Abbott banned from duty-free shop

If Tony Abbott was looking to pick up some cheap booze at Russia's Vladivostok Airport then he had better think again.

The Australian prime minister has been banned from the airport’s duty-free shop, along with a host of other Western leaders including US President Barrack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Writer Michael Idov spotted the above sign on the weekend and posted a photo of it on Instagram.

Mr Idov told UK's The Independent i100 news website amateurishly printed signs with words like "entry denied to Barack Obama" had recently become a running joke on Russian social media.

But the Vladivostok Airport sign was obviously a cut above the rest, he said.

"What took me aback in this case was both the placement - the international lounge of an international airport, in a city that has just hosted a great international music festival - and the sleekness of the design," Mr Idov said.

"I can't imagine this sign being installed without the approval of the airport authorities. It truly boggles the mind."

"It seems like what started as a bad grassroots joke is quickly becoming a bad institutional one."

Sources: i100, Instagram