Foreign partners coming to Australia will soon have to demonstrate they can speak English in order to be granted a permanent visa.
Partner visa applicants and their spouses, provided they are a permanent resident, will need to demonstrate they’ve made reasonable efforts to learn English.
The change to the visa requirement comes after a rise in the number of people not being able to speak English well or at all in the past decade, Immigration Minister Alan Tudge said in a statement.
“From late 2021, new partner visa applicants and permanent resident sponsors will be required to have functional level English or to demonstrate that they have made reasonable efforts to learn English,” Mr Tudge said.
Alan Tudge says the new requirement is in part so migrants can enjoy a better life in Australia. Photo: ABC News/Tamara Penniket.
“People will be able to demonstrate this through, for example, the completion of 500 hours of free English language classes through the Adult Migration English Program.”
Mr Tudge pointed to a previously announced overhaul of the Adult Migrant English Program, giving migrants access to unlimited English classes free of charge.
Partner visas are processed in two stages and the minister’s office said the new language requirement would not need to be met until someone was applying for permanency, usually after two years of being able to live in Australia on a temporary partner visa.
The Government is also temporarily boosting the number of partner visas available this financial year under the existing migration cap of 160,000 places.
Mr Tudge said there was almost one million people living in Australia with poor or no English and that language skills were necessary to finding work and staying safe.
“And we want to encourage everybody to be able to learn English so that they can fully engage in Australian life, in every aspect of it, from employment markets, to our democracy, to our society, to community activity,” Mr Tudge said.
“English is absolutely essential in order to do all of that.”
Greece’s Foreign Ministry says it is recalling its ambassador to Azerbaijan following what it says are “completely unfounded and insulting allegations” by the Azerbaijani government that it is tolerating the preparation of terrorist acts.
In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry said the Greek ambassador had been recalled to Athens for consultations.
It said the Azerbaijani government had claimed Greece was tolerating the preparation of terrorist acts, attempts to recruit terrorist fighters and cyber attacks against Azerbaijan due to the latter’s conflict with Armenia over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The ministry said it had filed a protest over the issue on Tuesday with the Azerbaijani ambassador in Greece.
Earlier this month, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited media reports and other information that it said indicated that “thousands of ethnic Armenians” from several countries, including Greece, were heading to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Occupied Cyprus said on Tuesday it will reopen the beach area of an abandoned resort in no-man’s land, a move condemned by Greek Cypriots and likely to conjure up memories of the 1974 Turkish invasion that partitioned the island.
Ersin Tatar, premier of the breakaway state of occupied Cyprus, made the announcement in Ankara alongside Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who said he backed the decision on Varosha, sealed off within barbed wire for decades.
“God willing, we will start to use the Maras beach on Thursday morning together with our people,” Tatar said, using Varosha’s Turkish name.
Turkish President, Tayyip Erdogan, meets with Ersin Tatar, prime minister of occupied Cyprus, in Ankara, Turkey October 6, 2020.
Sources in Cyprus said the plan was to open up about 1.5 km of beachfront to the public and not the approximately 6 square km inland that includes abandoned hotels and residences, which its population of 39,000 people fled in 1974 during a Turkish invasion following a Greek inspired coup.
“We hope that the whole of Maras is opened to use after ongoing work is completed by respecting property rights,” Erdogan said, pledging support for Turkish Cypriot officials.
Cyprus promptly condemned the move to partially reopen the abandoned resort and said it would file a recourse to the United Nations Security Council.
“This is an exceptionally unacceptable situation,” Cypriot President, Nicos Anastasiades, said.
Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, also criticised the move and said Greece would support Cyprus.
“I want to condemn Turkey’s decision to extend the entry permit to the Varosia coastal front. This decision is a clear violation of UN Security Council Resolutions,” Mitsotakis wrote on Twitter.
Θέλω να καταδικάσω την απόφαση της Τουρκίας για την επέκταση της άδειας εισόδου στο παραλιακό μέτωπο των Βαρωσίων. Η απόφαση αυτή συνιστά κατάφωρη παραβίαση των Αποφάσεων του Συμβουλίου Ασφαλείας των ΗE. Η Ελλάδα θα στηρίξει όλες τις προσπάθειες της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας. pic.twitter.com/bJthBdwkU6
EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, added late on Wednesday that the incident would only exacerbate tensions between Turkey and the bloc, already running high over Ankara’s gas exploration in Cypriot waters.
