Obama And Putin Spent 15 Seconds Together Yesterday – A brief photo-op on Thursday between Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin spoke volumes, limited mostly to tight smiles and a businesslike handshake between U.S. and Russian leaders bitterly divided by the crisis in Syria. [reuters]

World Powers Remain Divided Over Syrian Action at G-20 – World leaders gathering for a summit remained divided over whether to back punitive military strikes on the Syrian regime, reflecting the domestic political concerns many of their leaders are facing. [wallstreetjournal]

Pope Urges G-20 Leaders To Avoid Military Action In Syria – Pope Francis urged the Group of 20 leaders on Thursday to abandon the “futile pursuit” of a military solution in Syria as the Vatican laid out its case for a negotiated settlement that guarantees rights for all minorities, including Christians. [foxnews]

Russia Calls Britain ‘A Small Island That No-one Listens To’ – A senior spokesman for Putin was reported to have told Russian journalists in a briefing that Britain was “a small island no one listens to”, apart from some oligarchs who had bought Chelsea football club. [guardian]

Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’ Is Billboard’s Song of the Summer – Having led the weekly Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks beginning in June, the track is the first summer season No. 1 by a lead solo male since 2004. [billboard]

Another Day, Another Wits Lecturer Fired For Sexual Harassment – The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) has fired a third lecturer found guilty of sexual harassment, the institution said on Thursday. [news24]

Usain Bolt Will Retire After Rio 2016 – Usain Bolt plans to retire after the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Bolt said Wednesday he wants to win more gold in Rio, set another world record in the 200 metres next year, and perhaps win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. [globmail]

Joburg’s Three Days Of Darkness – Johannesburg’s most famous resident – former President Nelson Mandela – was not spared as thousands of residents were plunged into darkness yesterday. [timeslive]

Local Cape Town Production Brand Moves Into Retail – Madame Zingara has taken a step out of the entertainment and hospitality industry and are now announcing their debut cosmetic and party accessory collection. The collection includes colour cosmetics, hair accessories and gifts – Check out the full range [here]

E-Cigarette Use Doubles Among Kids In The US – The share of middle and high school students who use e-cigarettes doubled in 2012 from the previous year, federal data show. The rise is prompting concerns among health officials that the new devices could be creating as many health problems as they are solving. [nytimes]

R75,000 Plus More Up For Grabs For 2oceansvibe Readers – BetFlash is offering 2oceansvibe readers the chance to win R75,000 as well as 1 of 3 Springbok rugby jerseys. Register an account, deposit a minimum of R100 and bet on your lucky numbers (anything from 1 – 4 balls) and it could just be your lucky day. Remember to use 2OV as the voucher code. Click here to enter.

Berlusconi Has Video Ready For Fall Of Italian Government: Ally – Silvio Berlusconi has prepared a video message that could announce a decision to bring down Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta’s coalition government, one of his staunchest supporters said on Thursday. [yahoo]

The Latest Snowden Privacy Bombshell – US and British intelligence agencies have successfully cracked much of the online encryption relied upon by hundreds of millions of people to protect the privacy of their personal data, online transactions and emails, according to top-secret documents revealed by former contractor Edward Snowden. [guardian]

Apple Tests iPhone Screens As Large As 6 Inches – As Apple prepares to unveil both a new high-end iPhone and a cheaper version for the first time next week, it is already working on something bigger. The electronics giant has begun evaluating a plan to offer iPhones with screens ranging from 4.8 inches to as high as 6 inches, people familiar with the matter say. [theaus]

Facebook-Flavored Ice Cream Is a Real Thing – Can you imagine tasting a social network? Two enterprising ice cream makers at Valentino Ice Cream Shop in Tisno, on Croatia’s Murter island, came up with the novel idea. [mashable]

Scarlett Johansson Is Engaged – Scarlett Johansson is engaged to her beau, journalist Romain Dauriac. The proposal occurred about a month ago. The ring is a vintage Art Deco style. [people]

Jay-Z And Beyonce Celebrate Her Birthday On A yacht In Italy [Gallery] – She is one of the coolest performers in the world, so it understandable that Beyonce Knowles would celebrate her birthday in a decadent style. [dailymail]

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