Citizenship bill dead, wannabe Aussies get green light for easier test

19/10/2017

(Translation of the news appears in Arabic section)

Canberra: Migrants wanting to become Australians have been given an assurance that their applications will be processed under the current rules.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton confirmed to ABC News this evening that applications received after April 20 would be processed under existing laws following the rejection of amendments by the Senate.

The decision is a significant backdown from the Federal Government, following its announcement in April of planned changes that would have made it harder to become an Australian.

The proposal would have required applicants to live in Australia for four years on permanent residency visas and demonstrate "competence" in English.

The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) and the Ethnic Communities Council in Victoria praised the rejection of the proposed citizenship law in the Senate.

Jacinda Ardern is kingmaker's choice to become New Zealand prime minister

NZ: Ardern will become the country's third female prime minister, after New Zealand First leader Winston Peters threw his support behind Labour to form a coalition government and end nearly a decade of National rule.

It comes nearly a month after an inconclusive election result left both National and Labour courting his nationalist party to form a governing coalition.

"This is an exciting day. We aspire to be a government for all New Zealanders and one that will seize the opportunity to build a fairer, better New Zealand," Ms Ardern said.

Ms Ardern, 37, will become New Zealand's third female prime minister and its youngest leader since the 1800s.

ASIO reveals major security concerns

Canberra: Foreign powers have been secretly trying to shape the opinions of the Australian public and media to advance their political interests and covertly influence ethnic and religious communities to curb criticism from them.

In ASIO's latest annual report, director-general Duncan Lewis said the intelligence agency had identified a number of states and other actors conducting espionage and foreign interference against Australia this past year.

Investigations revealed countries were carrying out intelligence operations to access sensitive government and industry information.

Slump in Sydney housing market to last until mid-2018: SQM

Sydney: Sydney house hunters may have more time to nab a better deal — the current lull in the market is expected to continue into the first half of next year, with prices forecast to only begin rising again in late 2018.

A Housing Boom and Bust Report by SQM Research has forecast Sydney’s median home price will finish this year at about 6-8 per cent higher than it was at the end of 2016.

The median will then increase 4-8 per cent over 2018, largely due to growth in the second half of the year.

2018 would thus be a reversal of 2017, when the strongest price movements were at the start of the year and lacklustre conditions set in over winter and spring.

SQM Research director Louis Christopher said banks’ restrictive lending policies to investors were driving the current slowdown and would determine whether prices grew again in 2018.

“Sydney will record a soft market in the first half of (2018), but property prices will start to recover in the second half as the banks will likely increase investment lending once again,” Mr Christopher said.

“I expect by this time next year we will see a spike in buyer activity and ease on lending criteria as banks want to maintain their market share,” he said.

Booming market conditions will continue in Melbourne.

A severe drop in Sydney home prices was unlikely, Mr Christopher said.

“Accelerated population growth rates in Melbourne and Sydney have enabled the cities to avoid severe property downturns,” he said.

Despite the cooling in the Sydney housing market, many house hunters would still struggle to get into the market, Mr Christopher added.