This is a developing story brought to you by Aus News Lanka , your trusted source for news for Sri Lankans  in Australia and beyond. ජාත්‍යන්තර දූෂණ නිරීක්ෂණ සංවිධානය වන ට්‍රාන්ස්පරන්සි ඉන්ටර්නැෂනල් (Transparency International) විසින් නිකුත් කළ 2025 වසරේ දූෂණ සංවේදන දර්ශකය (Corruption Perceptions Index – CPI) අනුව, රාජ්‍ය අංශයේ සත්‍යාපනභාවය පිළිබඳ ගෝලීය අවබෝධයේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාව වැදගත් ප්‍රගතියක් ලබා, ස්ථාන 14කින් ඉහළ ගොස් ඇත. රාජ්‍ය අංශයේ දූෂණ මට්ටම් පිළිබඳ සංවේදන මත පදනම්ව රටවල් සහ ප්‍රදේශ 180කට වැඩි ප්‍රමාණයක් ඇගයීමට ලක් කරන මෙම නවතම CPI වාර්තාව අනුව, ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ලකුණු 2024 වසරේ 32 සිට 2025 වසරේ 35 දක්වා ඉහළ ගොස් ඇත. ඒ අනුව, ගෝලීය ශ්‍රේණිගත කිරීමේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ස්ථානය 121 වන ස්ථානයෙන් 107 වන ස්ථානය දක්වා ඉහළ ගොස් ඇති බව වාර්තාවෙන් පෙන්වා දෙයි. More updates to come on AusNewsLanka .

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast to hit central and south-east Queensland this weekend, with the system expected to extend into northern New South Wales. A low-pressure trough moving across Queensland from today through the weekend is set to trigger several days of wet and stormy weather. While rain on Thursday is not likely to cause flooding, it will soak the ground and increase the risk of flooding later in the weekend. Forecasters warn that severe storms could bring localised flash flooding, especially in parts of central and south-east Queensland. Conditions are expected to intensify from Friday, with heavier rain and thunderstorms developing into the night and continuing through the weekend. Between Thursday and Sunday, rainfall totals of 100 to 200 millimetres are possible in some areas. The system may push south into northern NSW, raising the risk of flood warnings in the state’s far north-east. Unsettled weather is also forecast to continue across parts of northern, central and eastern Australia in the coming days. Residents in affected regions are advised to monitor weather updates and prepare for possible severe conditions. 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 has officially launched its Digital Nomad Visa, allowing remote workers to live on the island for a year or more while working for overseas employers or clients. The visa, introduced in February 2026, is designed to attract location-independent professionals who want to base themselves in Sri Lanka long-term. Who can apply? Applicants must: Be 18 years or older Earn at least US$2,000 per month Work remotely for a foreign company or international clients Not take up employment with a Sri Lankan company The income requirement remains the same for applicants with up to two children. It increases by US$500 per month for each additional child beyond that. Required documents According to the Department of Immigration and Emigration, applicants must submit: Completed visa application form Personal request letter Passport copy (valid for at least six months) Two recent passport-sized photos Marriage certificate (if applying with spouse) Birth certificates (for dependents) Completed security clearance form Medical clearance report Police clearance certificate issued within the last three months Valid international health insurance Recommendation from the Ministry of Digital Economy Proof of meeting the minimum monthly income requirement Visa cost The Digital Nomad Visa costs US$500 per year and can be renewed annually. The new scheme offers remote workers the opportunity to experience Sri Lanka’s culture, coastline and heritage—while continuing their careers from abroad. 