Novak Djokovic denied entry to Australia, has visa cancelled
Brisbane(AP): Novak Djokovic's chance to play for a 10th Australian Open title was thrown into limbo Thursday when the country denied him entry and cancelled his visa because he failed to meet the requirements for an exemption to COVID-19 vaccination rules.
The top-ranked Djokovic announced on social media Tuesday that he had exemption permission and landed in Australia late Wednesday after receiving a medical exemption from the Victoria state government that would shield him from the strict vaccination regulations in place for this year's first major tennis tournament.
But border authorities did not accept the exemption. The Australian Border Force issued a statement saying Djokovic failed to meet entry requirements.
The rule is very clear, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told a news conference Thursday. You need to have a medical exemption. He didn't have a valid medical exemption. We make the call at the border, and that's where it's enforced.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the visa cancellation followed a review of Djokovic's medical exemption by border officials who looked at the integrity and the evidence behind it.
He said Djokovic was free to appeal the decision, but if a visa is cancelled, somebody will have to leave the country.
The president of Djokovic's native Serbia's blasted the harassment of the star, who was detained overnight at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport. The 20-time major winner had to wait more than eight hours at the airport to find out if he would be allowed into the country. He was later moved to a hotel, pending arrangements for a flight or legal action.
Morrison confirmed the cancellation in a Twitter post: "Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules. Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, we are continuing to be vigilant.
Responding later to questions about confusion between the different requirements of federal and state governments, Morrison said it was ultimately up to individual travellers to have correct documentation when they arrive.
The prime minister also rejected the suggestion that Djokovic was being singled out, but he acknowledged that other players may be in Australia on the same type of medical exemption and visa.
One of the things the Border Force does is they act on intelligence to direct their attention to potential arrivals, he said. When you get people making public statements about what they say they have, and they're going to do, they draw significant attention to themselves.
Anyone who does that whether they're a celebrity, a politician, a tennis player...they can expect to be asked questions more than others before you come.
The medical exemptions, vetted by two independent panels of experts and based on information supplied anonymously by players, had been designed to allow Djokovic to play in the Australian Open, regardless of his vaccination status for COVID-19.
He has spoken out against vaccines in the past and has steadfastly refused to acknowledge whether he received any shots against the coronavirus.
His father, Srdjan Djokovic, told the B92 internet portal that his son was held at the airport in a room which no one can enter and guarded by two police officers.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Instagram that he spoke to Djokovic while he was being held at the airport. He said Serbian authorities were taking measures so the harassment of the best tennis player in the world be stopped in the shortest possible time .
Djokovic's revelation on social media that he was heading to Australia seeking a record 21st major title instantly became a hot political topic, with many Australians furious that he was granted an exemption to enter the country. Critics questioned what grounds he could have for the exemption, and backers argued that he has a right to privacy and freedom of choice.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley defended the completely legitimate application and process and insisted there was no special treatment for Djokovic.
The Victoria state government has mandated that only fully vaccinated players, staff members, fans and officials can enter Melbourne Park when the tournament begins Jan 17.
Only 26 people connected with the tournament applied for a medical exemption and, Tiley said, only a handful were granted.
Among the acceptable reasons for an exemption are acute major medical conditions, serious adverse reaction to a previous dose of COVID-19 vaccine or evidence of a COVID-19 infection within the previous six months.
Djokovic tested positive for the coronavirus in June 2020 after he played in a series of exhibition matches that he organized in Serbia and Croatia without social distancing amid the pandemic.
Concerns about Djokovic's visa status started building Wednesday.
Morrison initially said the medical exemption decision was a matter for the government of Victoria, where Melbourne is the state capital.
But Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews then clarified the border process.
While the Victorian government and Tennis Australia may permit a non-vaccinated player to compete in the Australian Open, it is the Commonwealth government that will enforce our requirements at the Australian border, Andrews said.
If an arriving individual is not vaccinated, they must provide acceptable proof that they cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons to be able to access the same travel arrangement as fully vaccinated travellers.
When asked again about Djokovic's case later Wednesday, Morrison added: If that evidence is insufficient, then he won't be treated any different to anyone else, and he'll be on the next plane home.
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Tribal man brings dead sister's skeleton to bank to withdraw money from her account
Keonjhar (PTI): A tribal man in Odisha's Keonjhar district on Monday brought the skeleton of his dead sister to a bank to withdraw the money deposited in her name, police said.
The incident occurred at Maliposi branch of Odisha Grameen Bank located at Patana block of Keonjhar district. The man was identified as Jeetu Munda (50) of Dianali village. He was seeking to withdraw Rs 20,000 from the bank account of his elder sister, Kalra Munda (56), who died on January 26, 2026.
"I have run several times to the bank, and the people there told me to bring the account holder to withdraw money deposited in her name. Though I told them that she had died, they did not listen to me and insisted on bringing her to the bank. Therefore, out of frustration, I dug the grave and brought out her skeleton as proof of her death," an illiterate Jeetu Munda told reporters.
Patana Police Station Inspector in charge (IIC) Kiran Prasad Sahu, who reached the bank after getting information, said, "Jeetu is an illiterate tribal man. He does not know what the legal heir or nominee is. The bank officials have failed to make him understand the procedure to withdraw money from the dead person's account."
However, after the incident, the police assured Jeetu Munda that they would facilitate the withdrawal of money from the bank account of his dead sister. Later, the skeleton was again buried at the graveyard in presence of police.
Meanwhile, local Block Development Officer (BDO) Manas Dandpat said that he was not approached by anyone for the legal heir of late Kalra Munda. "Today only, I came to know about it. We will see what can be done to resolve the issue," the BDO said.
Meanwhile, bank sources said that the nominee in Kalra Munda's bank account was also dead. Therefore, Jeetu Munda was the lone claimant over the money deposited in her name.
The local administration has directed the bank officers to make arrangements and ensure that Jeetu Munda, who is the only claimant as per the rules, gets the money as soon as possible.
