It's only 16 January (17 Jan Down Under), and already, the highlight of the tennis year is upon us.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC v AUSTRALIA

The challenger enters the contest having had an um, unusual preparation. Basing himself in the local detention hotel, facilities have not been ideal.
He's been used to facing long odds throughout his career, and believes the power of positive thinking can turn dirty water into pure water, a sow's ear into a silk purse, and even polish a turd.

He is vociferously supported by family, friends, compatriots and arseholes.
His opponent today needs no introduction. Home to some of the most ruthless border policies ever dreamt up, Australia boasts massive insects, impossible heat, sharks, flamin' galahs, Harold Bishop, Mrs Mangel and Bouncer the Dog.
It is also home to one of the most incompetent governments ever known anywhere. The kind of government whose response to Donald Trump or Boris Johnson is:
The bookies make the hometown team a short-priced favourite. But as we've all seen over the last 2 weeks, at this unprecedented event, anything can happen.

Sit down, get the popcorn out, fun for all the family. Plenty of entertaining verbal rallies and "Oh, I say"s await. 🎾🎾
In a sign of how wildly popular this year's tournament has proven, with ratings through the roof all around the world, the denouement is even being screened free to air!

You can view it here.

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More from @shaunjlawson

Jan 17,
The BBC is a state propaganda service, and has proven itself as such for well over a decade. Thanks to the BBC:

- We didn't know Iraq didn't have any WMD, because it preferred a drumbeat to war instead

- Much of the public still thinks Labour "maxed out the credit card"
- The victims of austerity, including the hundreds of thousands who died, weren't covered AT ALL

- The BBC reinforced the nonsense narrative about a 'coalition of chaos' under Ed Miliband

- Brexit happened because the BBC never discussed the actual, real issues
- Other than one interview by Eddie Mair, the truth about Boris Johnson was NEVER told

- The reality of his Brexit 'deal' was NEVER explained

- The reality of why Theresa May couldn't get her deal through Parliament was NEVER explained

- Donald Trump was normalised
Read 22 tweets
Jan 16,
"I think the court decision is scandalous … I find it unbelievable that we have two completely contradictory court decisions within the span of just a few days"

- Ana Brnabić, Serbian Prime Minister, completely misrepresenting what happened.
"Djokovic would have been treated differently if he hadn’t come from Serbia… If he was from another country, the approach would be completely different"

- Aleksandar Vučić, Serbian President. Populism, nationalism, complete and utter bollocks are alive and well in Serbia, I see
This was "an attempted assassination with 50 bullets to the chest" - Srđan Djokovic, Novak's father

🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

More like attempted suicide. By your son. In front of the whole bloody world.
Read 4 tweets
Jan 16,
Quite correctly, the Chief Justice has reminded the government that deporting Djokovic would result in public anger, discord and protests: less than ideal during a pandemic.

Equally correctly, the government have responded that this is outweighed by people emulating Djokovic.
In other words: the short term pain of those protests are outweighed by the long term gain of not having let through an anti-vaccine 'hero' and role model.
Further, the defence's argument that the *real* risk is posed by deporting Djokovic rather collapses when we consider the following:
Read 6 tweets
Jan 15,
For the pessimists out there, a reminder that:

1. Demographics will turn against the Tories and for Labour. They may already be starting to do so.

2. Brexit is over and Brexit voters are VERY VERY unhappy. The culture war is fading out too: pandemics concentrate minds.
3. By-elections, at parliamentary and council level, suggest anti-Tories are becoming a lot more sophisticated in who they're voting for.

4. The cost of living squeeze this year will be horrible - and Sunak will be the man responsible for it.
5. The Tories haven't just been in power for over a decade. They're tasked, in effect, with winning a fifth general election in a row. Which has NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.

At some point, enough voters get completely sick of whichever party's in charge. It's human nature.
Read 9 tweets
Jan 15,
Este es un mensaje urgente para @MSPUruguay @Minterioruy @DrDanielSalinas @Luisaheber

Hay un grupo privado en Facebook llamado 'Uruguay Expat Community'. Originalmente, existe para dar consejos, apoyo y amistad a los extranjeros que viven en Uruguay.

facebook.com/groups/uruguay…
Desgraciadamente, ha sido completamente tomado por los negadores del Covid y los antivacunas.

Gente que llama al virus un "bulo". Gente que dice que la vacuna hace que aumente el número de casos.
Gente que aconseja a otros cómo violar la ley y entrar en Uruguay sin haberse vacunado.

Personas que niegan que CUALQUIER virus sea contagioso de alguna manera.
Read 13 tweets
Jan 15,
This file contains comprehensive information on the Djokovic case: including Minister Hawke's reasoning, all documentation sent by Djokovic and his team, and transcripts of the airport interviews.

I've spent the last couple of hours going through it.

fedcourt.gov.au/services/acces…
The transcripts make all too plain just what a Kafka-esque nightmare Djokovic was in: he'd received clearance from the Victorian government, had followed Tennis Australia's guidance, and been granted a visa - but he was now expected to magic up further federal documentation.
But they also remind us that the federal government has all authority over Australian borders, as it should of course.

The failings and incompetence of the Morrison government - which could and should have foreseen all this months ago - are laid bare by the transcripts.
Read 30 tweets

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