Australia news live updates: Novak Djokovic to be detained amid legal battle; Covid case numbers expected to surge
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Version 1 of 22. Follow live “Double-dose vaccination rates among people with disability may be as low as 50% in some regional and remote local government areas,” Luke Henriques-Gomes writes: While close contacts around the country have been allowed to go back to work after the federal government pushed for more relaxed isolation rules, a South Australian meatworks went further. People who were Covid positive were allowed to go back to work. Peter Hannam writes: Extraordinary. Read all about it here: Police are preparing for “intense protests” at Old Parliament House today, AAP reports. The so-called sovereign citizens movement has been encroaching on the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra and causing trouble ever since that fire was lit against the doors of Old Parliament House in December. I’ll keep an eye on it and let you know what happens. The legendary Malcolm Farr has cast an eagle eye over the Novak Djokovic saga, and prime minister Scott Morrison’s role in it. Some more details on this morning’s court hearing for Novak Djokovic – we’ll be bringing it to you as it happens: Good morning, and welcome to your weekend. On the news front, it’s sure to be a relaxing ride. There’s not much going on, is there? Oh, wait. Late yesterday we heard tennis star Novak Djokovic’s visa was cancelled – again. After a week of tortuous twists and turns, the immigration minister, Alex Hawke, cancelled it “on health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so”. The world’s No 1 player is expected to be interviewed by immigration officials in Melbourne at 8am. He is then expected to be returned to immigration detention. A hearing on the matter is listed in the federal court at 10.15am. A final result is expected on Sunday afternoon. The Serbian president, Aleksandar Vucic, has accused the Australian government of “harassing” and “maltreating” Djokovic. Djokovic’s former coach and mentor, Niki Pilic, described the situation as “shameful” and said Djokovic was being treated like a “criminal.” In the meantime, here’s Paul Karp’s take. We’ll bring you the latest Covid figures, even if the case numbers have somewhat lost their connection to reality, and we’re keeping an eye on shortages of ... frankly, everything, including common sense on some fronts. And as always, I’ll try to find some nuggets of joy (or weirdness) to sprinkle through the news. |