Insight and opinion from The National’s editorial leadership
January 06, 2022
“Rules are rules,” said Scott Morrison, Australia’s Prime Minister, in a televised briefing on Thursday. Mr Morrison was seeking to clarify his government’s position over the surprise detention of Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic, who had flown into Melbourne earlier to defend his title at the Australian Open. Upon his arrival in Australia, Djokovic’s visa was revoked on the grounds that he was unvaccinated, and that the medical exemption he had obtained from the state of Victoria was issued improperly.
Lectures from officialdom on rules is something Australians are, by this stage of the pandemic, used to hearing. For the past two years, they have endured some of the strictest emergency measures on the planet. For much of that time, Australia’s border has been sealed off even to its own citizens, along with internal borders between the country’s states. Temporary lockdowns have become a frequent affair, sparked by the discovery of even a small handful of cases. While the number of Covid-19 infections and deaths have remained low as a result, the physical, mental and economic toll of the measures, which continued even as most citizens were vaccinated, has been stark.
At the same time, however, Australians have watched a host of international athletes, investors and celebrities arrive on their shores, drawn by the continuation of tournaments like the Australian Open, but also tax breaks offered by an Australian government keen to promote the country as a largely Covid-free business and leisure destination. Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman and Tom Hanks are just a few film stars who have found escape in Australia in recent months. The apparent double standard has angered many Australians, particularly those stranded abroad.
Australians watched a host of celebrities arrive on their shores, even as some of their fellow citizens remained stranded abroad
It is little wonder that Mr Morrison has sought an opportunity to show the public that rules are not only rules, but that they really do apply to everyone. In Djokovic’s case, he has found it. Not only did the tennis star’s exemption provoke the ire of Australians, 90 per cent of whom have now received two vaccine shots, but personal views opposing vaccines in general have not helped. Mr Morrison has said that Djokovic’s public statements on vaccines played a role in drawing authorities’ attention, leading Australia’s border officers to question his medical exemption.
While critics claim that Mr Morrison’s sudden tough stance is more in the interests of politics than public health, there is little doubt that the anti-vaccination movement is a significant threat to the latter, and that its dangers have been made worse by the support of public figures such as Djokovic. The rollercoaster of administrative decisions behind the tennis player’s exemption and visa being granted only to be revoked demonstrates both ineptitude and a lack of courtesy, but the final outcome – the fair enforcement of health rules – is the right one, for the sake of public safety and the public’s confidence in vaccination efforts.
Djokovic’s rival, Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal, who is also in Melbourne for the tournament, probably summed it up best, when he said he understood Australians’ frustrations with Djokovic’s exemption. “The only clear thing for me is that if you are vaccinated, you can play in the Australian Open,” he said. “After a lot of people have been dying for two years, my feeling is the vaccine is the only way to stop the pandemic.”
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at. Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti withCoastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
