WhatsApp Faces First Legal Challenge In India Over Privacy – WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy verges on user surveillance and threatens India’s security, a petition filed in an Indian court said on Thursday, presenting another legal challenge for the Facebook Inc-owned messenger. [reuters]

Trump Explodes At Nixon Comparisons As He Prepares To Leave Office – In his final days in office, President Donald Trump has found the parts of the job he loved replaced by cold legal warnings, forced video addresses and a shrinking circle of downtrodden aides, all anxiously wondering what life will be like after noon on January 20. [cnn]

The End Of The Pussy-Grabbing President – From start to finish, one of the defining themes of Donald Trump’s presidency was his profound anxiety about masculinity. [huff]

Airlines Heighten Security As Washington Expects Inauguration Riots – At least four carriers are imposing additional regulations after the FAA enacted a “zero-tolerance policy” for unruly passengers. [huff]

Switzerland Referendum: Voters Reject End To Free Movement With EU – Swiss voters have rejected a proposal to end an accord with the EU allowing the free movement of people. [bbc]

Emirates Suspends Flights To South Africa – UAE-based airline Emirates says that it will temporarily suspend all flights to and from South Africa. [btech]

MyBroadband Ranks South Africa’s Best Internet Service Providers – Consider this yet another reminder that not all ISPs are created equal, and you deserve a decent connection at home. [here]

PICS: Dramatic Scenes At Steve Biko Hospital As Covid-19 Cases Skyrocket – The Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria has seen a sharp increase in Covid-19 patients, with some coming to the hospital from private hospitals and other provinces due to a lack of space. [n24]

Port Chaos Looms As France Demands Stricter Testing Over ‘English Variant’ Fears – There is a sense among many that the UK has not been as tough enough and that policy has been made too erratically. [sky]

North Korea Shows Off New Submarine-Launched Missiles After Rare Party Congress – North Korea displayed what appeared to be a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) at a parade on Thursday night, state media reported, capping more than a week of political meetings with a show of military might. [reuters]

London’s ‘Thinnest’ Home, Just 1.8 Metres Wide, Is Up For Sale – For R20m – The skinny home is painted a distinct shade of blue, and used to be a hat store. [busins]

Macaulay Culkin Is On Board With Editing Trump Out Of ‘Home Alone 2’ – The actor expressed his support for fans who want Trump’s seven seconds of screen time scrapped from future broadcasts of the holiday comedy. [huff]

Desperate QAnon Believers Think Trump Spoke To Them In Morse Code – QAnon is so desperate for any sign that the “plan” is still in place, it’s willing to believe Trump is using a communication method devised in the 19th century. [vice]

The Blue Lotus: Rare Tintin Painting Sells For Record €3.2m – An original painting by Belgian illustrator Hergé has sold for a record €3.2m ($3.9m, £2.8m). [bbc]

America’s Biggest Owner Of Farmland Is Now Bill Gates – Bill Gates, the fourth richest person in the world and a self-described nerd who is known for his early programming skills rather than his love of the outdoors, has been quietly snatching up 242,000 acres of farmland across the U.S. — enough to make him the top private farmland owner in America. [forbes]

Inside The Shipping Container Housing The “Farm Of The Future” – The challenges posed by climate change could make traditional farming methods difficult in the future, and that’s where The Cube comes in. [here]

Anne Hathaway Hates Her Name: ‘Call Me Annie’ – Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway revealed during a virtual visit to “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” that she prefers to be referred to by her nickname, Annie. [p6]

Jennifer Lopez Exclusive – J-Lo and her famous curves wow in a slinky emerald swimsuit … as fiance Alex Rodriguez is branded a ‘serial cheater’. [dm]

Lady Gaga To Sing National Anthem For Biden-Harris Inauguration – Jennifer Lopez will also perform at the Jan. 20 swearing-in ceremony. [variety]

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DON’T SAY WE DIDN’T TELL YOU…

There are a number of ongoing deals set up at our various exclusive partners. Here they are – just for you;-)

Buy Any Product From Websites That ‘Don’t Ship To SA’ – One of our most exciting partners offers you a PO Box in US, UK or Hong Kong, for you to deliver overseas online purchases to. Postbox Courier handles it from there – getting the package to you in under a week. [more]

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