Your morning Briefing: Serbian ‘war criminal’ living in Sydney

Your 2-minute digest of the day’s top stories and must-reads.

Good morning readers. An alleged Serbian war criminal has been living in Sydney for 25 years, and Lleyton Hewitt has returned serve to Bernard Tomic, accusing him of intimidation and blackmail.

Zoran Tadic (C top row) with members of his brigade. Picture: Suppled.

‘War criminal’

An alleged Serbian war criminal, accused of killing dozens of civilians in one of Croatia’s worst massacres, has lived in Sydney for over 25 years. Jacquelin Magnay has the story.

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Generic Thinkstock image of a hospital doctor prepared to examine a patient with stethoscope in front pocket.

GP exodus

Doctors have blamed falling numbers of GPs seeing patients in nursing homes on poorly trained and overworked nursing staff, younger colleagues opting out and Medicare rebates that are too low to cover the cost of visits. On the eve of the royal commission into aged care quality and safety, the blowtorch has turned on nursing home providers and doctors over residents who fail to receive proper care because of gaps between the two professions.

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Eric Lobbecke Op Ed Cartoon for 18-01-2019. Version: Ozoped Artwork (1280x720 - Aspect ratio preserved, Canvas added)COPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications.Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.

About Schmitt

In 1923, as the Weimar Republic struggled with chaos, the German polymath Carl Schmitt wrote a short but enormously influential book, The Crisis of Parliamentary Democracy. Schmitt later destroyed his reputation through his collaboration with the Hitler regime. But if his work is increasingly cited, it is because its contemporary resonance is undeniable, writes Henry Ergas.

“With the US government plunged into a shutdown that only a presidential declaration of a state of emergency is likely to end, and Britain in a crisis that seems ­irresoluble, Schmitt’s warnings cannot simply be ­dismissed.”

Henry Ergas

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Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe who was killed in Melbourne on January 17, 2019. Photo from Instagram.

Deadly attack

Aiia Maasarwe, the young international student murdered after getting off a Melbourne tram, was speaking to her sister in Israel when she was attacked, with her sibling hearing her cry out and drop the phone. The 21-year-old Arab Israeli student was so scared of the walk from the tram stop to her student accommodation she would call one of her sisters while walking to feel safer, a family member told The Australian yesterday.

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(FILES) In this file photograph taken on March 4, 2016, Australia's team captain Lleyton Hewitt (R) encourages compatriot Bernard Tomic (L) between games against Jack Sock of the US during their men's singles match at the World Group first round Davis Cup tennis tournament at Kooyong in Melbourne. - Lleyton Hewitt accused Bernard Tomic of blackmail and physical threats against him and his family in explosive allegations on January 17, 2019, as Australian tennis plunged to new lows. The veteran two-time Grand Slam champion said the firebrand player would never again feature in Davis Cup while he captained the Australian team. (Photo by Paul CROCK / AFP) / IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE

Tomic served

Once renowned as the premier return in tennis, Lleyton Hewitt’s response to Bernard Tomic’s incendiary allegations was as decisive as it was damaging to the latter’s already besmirched reputation. Hewitt claimed the 26-year-old had levelled threats of physical violence against both himself and his family over the past 18 months while also attempting to blackmail him via Davis Cup selection and availability. Keep up with all the action from Melbourne in our live Australian Open blog.

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Kudelka’s view

Jon Kudelka Letters Cartoon for 18-01-2019. Version: Letters Cartoon (1280x720 - Aspect ratio preserved, Canvas added)COPYRIGHT: The Australian's artists each have different copyright agreements in place regarding re-use of their work in other publications.Please seek advice from the artists themselves or the Managing Editor of The Australian regarding re-use.