“The opening of this area, which is a closed area according to the ceasefire agreements under the auspices of the United Nations, is a serious violation of this agreement,” Borrell told the European parliament.
He said the bloc would issue a statement later on Wednesday “asking Turkey to stop this activity.”
“For sure, this is not going to help. On the contrary it’s going to make it more difficult to reach an agreement on an especially difficult situation for all of us on the eastern Mediterranean,” he added.
Following guilty verdicts against the Golden Dawn group over a series of crimes including murder, Athens has seen a day of jubilation, tears and tear gas.
As a landmark trial spanning more than five years concluded, Golden Dawn was found guilty of four charges – significantly of being a criminal organisation.
Tens of thousands people who had converged around the heavily guarded court complex in anticipation of the judgment, roared in excitement as the news of the landmark decision emerged.
Protesters gather outside the Athens courthouse on Wednesday morning. Photo: Orestis Panagiotou/EPA.
People hugged, chanted and clapped at the news, and there was a sense of relief as well as joy in the air.
In emotional scenes, Pavlos Fyssas’s mother, Magda, who has waited for more than seven years to see justice served for her son, punched the air outside the court and said “you did it, my son,” while members of his family cried and hugged each other nearby.
“Pavlos did it. He did it. My son!”Magda Fyssa, mother of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas, who was murdered in 2013 by a member of Golden Dawn, reacts to the verdict on 7 October.
Protesters young and old embraced and chanted the names of Golden Dawn’s victims – Pavlos Fyssas and Shehzad Luqman, who was 27 when he was stabbed to death by Golden Dawn affiliates in 2013.
But the joy was cut short by the use of tear gas and a water cannon against the largely peaceful group.
A small number of people had reportedly started throwing objects at the police, but after dancing and clapping, many who had gathered outside the court were left struggling to breathe amid copious waves of tear gas.
Greek riot police officers charge protesters during scuffles in part of an anti-fascist rally, outside the court in Athens, following the announcement of its verdict. Photo: Yorgos Karahalis/AP Photo.
However, the tear gas was not enough to dampen the protesters’ spirits as they left the court and headed towards Syntagma Square, chanting anti-fascist songs.
Greek PM and President welcome Golden Dawn convictions:
Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, also hailed the guilty verdicts as a victory, writing on Twitter that “democracy has won.”
“Αfter the Greek people voted the neo-Nazi party of Golden Dawn out of Parliament in the last election, today the Greek justice system convicted its leadership of operating as a criminal organisation. A truly historic day for Greece, democracy and the rule of law,” Mitsotakis wrote.
Το ναζιστικό μόρφωμα, μετά τις κάλπες, καταδικάστηκε και στο δικαστήριο. Απόδειξη της δύναμης που εκπέμπει το κοινοβουλευτικό πολίτευμα και η διάκριση των εξουσιών. Η ενότητα, η αλήθεια και η ομαλότητα.
This was followed by the Greek president, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who said the judgment was an important day for democracy and evidence Greek institutions were able to “fend off any attempt to undermine them.”
It is an important day for democracy. Εxtreme political violence is alien to our long democratic tradition. The conviction of Golden Dawn confirms our institutions’ strength against any attempt to undermine them.
Pavlos Fyssas’ murderer claims remorse to appeal for smaller sentence:
During the Golden Dawn trial, Giorgos Roupakias was also found guilty of all charges related to the murder of Pavlos Fyssas.
But he has appealed for a smaller sentence on the grounds that he feels “sincere remorse” for stabbing the 34-year-old musician to death.
Giorgos Roupakias also asked judges to take into consideration his clean criminal record before the September 2013 killing as they prepare to punish him for the crime of premeditated murder, which carries a life sentence.
Giorgos Roupakias was also found guilty of all charges related to the murder of Pavlos Fyssas. Photo: Petros Giannakouris/Associated Press.
Addressing the court, Roupakias’ lawyer said his client has been “demonised” by the media and has been unable to leave his 50 square meter house for the four-and-a-half years since he was released from pretrial custody.
The court will deliver sentences later this week or by Monday at the latest.
Greek MEPs call for expulsion of ex-Golden Dawn reps from Parliament:
Greek left-wing lawmakers in the European Parliament urged President David Sassoli to expel two former Golden Dawn lawmakers from the House after the court verdict.
