Daily Archives: July 14, 2014

Melbourne has the biggest Greek speaking population outside Greece. Photo: Kostas Deves.

Melbourne has more spoken languages than countries in the world, with Greek topping the list.

Melbourne is one of the most linguistically diverse cities in the world, with 251 individual languages spoken at home.

Greek is once again one of the largest spoken languages in metropolitan Melbourne, with Italian, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Cantonese behind according to Fairfax Media data.

The biggest concentration of Greek speakers was in the South East and continued down into the Peninsula area.

Greek was fairly widespread in the state, with pockets in the North (Preston, Thornbury and Northcote) and North East (Templestowe and North Warrandyte) and the West (Williamstown and Newport) housing a large share of Greek speakers.

One of the biggest jumps in the city was with Mandarin, with more than 100,000 people speaking the language at home compared to 60,000 in 2001.
Mandarin is now the second-most spoken language in inner city areas thanks to the jump in new migrant arrivals to the city.

Three in 10 people speak a language other than English in the city while 200,000 more Melburnians are speaking a language other than English than a decade ago.

In some suburbs, more than half the population speaks a language other than English, showing that many people settle in suburbs that have strong cultural connections to their motherland.

Source: Fairfax Media

As many as 14 million child brides – some as young as 10 – are forced to marry in Australia and the Indo-Pacific region every year, a new report has claimed.

According to the Plan International Australia report, up to 39,000 girls under the age of 18 are married off every day and it’s happening right under our noses.

“It’s definitely happening here. Often the girls are taken overseas for the marriage; they may or may not return immediately. They may return many years later,” Plan chief executive Ian Wishart told News Corp.

“Teachers will often report that a young girl simply doesn’t return to school after semester break and it’s very difficult to establish why, but she’s just disappeared.”

Mr Wishart said the Children’s and Youth L aw Centre had identified 250 cases of children being forced to marry with the Immigrant Women’s Health Service reporting 60 child brides in NSW alone.

Elia, 14, whose surname is withheld, is said in the report to have been married in Australia to an older man.

When she tried to return to study after the marriage her husband burnt her homework and forced her to drop out of school.

“There are parents who still have very strong stereotypes for their girls and there are parents who still think their children are owned, more or less, like property. And those two beliefs will drive those parents to take those decisions,” Mr Wishart said, adding that a common misunderstanding is that religious practice is to blame.

“They often believe they are acting in the best interests of their young girl.”

Mr Wishart called on the federal government to commit to ending child marriage and the United Nations to include the issue in its post-2015 development goals.

source: ninemsn.com.au

Photo: That winning moment … Germany’s Mario Goetze (C) celebrates scoring the winner against Argentina. (Reuters: Kai Pfaffenbach)

Germany has won the 2014 World Cup after Mario Goetze hit the final’s only goal in a 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina at the Maracana on Monday morning.

A combination of substitutes provided Germany’s golden moment as Andre Schuerrle danced past his marker on the left wing before hitting a sumptuous cross to Goetze, who chested the ball down and volleyed past Sergio Romero in one spectacular movement.

The goal punctuated a tense, tight affair which saw neither team able to find the breakthrough in 90 minutes of regular time despite a host of chances for both sides.

It is the fourth World Cup triumph for Germany after 18 years without an international title, to go alongside its 1954, 1974 and 1990 Cup wins.

Germany also became the first European nation to win the World Cup in the Americas, in a match which saw Argentina go behind for the first time in the tournament.

“We’re going to celebrate for at least five weeks now,” said Germany’s Manuel Neuer, who was awarded the tournament’s Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper.

“At some point we’ll stop celebrating but we’ll always keep waking up with a smile.

“We did it and it’s unbelievable. In the preparation we had some setbacks. We have to think of the guys not here. They are world champions now too.”

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said: “I feel sadness not to have been able to win the tournament but pride in the team that played a great game.

“I congratulate the players. They are a pride to the nation for the efforts they made and the tournament they played.”

There was a small consolation for Argentina as Lionel Messi picked up the tournament’s Golden Ball award for most outstanding player.

Both sides looked a potential winner heading into extra time as Germany’s Mesut Ozil cut the ball back for Schuerrle who fired straight at Romero, before Rodrigo Palacio chested down a cross into the box, only to watch his chipped effort sail wide of the German goal.

Goetze’s goal in the 113th minute prompted a mad scramble for one last goal from Argentina as Marcos Rojo volleyed a wild cross into the box which found the head of Messi, but the nodded shot only landed on the roof of the net.

Messi, on whom so many of Argentina’s tournament hopes rested, then had the chance to fire in a free-kick deep into added time of extra time’s second half, but shot over the bar as Germany prepared to celebrate.

Photo: Time to celebrate … German players rejoice after the final whistle. (Getty Images: Matthias Hangst)

Germany gradually ascended in the second half of normal time, but only after an early breakaway saw Messi hold off two defenders before unleasing a left-footed shot, missing the far post by inches.

