[imagesource: John R. Platt]

Cigarette Ban ‘A Big Failure In Every Way’, Says Report – Economists behind an extensive survey of smokers say the lockdown ban on cigarette sales has been a spectacular failure and should be lifted as soon as possible. [timeslive]

SA’s COVID-19 Cases Increase To 15 515 With 7 006 Recoveries – According to the Health Ministry, three more people have died from Covid-19, bringing the total death count to 264. [iol]

Space Plane: Mysterious US Military Aircraft Launches – The launch was dedicated to front line workers and those affected by the pandemic. A message including the words “America Strong” was written on the rocket’s payload fairing. [bbc]

Countries’ Massive Debt Piles Are Turning Into A Disaster – This is no time to be a country that relies heavily on tourism to keep its economy going. Combine that with a huge debt load and weak fiscal policies, and that’s a recipe for financial disaster. [cnn]

Public Protector Confirms More Than R200m Squandered In Free State Asbestos Audit – The contract essentially saw more than R200-million being drained from the province’s coffers with no “value for money”, the PP has found. [dailymav]

Tension Simmers As Questions Are Raised About Access To COVID-19 Information – Frustration is building among scientists over the government’s apparent lack of willingness to make key, detailed Covid-19 data accessible ahead of a meeting today. [news24]

SARS Announces Changes To Tax Season 2020 – On May 5, SARS announced new tax filing seasons and a much more heavy-handed approach to those who don’t comply. [here]

Public Support For Boris Johnson’s Handling Of COVID-19 Pandemic Plummets – The poll suggests people want more detailed guidance from government on what they can and cannot do as the lockdown is eased. [skynews]

Eric Trump Claims Coronavirus Is Democratic Hoax, Will ‘Magically’ Vanish After Election – He also attacked former vice president Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, and boasted about crowd sizes at President Trump’s political events. [washpost]

Schools Are Not Fit To Reopen – Budget constraints, poor planning and dysfunctionality in some provinces are likely to form part of talks today between Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and the political heads of education in the provinces. [citypress]

Black Market Haircuts Are Available In SA – Here’s what hairdressers and barbers are charging. [businsidersa]

Viral Video Of ‘Tanks’ Being Delivered Nothing To Be Alarmed About, Says SA Military Expert – Footage of what looked to be a consignment of “tanks” being delivered this week started doing the rounds on WhatsApp and social media. [citizen]

Better Be Quick If You Want To Take Advantage Of This Red Wine Special – We’re heading into the winter months, which is when quality red wine really earns its stripes. There’s no harm in sorting out what you’ll be drinking ahead of time. [here]

Fewer Dives, A Missing Coach And Subs In Stand: Inside Bundesliga’s Return – With no fans and endless rules this was the Bundesliga as never before but we Germans are proud to kickstart football’s new era. [guardian]

Rehumanising Diego Maradona – Maradona is a genius. Maradona is an idiot. Maradona is a tragedy. Maradona is a joke. Maradona is mad. Maradona is a junkie. Maradona is a cheat. Maradona is a saint. How many of these claims are accurate? [mg]

Luisana Lopilato Reveals Michael Bublé Received Death Threats Amid Backlash – Although the Argentinian model, 32, was quick to dismiss any negative claims about their marriage, some fans called out Bublé, 44. [people]

The Christopher Nolan Of Porn Is Breaking Down Barriers – Kayden Kross has fast become the greatest director in adult, winning the porn Oscar for Director of the Year two years in a row. [dailybeast]

Ricky Gervais Calls For Celebs To Be Banned From Honours Lists – The always controversial Ricky Gervais just set off a new bomb in his one-man war against overprivileged celebrities. [newsau]

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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]

It’s Time You Treat Your Pet To The Finer Things In Life – It’s all good and well posting pictures of your furry friends on social media, but you don’t want people talking about how you’re skimping on the treats. Do better. [petculture]

First Month Storage Space 50% Off At Stor-Age – Whether you need a locker for a bicycle or a garage for your house contents, Stor-Age has the space you need. And they’re offering a special ‘50% off the first month’ deal – no strings attached! You can take your stuff out after one month – no problem! [check it out]

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]

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