Movement For Change (KINAL) MEP, Nikos Androulakis, and Communist Party of Greece (KKE) MEPs urged Sassoli to expel Ioannis Lagos.
In his letter, Androulakis said, “Greek justice took the first step. I urge you to take the next one.”
The MEPs also called for the expulsion of MEP Athanasios Konstantinou, who was also a Golden Dawn member.
Lagos and Konstantinou are listed as “Independent” in official Europarliament pages.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is a French Open semifinalist for the first time after a straight sets win against Andrey Rublev in the quarter final.
World number six Tsitsipas, who will face top seed Novak Djokovic or Pablo Carreno Busta on Friday, made light work of his Russian opponent, taking just under two hours to win 7-5 6-2 6-3.
It puts Tsitsipas – the first player from his nation to make it this far in Paris – into his second career grand slam semi-final, following his run to the last four in the Australian Open in 2019.
The 22-year-old, who claimed 43 points on his first serve, won 16 of the final 21 games to thwart any comeback hopes for Rublev.
“I have been feeling really comfortable playing on this court,” Tsitsipas told a limited number of spectators on Court Philippe-Chatrier after his triumph.
“Despite not having a good start and being a break down, I remembered what a big fighter I am. It’s about fighting and trying to find solutions in difficult moments.”
Tsitsipas conceded the first break in an intense opener, with Rublev striking to go 3-2 up, but the 13th seed could not hold his nerve when serving for the set and an overhit forehand handed the ATP Finals champion a reprieve.
Another sloppy Rublev forehand gifted Tsitsipas the first set, and several unforced errors from the Russian followed in the second as the fifth seed upped the pressure.
A wonderful drop-shot gave Tsitsipas a first match point on Rublev’s serve, though he failed to convert it.
Yet victory was assured in the next game, with Tsitsipas rounding off a supreme display with a clinical forehand volley.
A five-and-a-half-year trial of the far-right Golden Dawn political group has officially come to a close, with a guilty verdict being dealt to party member executives for joining a criminal organisation.
Specifically, Nikos Michaloliakos, Elias Kasidiari, Giannis Lagos, George Germenis, Christos Pappas, Elias Panagiotaros and Artemis Mattheopoulos were all found guilty.
Also part of the trial, Giorgos Roupakias was found guilty of all charges related to the murder of Pavlos Fyssas, along with the other 17 defendants facing charges related to the musician’s murder.
All the accused for the attack against PAME have also been found guilty.
Athens comes to a standstill
Thousands of people gathered outside a courthouse in Athens shouting slogans calling for the defendants to be jailed. Hundreds of police were also deployed at the courthouse, a few kilometres from the historic centre of the capital.
Cheers erupted from the streets following the guilty verdict announcement as prepared molotov cocktails were allegedly laid to rest.
Sixty-eight people associated with Golden Dawn, including the party’s entire leadership, were faced with charges of operating a criminal organisation while at the same time posing as a political group. Police officers who allegedly supported the far-right party are among those on trial.
“They are not innocent, they must go to jail, they must be convicted,” said a 69-year old demonstrator outside the court who gave her name as Sophia to Reuters.
“We must send a message to the younger generations, a message against fascism,” she said.
The prosecutions were sparked by the late-night murder of a 34-year-old anti-fascist rapper called Pavlos Fyssas, who was chased down by a mob of Golden Dawn thugs and stabbed to death in front of a cafe in the western Athens suburb of Keratsini in September 2013.
MPs who represented the xenophobic bloc until its electoral defeat in July 2019 are also accused of attempted murder, possession of weapons and employing violence to eradicate perceived enemies.
The accusations were vigorously denied by the party.
Dimitris Psarras at the Golden Dawn trial, which could place the party’s leaders behind bars, on November 6, 2019. Photo: Nick Paleologos/Al Jazeera.
Over 100 Greek Australians released a statement against Golden Dawn ahead of the trial verdict yesterday, saying a guilty verdict on all charges would, “ensure and protect the democratic values of Greece the country of our forbearers.”
“The intimidation of citizens, the undermining of democratic politics and institutions through violence and murder or through racist and extreme language, have no place in Greece,” the statement adds.