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. විශේෂ අවශ්‍යතා ඇති පුද්ගලයින් සඳහා විශේෂ පහසුකම් සහිත වායු සමීකරණය කරන ලද, පහත් බිම් බස් රථ 10ක් හඳුන්වා දීමේ නියමු ව්‍යාපෘතියක් රජය විසින් අනුමත කර ඇත. පොදු ප්‍රවාහනයේ ප්‍රවේශ්‍යතාව සහ සුවපහසුව වැඩිදියුණු කිරීමේ අරමුණින්, පිරිසිදු ශ්‍රී ලංකා ව්‍යාපෘතිය යටතේ වෙන් කරන ලද අරමුදල් භාවිතා කරමින් මෙම මුලපිරීම ක්‍රියාත්මක කෙරේ. බස් රථ 10 මිලදී ගැනීම සඳහා ප්‍රසම්පාදනය දැනටමත් අවසන් කර ඇති අතර, පෙබරවාරි 15 ​​වන විට වාහන මෙරටට පැමිණීමට අපේක්ෂා කෙරේ. නව බස් රථ ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීමට සහ නඩත්තු කිරීමට අවශ්‍ය භෞතික හා ඩිජිටල් යටිතල පහසුකම් ශ්‍රී ලංකා ප්‍රවාහන මණ්ඩලයට දැනට නොමැති බව හඳුනාගෙන ඇති බැවින්. එහි ප්‍රතිඵලයක් ලෙස, පසුගිය වසරේ ජූලි 21 වන දින ගන්නා ලද කැබිනට් තීරණයකට අනුව, ප්‍රවාහන මණ්ඩලය යටතේ ස්ථාපිත කරන ලද ලංකා මෙට්‍රෝ ට්‍රාන්සිට් (පුද්ගලික) සමාගමට බස් රථ පවරනු ලැබේ. මෙම පියවර කොළඹ නාගරික ප්‍රදේශය තුළ තාක්‍ෂණිකව දියුණු බස් රථ 100ක් යෙදවීමෙන් පොදු ප්‍රවාහනය නවීකරණය කිරීමේ පුළුල් ව්‍යාපෘතියක කොටසකි. ලංකා මෙට්‍රෝ ට්‍රාන්සිට් යටතේ බස් රථ සහ ඒ ආශ්‍රිත සේවාවන් ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම සඳහා ප්‍රවාහන, මහාමාර්ග සහ නාගරික සංවර්ධන අමාත්‍යවරයා විසින් ඉදිරිපත් කරන ලද යෝජනාවකට කැබිනට් අනුමැතිය ලබා දී ඇත. මෙම නියමු ව්‍යාපෘතිය, විශේෂයෙන් නාගරික ප්‍රදේශවල විශේෂ අවශ්‍යතා ඇති පුද්ගලයින් සඳහා වඩාත් ඇතුළත් සහ නවීන පොදු ප්‍රවාහන පද්ධතියක් සඳහා ආරම්භක පියවරක් ලෙස සේවය කරනු ඇතැයි අපේක්ෂා කරන බව නිලධාරීහු පැවසූහ. 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. A Total Fire Ban is in force across most of Victoria today as hot, dry and windy conditions drive extreme fire danger. Authorities say the state is facing its driest start to a year since 2009. With parched bushland and strong north-westerly winds, the fire risk has surged. An extreme fire danger rating applies to most districts. Only the South-West and East Gippsland areas are rated high. The Total Fire Ban covers the Mallee, Wimmera, North Country, North Central, Central, North East, West and South Gippsland districts. No fires are allowed in the open air for the entire day. Temperatures are climbing statewide. Melbourne is forecast to reach 32°C, with a chance of showers later. Northern centres will be hotter, including 40°C in Mildura, 39°C in Echuca, and 36°C in Bendigo. Bairnsdale is expected to hit 37°C, with possible afternoon rain. Winds of 30 to 40 km/h, with stronger gusts in some areas, are expected to push fire quickly through dry grass and bush. A cooler south-westerly change will move through from late morning, reaching Melbourne around midday to early afternoon. Light rain is forecast later in the day, but only small totals are expected. Fire officials warn the landscape is extremely dry and the threat is real. Residents in affected areas are urged to follow fire ban rules strictly and review their fire safety plans. Three major fires — at Walwa, Longwood and the Otways — remain contained but are still burning. Conditions are expected to ease tomorrow, with Melbourne temperatures set to drop sharply to around 18°C. 