Gonzalo Higuain then came off second best after a forceful bump from keeper Manuel Neuer, who had raced out to punch a Pablo Zabaleta long ball clear, leaving his knee in the Argentine’s collarbone. Somehow, a foul was called against Higuain.

But Germany then came into the match with a string of attacks on Argentina’s goal. Klose headed a cross straight to Romero, before a German turnover saw Ozil fluff his lines as he poked a Schuerrle cross wide.

Thomas Mueller then played Schuerrle into the box only for the move to break down thanks to the midfielder’s poor touch.

Messi sought to respond for Argentina, cutting in from the right and bringing three defenders with him across the edge of the box, but his left-foot effort curled well wide of goal.

Germany attacked again as Benedikt Hoewedes got into the box but could not pull the ball back for a team-mate, before Ozil ballooned a cross over Schuerrle’s head.

Ozil then set the ball up for Toni Kroos on the edge of the area, but his shot trickled wide as extra time beckoned.

Photo: Goal chalked off … Gonzalo Higuain saw his first-half strike ruled out  for offside. (Getty Images: Robert Cianflone)

The first half may have finished goal-less but saw a number of chances for both teams.

Higuain was put clean through by a wayward Kroos header, but contrived to skew his right-foot shot well wide with just Neuer to beat.

A good ball released Ezequiel Lavezzi on the right flank, allowing him to hit an inviting cross which Higuain turned in, but the goal was chalked off after the striker strayed a metre offside.

Christoph Kramer – on as a late call-up after Sami Khedira pulled up with a calf injury in the warm-up – was then forced to come off due to a head knock, forcing Germany into a midfield reshuffle as Schuerrle came on.

Schuerrle was immediately involved soon after as Mueller broke down the right wing before cutting back for the substitute, who forced Romero into a good save with a first-time side-footed effort.

Germany was forced to madly scramble the ball clear after Lavezzi muscled his way to the right byline before cutting the ball back into the box.

Mueller responded with an intercept before transferring the ball to Ozil, who set up a Kroos shot from distance as Romero got down low to save.

Mueller again found space on the right to hit an outswinging cross in Miroslav Klose’s direction, but it was just too wide for the forward to get his head on it.

There was late first-half drama in added time as Hoewedes smacked a header firmly against the post from a German corner as the stanza ended with honours even.

source: abc.net.au

Photo: Boots maker Neville Hayward and Senator Nick Xenophon think procurement rules are stacked against Australian firms. (Supplied)

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon has taken aim at the Federal Government for bypassing local firms to award contracts to overseas companies.

He says that under “value for money” criteria, the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) has gone with a foreign company rather than Adelaide company Rossi to make 100,000 pairs of boots for the Australian military.

The five-year deal is worth about $15 million.

Senator Xenophon says current rules preclude the DMO from considering the wider benefits for the local economy of awarding a deal to an Australian business.

“What rankles me is that with the $40 billion that the Commonwealth spends on procurement each year they don’t take into account local employment factors, the local multiplier effect of having something made here in Australia,” he said.

“Even if there is a small price differential, in terms of value for money you’re getting value for money in terms of jobs being kept here.”

Rossi ‘not told’ why it failed

Rossi Boots CEO Neville Hayward is upset the company was not given enough detail of why it failed with its tender.

“We don’t know what the price differential was as we were told that was commercial in-confidence,” he said.

“We do know our boots’ quality is world-class and, unlike imported boots, we employ Australians who pay their taxes, like our company, and spend their wages in the local community.”

Mr Hayward has gone to Canberra to urge the tender process be reopened and procurement rules reviewed.

An inquiry into government procurement rules, established by Senator Xenophon and Senator John Madigan of the Democratic Labour Party, is due to report later in the week.

source:abc.net.au

Σε μία σύντομη τελετή λήξης, η Σακίρα και ο Κάρλος Σαντάνα αποχαιρέτησαν τους φιλάθλους ανά τον κόσμο που έδωσαν το «παρών» στα γήπεδα της Βραζιλίας για το Μουντιάλ.

Με τέσσερις μεγάλες μαριονέτες που έκαναν την εμφάνισή τους στις τέσσερις γωνίες του αγωνιστικού χώρου του Μαρακανά συμβολίζοντας τις τέσσερις αξίες (Ελευθερία, Αλληλεγγύη, Πάθος και Διαφορετικότητα) ξεκίνησε η τελετή.

Εν συνεχεία, παρουσιάστηκαν οι σημαίες και των 32 χωρών που έλαβαν μέρος στη φετινή διοργάνωση.

Το αποκορύφωμα της φιέστας στο Μαρακανά ήταν η εμφάνιση της… ξυπόλητης Σακίρα στη σκηνή, η οποία φόρεσε κόκκινο φόρεμα και τραγούδησε το «La La La». Κοντά της και ο γιος της Μίλαν που απέκτησε με τον ποδοσφαιριστή Ζεράρ Πικέ…

Η τελετή λήξης μέσα από εικόνες…

Ραντεβού σε τέσσερα χρόνια…

Πηγή: zougla.gr