The Hellenic Pontian Genocide Commemorative Committee of NSW, consisting of three Pontian Association Clubs in NSW, have released a joint-statement declaring their intention to stand by Artsakh and Armenia as they struggle against the aggression of Azerbaijan.
The Committee, which is made up of Pontoxeniteas NSW, Panageia Soumela Sydney and Diogenes Wollongong, send prayers to the Armenian Hellene villagers of Mehmana (Martakert district) in northern Artsakh, which is close to the frontline of the ongoing battle.
It’s been declared the biggest flare-up in violence between the two former Soviet republics since 2016, with both sides blaming each other for reigniting a three-decade-old territorial dispute over the separatist region.
Armenia accused Azerbaijan of launching an air and artillery attack on the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
In this image, distributed by the Armenian government, a building burns after recent shelling during the ongoing fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, in the city of Stepanakert early on October 4.
In response, Armenia declared martial law and mobilised its male population. Troops shot down two military helicopters and destroyed three tanks, its defence ministry said.
The Federation of Pontian Associations of Australia last week said the strong support from “Turkey’s dictator and human rights violator Erdogan” has allowed Azerbaijani forces to carry out attacks on innocent civilians for days.
The Hellenic Pontian Genocide Commemorative Committee of NSW have called upon the Australian Government to declare its condemnation of the Azeri-Turkish invasion and to publicly demand a ceasefire and peaceful negotiations.
A woman, salvages belongings from a house damaged by shelling by Armenian forces, in a residential area of the city of Ganja, Azerbaijan’s second-largest city, Monday, Oct. 5, 2020.(Unal Cam/DHA via AP)
“The escalation of violence conjures memories of the early stages of the genocide committed against the indigenous Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic peoples of Anatolia by the Ottoman Empire,” the joint statement says.
“As decedents of genocide survivors of the Pontos region of Anatolia (Asia Minor) we cannot allow history to repeat itself after 100 years.”
Im 1994, there were more than three hundred casualties after four days of fighting, with the two sides announcing they had agreed on a new cease-fire. Over a week since the first shells were launched across the border, it is unknown when the two countries will reorganise a new ceasefire protocol.
Russia has promised to defend Armenia, Turkey has pledged to support Azerbaijan, and Iran has a large Azeri minority, which could escalate a crisis and further complicate efforts to secure peace in the region.
Read the full letter below:
The Hellenic Pontian Genocide Commemorative Committee of NSW, Pontoxeniteas NSW, Panageia Soumela Sydney and Diogenes Wollongong stand united with and to support Artsakh’s and Armenia’s struggles against the aggression of Azerbaijan. Our prayers are especially with the Armenian Hellene villagers of Mehmana (Martakert district) in northern Artsakh, close to the frontline.
The escalation of violence conjures memories of the early stages of the genocide committed against the indigenous Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic peoples of Anatolia by the Ottoman Empire.
As decedents of genocide survivors of the Pontos region of Anatolia (Asia Minor) we cannot allow history to repeat itself after 100 years.
We pray and hope that the fighting ends and peace restored soon.
The Hellenic Pontian Genocide Commemorative Committee NSW condemns the aggressive and expansionist agenda of Azerbaijan and Turkey against the indigenous Armenian people of Artsakh and the villagers of Mehmana.
The Committee and its member-associations calls upon the Australian Government to declare its condemnation of the Azeri-Turkish invasion and to publically demand a ceasefire and peaceful negotiations.
Regards,
Mrs Maria Anthony President Pontoxeniteas NSW
Mr Peter Papoulidis President Panagia Soumela Sydney
Nr Nikolaos Chrissostomidis President Diogenes Wollongong
Following the budget speech presented by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg last night, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison virtually met with Australia’s multicultural media today to discuss the governments initiatives for Australia’s diverse communities.
The Australian Prime Minister emphasised during the virtual conference that this budget is “for multicultural Australia”. The budget, the Prime Minister says, recognises the enterprise of multicultural Australia and the impacts they have had on business development.
“Our multicultural communities and citizens are more likely to start a business, more likely to own a business, more likely to employ other Australians, and we’re seeing that across so many different communities,” Scott Morrison said.
Multicultural media
On the “social side of this budget”, the Prime Minister revealed the governments plan to maintain social cohesion. Much of this will be done through language media, which the Prime Minister agreed is essential to “keep our country together”.