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. සියලුම විශ්ව විද්‍යාල සඳහා ආබාධ සහිත සිසුන් ඇතුළත් කර ගැනීම සඳහා ප්‍රවේශය පුළුල් කිරීමට සහ කටයුතු කරමින් සිටින බව විශ්ව විද්‍යාල ප්‍රතිපාදන කොමිෂන් සභාව (UGC) පවසයි. UGC හි සභාපති මහාචාර්ය කපිල සෙනෙවිරත්න මහතා පැවසුවේ විශේෂ අවශ්‍යතා ඇති සිසුන්ට පහසුකම් සැලසීම සඳහා සියලුම විශ්ව විද්‍යාල අවශ්‍ය පහසුකම් වලින් සමන්විත වන බවයි. වර්තමානයේ, ආබාධ සහිත සිසුන් ඇතුළත් කර ගන්නේ සීමිත විශ්ව විද්‍යාල සංඛ්‍යාවක් පමණි, කෙසේ වෙතත්, UGC සභාපතිවරයාට අනුව, අනාගත සැලසුම් අතරට තොරතුරු තාක්ෂණය සහ සංගීතය වැනි විෂයයන් සඳහා ඔවුන් ඇතුළත් කිරීම ඇතුළත් වේ. මේ අතර, UGC විශ්ව විද්‍යාල හරහා සිසුන්ගේ නවාතැන් පහසුකම් වැඩිදියුණු කිරීම සලකා බලමින් සිටින බව සභාපතිවරයා පැවසීය. නේවාසික යටිතල පහසුකම් සංවර්ධනය සඳහා රුපියල් බිලියන 1.5 ක මුදලක් වෙන් කර ඇත. More updates to come on AusNewsLanka .

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Victorians are being urged to stay alert as fire danger is set to increase sharply tomorrow. An extreme fire danger rating is forecast for most of the state due to hot conditions and strong north-westerly winds, followed later by a gusty wind change. Only the South-West and East Gippsland districts are expected to face a lower, though still serious, high fire danger rating. Temperatures will climb across Victoria. Melbourne is forecast to reach 32°C, with a high chance of showers later in the day. Hotter conditions are expected in the north, with Mildura reaching 40°C, Echuca around 39°C, and Bendigo about 36°C. In Gippsland, Bairnsdale is expected to hit 37°C, with 5 to 15mm of rain possible during the afternoon and evening. Winds will strengthen from the north and north-west before a cooler south-westerly change moves through the state. A band of rain is also forecast later in the day, bringing light falls to most areas. The north-east district remains under a total fire ban today due to hot, dry and windy conditions. No total fire bans have been announced for tomorrow yet. Fire authorities are expected to provide an update on conditions at a media briefing scheduled for 2.30pm today. Stay tuned with Aus News Lanka  – the leading platform for news for Australians .

Melbourne — Ticket sales for Naadha Gama Melbourne 2026 have marked a significant milestone for Sri Lankan live music events held in Australia, with 20% of tickets sold to audiences residing outside the state of Victoria. Interstate ticketing data shows demand led by New South Wales, followed by Queensland and South Australia, with further purchases recorded from other states and territories. For a Sri Lankan concert staged overseas, this level of interstate attendance is regarded as unprecedented and reflects growing national interest within the Australian Sri Lankan community. The concert will take place at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, one of Australia’s most recognised outdoor performance venues, known for hosting major international productions. Tickets for the event are being sold through Ticketek in association with Arts Centre Melbourne, marking a first for a Sri Lankan music event in Australia. With strong interstate attendance and national-level interest, Naadha Gama Melbourne is shaping up to be the largest celebration of Sri Lankan music ever held overseas, representing a defining moment for the community and its cultural presence on the international stage.

