries, including property professionals, accountants and lawyers, will face new reporting obligations. Queensland changes E-bike and e-scooter rules tighten New laws will target unsafe riding behaviour. Illegal devices can be seized, speed limits will apply in pedestrian areas, and parents may face responsibility for illegal riding by children under 16. Child safety reforms begin Organisations working with children will face stronger reporting and investigation requirements. Victoria changes Electricity prices to fall Many households will see electricity costs reduce, with average savings expected across several networks. Portable rental bonds introduced Renters will be able to transfer their existing bond to a new property instead of waiting for a refund before moving. Western Australia changes $100 fuel support payment Eligible WA licence holders can apply for a one-off $100 payment through the ServiceWA app. Container recycling expands More drink containers, including some juice, flavoured milk and alcohol containers, will become eligible for refunds. Privacy rules updated New rules will change how WA government agencies collect and share personal information. South Australia changes Seniors Card expanded All South Australians aged over 60 will become eligible, regardless of employment hours. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50+ will also qualify. Vehicle registration increase Registration fees for some vehicles will rise from July 1. Tasmania changes Stamp duty relief ends The temporary full stamp duty exemption for established homes up to $750,000 will finish. First-home buyers will return to the existing grant system, which has been reduced to $20,000 for eligible new homes. The changes mark one of the biggest July 1 reform periods in recent years, affecting household budgets, workers, businesses and everyday services across Australia. Source : News.com 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. Vietjet has opened bookings for its new direct Colombo–Ho Chi Minh City route, with flights set to begin on 18 August 2026. The service will become the first scheduled direct air link between Sri Lanka and Vietnam, creating new opportunities for tourism, business, and cultural exchange. To mark the launch, Vietjet is offering one-way Eco fares from USD 90 (including taxes and fees). Passengers booking Deluxe and SkyBoss fares can also receive a 20% discount on base fares. Tickets are available through Vietjet’s official website, mobile app, ticket offices, and authorised travel agents. The new route will operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, connecting Colombo and Ho Chi Minh City with a flight time of around five hours. The service will provide Sri Lankan travellers with easier access to Vietnam’s largest city and a gateway to wider Asia-Pacific destinations through Vietjet’s expanding network. Ho Chi Minh City offers a mix of history, modern attractions, food, and culture, with highlights including the Cu Chi Tunnels, Independence Palace, busy city streets, and famous Vietnamese cuisine. The new connection will also make it easier for Vietnamese travellers to explore Sri Lanka’s beaches, cultural landmarks, tea regions, and wildlife destinations. Passengers flying with Vietjet can enjoy onboard meals, including popular Vietnamese dishes, while loyalty members through the Vietjet SkyJoy programme can earn and redeem points across travel, dining, shopping, and lifestyle partners. Vietjet, one of Vietnam’s leading airlines, continues to expand its international network with a modern fleet and growing services across the Asia-Pacific region. Flight schedule Colombo (CMB) → Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) Flight: VJ876 Departure: 11:00 PM Arrival: 5:55 AM (+1 day) Days: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) → Colombo (CMB) Flight: VJ875 Departure: 6:15 PM Arrival: 9:50 PM Days: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Source : Travel Voice More updates to come on AusNewsLanka.

At AusNewsLanka, we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Australia’s housing market slowdown is spreading, with home values recording their largest monthly decline in more than three years. Property data firm Cotality reported national dwelling values fell 0.4 per cent in June, led by sharp drops in Sydney (-1.2 per cent) and Melbourne (-1 per cent). Brisbane and Perth continued to grow but at a much slower pace, while Adelaide remained unchanged, showing weaker momentum across most capital cities. Cotality research head Gerard Burg said rising costs, higher interest rates, weaker buyer confidence and recent tax changes had combined to put pressure on the market. He said affordability challenges were already affecting demand before the Reserve Bank’s latest rate increases added further pressure. The national market is now estimated to have peaked in March, with values falling 0.7 per cent over the June quarter. Other market data also showed declines, with PropTrack recording a 0.3 per cent fall in June, marking the third consecutive monthly drop. Despite the downturn, some markets remain supported by limited housing supply. Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide continue to have fewer homes available for sale, helping prevent a major price correction. Sydney and Melbourne, however, are facing greater pressure as more properties enter the market and buyers become more cautious. Economists say upcoming tax changes have also created uncertainty, with some investors delaying decisions while they assess the impact. Developers are also feeling the strain, with higher construction costs, expensive financing and weaker prices making new projects harder to deliver. Industry figures say demand remains strong, but many buyers are struggling with affordability after recent interest rate increases. Source : ABC News 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. Almost one million higher-income Australians could be hit with an extra tax bill for not holding private hospital insurance. New analysis shows the number of people paying the Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) is rising as more Australians move above the income threshold. For the 2025–26 financial year, the surcharge applies to singles earning more than $101,000 and families earning above $202,000. It adds an extra 1 to 1.5 per cent tax on a person’s full taxable income, on top of the standard 2 per cent Medicare levy. For example, someone earning $200,000 could face an additional $3,000 tax bill if they do not have eligible private hospital cover. ATO figures show 885,087 Australians paid the surcharge in 2023–24, with the number expected to approach one million this financial year. Financial experts say some taxpayers may find basic private hospital cover cheaper than paying the surcharge. The average cost of a basic policy across Australia is around $993 a year, according to Canstar analysis. Basic policies generally provide limited hospital cover, while higher levels such as bronze cover offer access to more health services. Experts also warn that MLS income calculations can include factors such as voluntary super contributions and fringe benefits, meaning some people may exceed the threshold even if their salary appears lower. Australians approaching the income limit are being encouraged to review their health cover options before tax time to avoid unexpected costs. Source : 9 News 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. සෞඛ්‍ය බලධාරීන් පවසන පරිදි, පවතින වැසි සහිත කාලගුණය රෝගය පැතිරීමට තවදුරටත් හේතු වන බැවින්, ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ඩෙංගු රෝගීන්ගේ තියුණු වැඩිවීමක් දක්නට ලැබේ. ජුනි මාසය වන විට පමණක් ඩෙංගු රෝගීන් 19,318 ක් වාර්තා වී ඇති අතර, මේ වසරේ මේ දක්වා වාර්තා වී ඇති මුළු රෝගීන් සංඛ්‍යාව 53,159 දක්වා ඉහළ ගොස් ඇති බව ජාතික ඩෙංගු පාලන ඒකකය පවසයි. මෙය නිකුත් කරන ලද නවතම වාර්තාවෙන් තහවුරු වූයේ වසර ආරම්භයේ සිට ඩෙංගු රෝගයෙන් මරණ 31 ක් සිදුවී ඇති බවයි. රට පුරා සෞඛ්‍ය වෛද්‍ය නිලධාරී (MOH) කොට්ඨාශ 124 ක් අධි අවදානම් සහිත ඩෙංගු කලාප ලෙස හඳුනාගෙන ඇත. වසරේ මුල් මාස පහ තුළ මාසික ඩෙංගු රෝගීන් 10,000 ට වඩා අඩු වුවද, ජුනි මාසයේදී ආසාදන සංඛ්‍යාව නාටකාකාර ලෙස ඉහළ ගිය අතර මාසයේ මුල් දින 28 තුළ රෝගීන් 19,318 ක් වාර්තා විය. වැඩිම ආසාදන සංඛ්‍යාවක් වාර්තා වී ඇත්තේ බස්නාහිර පළාතෙන් වන අතර, රෝගීන් 27,833 ක් වාර්තා වන අතර එය රටේ මුළු ඩෙංගු රෝගයෙන් 52.36% කි. සෞඛ්‍ය බලධාරීන් මහජනතාවගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටින්නේ තම වටපිටාව පිරිසිදුව තබා ගැනීමෙන් සහ මදුරු කීටයන් සහ රූකඩ වර්ධනය විය හැකි ජලය එකතැන පල්වීම ඉවත් කිරීමෙන් මදුරුවන් බෝවීම වැළැක්වීමට වහාම පියවර ගන්නා ලෙසයි. මේ අතර, බෝපේ-පෝද්දල ප්‍රාදේශීය සභාව ඩෙංගු වැළැක්වීමේ ප්‍රයත්නයන්හි කොටසක් ලෙස ප්‍රජා පිරිසිදු කිරීමේ ව්‍යාපාරයක් සංවිධානය කර තිබුණි. ඩෙංගු පැතිරීම මැඩපැවැත්වීම සඳහා ගල්කිස්ස පොලිස් මූලස්ථානයේ නිලධාරීන් 100 කට ආසන්න සංඛ්‍යාවක් ප්‍රධාන පොලිස් පරීක්ෂක සුමේධා විමලගුණරත්නගේ අධීක්ෂණය යටතේ පිරිසිදු කිරීමේ ව්‍යාපාරයකට සහභාගී වූහ. Source : Ada Derena News 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. Amazon is facing legal action in the Federal Court after Australia’s consumer watchdog accused the company of using unfair contract terms to introduce ads on Prime Video without offering refunds to affected subscribers. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) claims Amazon changed the service for more than 850,000 annual Prime subscribers in 2024, moving them to an ad-supported version without providing a refund for the remaining part of their prepaid subscription. The changes were announced in 2023 and took effect from July 2, 2024. Customers who wanted to continue watching without ads were required to pay an extra $2.99 per month. The ACCC alleges Amazon’s contracts allowed the company to change the service conditions without giving customers enough protection or compensation. The watchdog says the terms created an unfair balance between Amazon and consumers. ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said businesses must ensure subscription agreements are fair and transparent for customers. The regulator is seeking penalties, refunds or other compensation for affected customers, along with additional legal orders. The case also involves Amazon’s US parent company, which the ACCC alleges was involved in the decision to introduce advertising in Australia. The action is one of the first major cases under updated unfair contract term laws, which apply to agreements made or renewed from November 2023. The ACCC says subscription services will remain a key area of focus. Source : Variety News Stay tuned with Aus News Lanka – the leading platform for news for Australians.