“We need to ensure that language media is available, so all Australians, regardless of their background, can understand what is occurring in their country,” Mr Morrison added.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg with Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Photo: AAP
“As patriots, they’ll be keen to understand the policies of the government, the programs that are available, and we’re investing in more to ensure that Australians of all different backgrounds can understand what is available to them and can move their own life circumstances forward.”
The AMEP is targeted at new Australian migrants and provides up to 510 hours of English language tuition to help them learn foundation English language and settlement skills.
“Being able to learn English in Australia is a vital tool for social and economic inclusion”, Mr Morrison says.
“If you’re unable to engage in the first language of that country, which in Australia is English, then you will have opportunities limited in this country. Not by the government and not by anyone else, but by language challenges.”
The Prime Minister added that he still encourages other languages to be spoken, contributing to Australia’s diverse community, yet learning English is a “necessity”.
Migration program
The Prime Minister promised that borders will be opened until it is safe to do so, however doesn’t see this happening in the “foreseeable future”. Mr Morrison did, however, announce an additional 30,000 vacancies for the partner program this year, given there will be vacancies available that will normally go to other visa classes.
“That will be an important opportunity to get through, what has been for many a frustrating backlog,” Mr Morrison said.
The full version of the Greek language e-learning platform ‘StaEllinika‘ was launched on October 6, 2020, after a successful beta released in April.
The StaEllenika program covers topics ranging from basic Greek grammar and spelling, to Greek mythology and historical events such as Greek Independence Day.
The final version was presented on Tuesday by the Secretary General for Public Diplomacy & Greeks Abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ioannis Chrysoulakis.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis during a video conference wth Greek children across the globe.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis participated in a video conference in June with Greek children all over the world, including children of Greek heritage in Australia. The conference sealed the success of the digital learning platform, which is being used to a high frequency among the Greek Diaspora.
Since its beta release, it has gained some 13,000 subscribers from 110 different countries, including Australia.
“It is very important for me, Your Excellency, to be able to have a tool for learning the Greek language, which uses the internet, possesses a digital infrastructure, is easy to use, but also exploits the richness of Greek history and mythology to make the learning of Greek language exciting and enjoyable,” Mitsotakis said a few months ago.
In the full edition of StaEllinika gives parents, teachers and learners access to courses that include Beginners Greek for Ages 4+, Beginners Greek for Ages 6+, Beginners Greek for Ages 9+, Beginners Greek for Teens and Adults (Ages 13+), as well as History and Greek Mythology.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Costas Vlasis said that due to the special conditions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, “the fact that children and young people of the Greek Diaspora have the opportunity to travel for free from their home computer, mobile phone or their tablet to the wonderful world of the Greek language, Greek mythology and culture is even more valuable.”
Bondi Beach could replicate famous beach clubs found in Greece and Southern Europe, with Amalfi Beach Club applying to Waverley Council for permission to rope off a 30m by 40m stretch of sand.
Debate has been sparked over the privatisation of public land in Bondi, which would see the area sectioned off to accomodate “high net worth” individuals to enjoy cocktails and gourmet food in luxury cabanas.
The beach club would cover around two per cent of the iconic beach, near Roscoe St for the summer.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the applicant has proposed a number of date ranges over the summer period with the club to run Thursdays to Sundays between the hours of 12pm and 9pm in the form of four two-hour sessions.
The beach club would rival those in Europe.
A Waverley Council spokeswoman said the initial proposal for the beach club to operate between November and February was knocked back in May.
“Council officers determined the proposal to be unsuitable,” she said.
“The General Manager has since received a letter directly from the event organisers, proposing new dates of February to May 2021. This proposal is currently being reviewed by council officers.”
Beach Club organisers are looking to charge approximately $80 per person for a two hour slot with food and drinks on top. The area will be able to hold up to 100 guests at a time who can choose between the 10 cabanas, four booths or 20 sun lounges and be served fare from a rotating selection of local restaurants by private waiters.
A 600 signature petition supporting the concept continues to gain traction but not all the locals visiting the Amalfi Beach Club Facebook page are as impressed.
“To me it seems like you’re taking public beach space which is free and wanting to turn a profit from it,” Karina Crocker wrote.
“Australia as a whole is lacking the overseas beach club vibe. I think this is a great idea,” said Julie-Anne Donnachie.
