‘Takes One To Know One’: Putin-Biden Spat Escalates After ‘Killer’ Accusation – Russian relations with the US have entered a new post-Trump period of smouldering hostility after Vladimir Putin shrugged off accusations from Joe Biden that he was a “killer”, saying: “It takes one to know one.” [guardian]

SA Records Fewer Than 1,500 New Covid-19 Cases In 24 Hours – SA recorded 1,464 new Covid-19 infections in the past 24 hours, health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said on Thursday. There were also 90 Covid-19 related deaths recorded in the same period. [tlive]

Paris Goes Into Lockdown As COVID-19 Variant Rampages – France imposed a month-long lockdown on Paris and parts of the north after a faltering vaccine rollout and spread of highly contagious coronavirus variants forced President Emmanuel Macron to shift course. [reuters]

European Nations Resume Use Of AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine After Regulator Signs Off – The European Medicines Agency has ruled that the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective, despite some concerns over possible side effects. [cnbc]

Tabloid Hired Gun Tells Of Shady Hunt For Meghan Markle Scoops – The private investigator says the British tabloid The Sun paid him $2,055 in 2016 for private information about the couple, their family and friends that had been taken from a restricted database. [nyt]

Johnny Depp Claims That Amber Heard Lied About Giving Divorce Settlement To Charity – Johnny Depp claimed today that a “calculated and manipulative lie” by his ex-wife about donating her divorce settlement to charity should allow him to appeal against a ruling that he is a “wife beater”. [times]

Why People Around The World Can’t Get Enough Of SA Chardonnay – Chardonnay wasn’t always a firm favourite across the wine world, but South Africa can be credited with taking the wine to new heights and increasing international awareness. [here]

George W. Bush On Capitol Insurrection: “I Was Sick To My Stomach” – The former president’s comments came during an interview that was part of this year’s virtual SXSW programming and kicked off Bush’s promotional tour of his new book, “Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants.” [textrib]

Biden White House Sandbags Staffers, Sidelines Dozens For Pot Use – Dozens of young White House staffers have been suspended, asked to resign or placed in a remote work program due to past marijuana use, frustrating staffers who were pleased by initial indications from the Biden administration that recreational use of cannabis would not be immediately disqualifying for would-be personnel, according to three people familiar with the situation. [beast]

Fashion Mogul Fights Sex Charges From Cell With TV And Phone – Fashion mogul Peter Nygard, who is fighting extradition from Canada to the U.S. on sex-trafficking charges, has a TV and phone in his jail cell and two mattresses that allow him to sleep at his preferred angle, the Canadian government said. [bloom]

NFL Signs $105 Billion TV Deal, With Amazon Taking Thursdays – The National Football League announced a new series of long-term TV deals valued at an estimated $105 billion, including a historic contract giving Amazon.com Inc. exclusive rights to Thursday football broadcasts, a first for a streaming company. [dmav]

FW de Klerk Turns 85, Announces He Has Cancer – Former president FW de Klerk announced, during his 85th birthday celebration on Thursday, that he had been diagnosed with cancer. [n24]

Goldman Sachs Analysts Say They Work 95-Hour Weeks And Endure ‘Inhumane’ Treatment – New York (CNN Business)A workplace survey from a group of junior analysts at Goldman Sachs is about to make you feel a lot better about your job. [cnn]

No Queue, Reduced Crowds At Wimbledon As Covid-19 Causes Ticketing Change – Wimbledon’s famous ticket queue will not operate this year and the number of fans inside the grounds at the grasscourt Grand Slam is likely to be reduced, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) said on Thursday. [iol]

Marvel Reveals First Gay ‘Captain America’ in New Comic Series – New character Aaron Fischer is “an openly gay person who admires Captain America and fights against evil to help those who are almost invisible to society,” artist says. [rollsto]

The UK Government Has Just Cut The Plug-In Car Grant – The UK’s plug-in car grant (PiCG) has just been cut. Until today you could get £3,000 off the price of an EV costing up to £50,000, but now you can only get £2,500 off the price of an EV costing no more than £35,000. [topgear]

Spain’s Parliament Legalises Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide – Spanish lawmakers on Thursday legalised euthanasia and assisted suicide for people with serious and incurable or debilitating diseases who want to end their life, making Spain the fourth country in the European Union to take the step. [f24]

Why Do So Many Straight Men Come To Resent The Women They Find Attractive? – To be able to experience sexual attraction without it becoming a source of rage requires a degree of respect that the Atlanta suspect, and men like him, do not possess. [guardian]

SETH RECOMMENDS: The Fall of Armie Hammer: A Family Saga of Sex, Money, Drugs, And Betrayal – The actor’s life seemed perfect—beautiful wife and kids, sparkling Hollywood career. But a glimpse into his family history reveals how shocking allegations over dark fantasies of cannibalism and bondage—and the ensuing fallout—are one more chapter in the Hammers’ fraught legacy. [vanfair]

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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]

There Is Only One Company When It Comes To Import Export Logistics – Your freight forwarding / shipping partner is probably more important than the actual products you want to move from country to country. Choose the wrong guys and you can get stung in so many ways. Be smart, use 2ov’s partners, Berry & Donaldson. [here]

Affordable Cane Furniture – If you’re buying cane or wicker furniture anywhere else, you’re wasting a lot of time and money. These guys import directly from Malawi. Hand-Made cane furniture – buy online and have it delivered! [check it out]