Macktiles, Sri Lanka’s premier tile manufacturer, marked a significant milestone in its global expansion strategy last Friday (February 6) with the official launch of Macktiles Australia in Dandenong, Melbourne. The event was graced by two of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated sporting icons, former cricket captains TM Dilshan and Rangana Herath, who officiated the opening ceremony amidst a gathering of industry leaders and community members. Renowned as Sri Lanka’s largest tile manufacturer, Macktiles enters the competitive Australian construction market with a reputation built on elegance, aesthetics, and durability. The brand is celebrated for powering the island nation’s tile industry through consistent innovation and design, manufacturing a wide spectrum of floor tiles tailored for both commercial and household applications. Speaking at the launch, Mr. Dhanushka Fernando, one of the directors of Macktiles Australia, highlighted the company’s proven track record in the international arena. "We have successfully catered to markets in the USA, Africa, the Middle East, Island markets, and Southeast Asia," Mr. Fernando stated. "We, as Macktiles, bring a quality product to all these markets. Australia is our next definitive step." Adding to this sentiment, fellow Directors Nilrukshi De Silva and Ashane Hewawasam, along with General Manager Niroshan Pananwala, expressed their enthusiasm for the new venture: "We are proud to bring Macktiles to the Australian market. Our tiles are proudly made in Sri Lanka, utilising advanced European technology to ensure world-class quality." Coinciding with the showroom opening, the company also unveiled its dedicated digital platform for the region—www.macktiles.com.au—allowing Australian customers to browse their extensive portfolio of premium tiling solutions. The arrival of Macktiles in Victoria signals a strong new chapter for Sri Lankan exports in the region. Aus News Lanka extends its warmest congratulations and best wishes to the Macktiles Australia team as they embark on this new venture.

This is a developing story brought to you by Aus News Lanka , your trusted source for news for Sri Lankans  in Australia and beyond. Bandaranaike International Airport has welcomed the arrival of the historic Captain’s Choice Qantas flight on the famous Kangaroo Route, with 142 passengers landing in Colombo. Airport authorities said arrivals were handled smoothly through BIA’s Silk Route fast-track service, allowing passengers to move quickly and comfortably from arrival to exit. The Silk Route is BIA’s premium arrival facility, offering faster clearance and personalised assistance to improve the overall travel experience. Sri Lanka Airports has encouraged travellers to book the Silk Route service in advance through the official airport website to enjoy a more seamless arrival at BIA. More updates to come on AusNewsLanka .

At AusNewsLanka , we aim to keep the Australian community informed with timely updates. Lives and property are at risk as Cyclone Mitchell moves south along the Western Australian coast, with authorities warning some communities it is now too dangerous to leave. The Category 2 system was near Exmouth early this morning and is expected to cross the coast near Coral Bay later today or this evening. Emergency services have issued shelter-in-place orders for areas from Coral Bay to Minilya Roadhouse, north of Ningaloo, and from Minilya to north of Wooramel Roadhouse, including Carnarvon. Officials warn the cyclone may cause dangerous storm surge, abnormally high tides and flooding, urging residents to stay indoors and avoid floodwaters. Early today, the storm had sustained winds close to 100km/h, with gusts up to 140km/h. Heavy rain and strong winds are affecting the coastline from Exmouth to south of Denham, with rainfall of 100mm to 200mm possible within 24 hours. While the system is expected to weaken after making landfall and lose cyclone status by tomorrow, severe weather impacts are likely to continue. Power outages have already affected hundreds of homes and businesses, with repair crews unable to respond due to unsafe conditions. Parts of the Pilbara recorded damaging winds and heavy rain overnight, and several mine sites and campsites have been evacuated as a precaution. The North West Coastal Highway has been closed north of Carnarvon, cutting access to towns including Exmouth, Coral Bay and Onslow. Western Australia’s Premier has urged residents to remain calm, prepare where possible and allow the cyclone to pass before damage assessments begin. 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. Applications are now open for Australia Awards Scholarships, giving Sri Lankan citizens the chance to study in Australia from 2027. Funded by the Australian Government, the program supports Sri Lanka’s development by helping future leaders gain advanced qualifications, professional skills and global experience. The 2027 intake offers Master’s degree scholarships at Australian universities, through coursework or research. Priority study areas include climate change and disaster management, economic development, education, governance, gender equality, disability and social inclusion, and inclusive growth. Women, people with disabilities and applicants from marginalised communities are strongly encouraged to apply. Preference will also be given to candidates working in priority districts such as Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Badulla, Monaragala, Puttalam, Ratnapura and Nuwara Eliya. The scholarship covers return airfares, full tuition, living costs, health insurance and academic support, including an introductory programme. Additional support is available for approved research and fieldwork components. Applicants must be Sri Lankan citizens with at least three years of relevant work experience, meet English language requirements and hold a qualification equivalent to an Australian bachelor’s degree. Applications opened on 1 February 2026 and close on 30 April 2026. Submissions must be made online through the Australia Awards OASIS system with all required documents. More updates to come on AusNewsLanka .