Bharat Rakshak

The statistics from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development show there has been 46.6 percent increase in the number of people becoming Australian citizens.

About 123,400 applied to become Australian citizens in 2012-13, the highest number since 2011-12, the International Migration Outlook report said.

Australia's Migration Programme has also seen a significant increase, with 40,100 India citizens applying to migrate during 2012-13, while China had 27,300 applications and the UK had 21,700, media reported.

"There is a growing trend of Indian and Chinese citizens seeking citizenship in Australia for greater global movement," migration Law expert Sharon Harris said.

"India and China is without any doubt the most prolific source countries for pursuing visas and ultimately citizenship," she said. With an Australia passport, this opens up greater travel access globally.
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vish_mulay wrote:Apparently many nsw govt offices are located in the same building. Could be the target all along and cafe was just ways of means. SHQ frequents this cafe regularly and was supposed to be there but for a last minute meeting. Shaken and thankful for the last minute distraction for SHQ.

vish_mulay wrote:From pictures it appears at least one South Asian hostage. By the look of mustaches, it seems south Indian it guy.

Gunman has reportedly told police he has planted four bombs in the city
Ian Johnston , Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith , Adam Withnall
Monday 15 December 2014

The gunman who has taken around 15 hostages in a Sydney café has been named by police as a 50-year-old Islamist cleric who is well known to the police and is on bail for accessory to murder.

An Iranian refugee with previous convictions for sexual assault, Man Haron Monis moved to Australia in 1996 and assumed the title of “Sheikh Haron”.

Well-known to the authorities since he was found to have written hate letters to the families of Australian soldiers killed in overseas conflicts, Monis operates an extremist website, YouTube channel, Facebook and Twitter pages in which he describes his various police charges as part of a witch hunt against him.

He was also banned in 2010 from writing similar "letters of condolence" to British soldiers killed in that conflict.

It is believed Monis is out on bail after he was arrested earlier this year over sexual assault allegations stemming from 2002.

Police in that case alleged he put adverts in his local paper claiming to be a spiritual healer with expertise in astrology, numerology, meditation and black magic, and indecently and sexually assaulted a woman who visited him.

It is alleged he told the woman the attacks were part of a spiritual healing technique, and he warned the alleged victim not to tell anyone about them.

"There's no operational reason for that name to be held back by us now," said a police source, who declined to be identified.

On his website, Haron posted an update yesterday that read:

"Islam is the religion of peace, that's why Muslims fight against the oppression and terrorism of USA and its allies including UK and Australia. If we stay silent towards the criminals we cannot have a peaceful society. The more you fight with crime, the more peaceful you are. Islam wants peace on the Earth, that's why Muslims want to stop terrorism of America and its allies. When you speak out against crime you have taken one step towards peace."

In one video posted on his YouTube channel, Haron can be seen holding a placard that says "I have been tortured in prison for my political letters".

Man Haron Monis in a video posted on his YouTube channel Man Haron Monis in a video posted on his YouTube channel On his Twitter account, Haron has posted numerous messages in support of "Team Islam" and criticising "racist and terrorist Australians".

krishnan wrote:he has been shot dead , also 2 civs dead and few injured

Madhusudhan wrote:Looks like the Australian police learnt some lessons from 26/11.. The first thing they did was a media cordon and were very strict about it.

Tanaji wrote:I was expectantly looking for a connection to the Land of Pure but am surprised at the Iranian one. I thought the Isis regarded the Shia as non believers, so how come the Shia guy is supporting Isis?

Two Indian nationals -- Vishwakant Ankit Reddy and Pushpendu Ghosh -- were among the hostages involved when Monis began his siege. However, Reddy, an Infosys employee in his mid-30s, and Ghosh, whose details were not known, escaped safely.

Tanaji wrote:I was expectantly looking for a connection to the Land of Pure but am surprised at the Iranian one. I thought the Isis regarded the Shia as non believers, so how come the Shia guy is supporting Isis?

Tanaji wrote:I was expectantly looking for a connection to the Land of Pure but am surprised at the Iranian one. I thought the Isis regarded the Shia as non believers, so how come the Shia guy is supporting Isis?

Chandragupta wrote:Australians showing the kind of dhimmitude that will put 'secular' Hindus to shame. The siege was only an hour in when they started trending #illridewithyou, 'preventing' any backlash to Muslims in Sydney riding on public transport.

anmol wrote:

Tanaji wrote:I was expectantly looking for a connection to the Land of Pure but am surprised at the Iranian one. I thought the Isis regarded the Shia as non believers, so how come the Shia guy is supporting Isis?

ex-Shia, he converted to Sunni Islam.

But even many devout Iranian Shi'a are rejecting the kinks of their ideology - and gravitating to a slightly better forms of shi'ism or even a flat out Sunni-like ideology.

Firstpost ‏@firstpostin 9m9 minutes ago

Australia’s counter terrorism police raid five Sydney homes http://dlvr.it/7sTy6K

Australian counter-terrorism police confirmed Friday they raided five Sydney homes on Thursday which were linked to a man's alleged plot to execute a random member of the public in Martin Place in the city's central business district.

While Martin Place was the same location as this week's siege, the two events were not connected, police told the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

The Independent ‏@Independent 5m5 minutes ago

BREAKING: Australia left reeling as eight children are stabbed to death – with the youngest victim just 18-months-old http://ind.pn/1uZ8tiV

Australia had formally requested for a “quadrilateral dialogue” with the intent of joining the “India-U.S.-Japan” trilateral talks as part of the “Asia dialogue” that has been going on all week, sources say. The country wanted to join the Indo-U.S. ‘Malabar’ naval exercises annually, along with Japan.

The request was reportedly made during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in November and the issue may raise “tripwires over the China factor,” according to some officials.

According to sources, U.S. and Indian officials are also discussing the announcement of one or two projects under the Defence Trade and Technological Initiative (DTTI), which they hope to pitch as a part of the government’s “Make in India” initiative.

While officials would not confirm which projects will be picked, they pointed to aircraft components and helicopter parts jointly produced by U.S. companies such as Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky and the Tatas as the way forward.

An earlier U.S. proposal to produce the Javelin anti-tank missiles in India had failed as India chose the Israeli “Spike” missiles instead. However, U.S. interlocutors have pointed to the proposal as an example of how America is now offering India “exclusive” deals they have not offered other countries.

“We want to move beyond a buyer-seller relationship, towards one of co-development and co-production, where both our nations will benefit,” said Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Puneet Talwar, who visited Delhi earlier this month to take the negotiations forward.