Nicolas Sarkozy: France’s Ex-President Jailed Over Illegal Campaign Financing – Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was on Thursday sentenced to a year in jail after being found guilty of illegally financing his 2012 election campaign. [euro]

Mass Gatherings Allowed As Ramaphosa Moves SA Moves Back To Lockdown Level 1 – The last time SA was under level 1 was between March and May this year. [tlive]

Japan’s Princess Mako To Marry Fiancé Kei Komuro This Month – After years of controversy, Japan’s Princess Mako will marry her former classmate, a commoner, this month – thus giving up her royal status. [bbc]

‘It Is A Circus’: Philippines Election Season Gets Under Way – Frontrunners to succeed president Rodrigo Duterte in May vote include his daughter and Ferdinand Marcos’s son, with boxing star Manny Pacquia also in mix. [guardian]

As Dutch Prime Minister Gets Extra Security, Fears Focus On Drug Gangs – Signs of concern for the country’s leader have rattled many in the Netherlands, but experts are split on whether criminal organizations there would really risk targeting politicians. [nyt]

Current And Ex-Blue Origin Workers Claim Jeff Bezos’ Rocket Company’s Culture Is ‘Toxic’ – Nearly two dozen current and former employees including the company’s former head of employee communications allege billionaire Jeff Bezos’ rocket company Blue Origin has a toxic workplace. [usat]

Nazi War Crimes Suspect, 96, Caught After Fleeing Trial – A 96-year-old German woman was caught hours after failing to turn up for her trial on Thursday on charges of aiding and abetting mass murder in a Nazi concentration camp during World War Two, a court spokesperson said. [reuters]

Australia Reveals Plan To Reopen International Borders To Fully Vaccinated Citizens – Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday, October 1 announced plans to reopen the country’s borders to fully vaccinated citizens and permanent residents, moving from a strict zero-Covid strategy to a model of living with the virus. [cnn]

TikToker Gabriel Salazar Died In Fiery Car Crash After Police Chase, Report Says – Death not officially confirmed, but friends of social media star say he died in accident in San Antonio, Texas. [ind]

WATCH | Malawi’s Ex-Deputy Speaker Shoots Himself Dead In Parliament – A former deputy speaker in Malawi has shot himself dead inside parliament in the capital, Lilongwe, authorities said. [n24]

Lord Peter Hain Tells UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson That Keeping South Africa On The Covid Red List Is ‘Preposterous’ – Lord Peter Hain has added his voice to calls for the UK to remove South Africa from its Covid-19 red list, telling Prime Minister Boris Johnson the classification has no scientific basis. [dmav]

The Top Four Issues Facing The Future Of eVTOLs – Industry experts and policymakers unite to help shape the future of air travel. [flying]

Blue Origin ‘Gambled’ With Its Moon Lander Pricing, NASA Says In Legal Documents – Blue Origin is backed by the world’s richest man — why didn’t it just offer NASA a cheaper lunar lander? [verge]

What These Common Skin Conditions Tell Us About Your Overall Health – As your body’s dashboard, your skin is also constantly trying to communicate with you from the inside out. When our skin is at its worst it could be trying to send a message. [here]

Macy’s Sues To Stop Amazon Using Famous New York Billboard – Two of the biggest names in US retail may be about to lock horns over a prime bit of advertising space in New York. [bbc]

Eminem Served Pasta To Guests At His Restaurant Opening – Eminem surprised guests by serving up pasta at the grand opening of his Mom’s Spaghetti restaurant in downtown Detroit on Wednesday. [cnn]

Scarlett Johansson, Disney Settle Explosive ‘Black Widow’ Lawsuit – The settlement ends a back-and-forth PR battle pitting the CAA-repped star against the studio that was poised to have dramatic implications for all of Hollywood’s majors. [hollyrep]

Billionaire John Paulson And New Girlfriend Spotted On Italian Getaway – Billionaire John Paulson has whisked his much-younger girlfriend to the romantic shores of Lake Como, Italy, just days after filing for divorce from his wife Jenny. [p6] Jenny won’t like this new lady. 

Matthew Perry Looks Worse For Wear – As he puffs on cigarette during spin through LA in first sighting since Friends reunion. [dm]

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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]