Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf Says Coronavirus Approach ‘Has Failed’ – Sweden’s king has said his country “failed” to save lives with its relatively relaxed approach to the coronavirus pandemic. [bbc]

Denmark Strengthens Rape Laws, Outlawing Sex Without Explicit Consent – Justice minister says: ‘Now it will be clear, that if both parties do no consent to sex, then it’s rape’. [guardian]

Researchers Have Achieved Sustained Long-Distance Quantum Teleportation – The breakthrough, made by researchers at Caltech, Fermilab and NASA, among others, is a step towards a practical quantum internet. [vice] Yes…. yes…. with you…

A Closer Look At Two Of Cape Town CBD’s Most Stylish Hotels – We may see far fewer international visitors this holiday season, for obvious reasons, but that doesn’t mean South Africans won’t flock to the Mother City. [here]

South Africa Misses Covax Deadline To Secure Vaccines – South Africa, the country hardest hit in Africa by the coronavirus, missed a December 15 deadline to make a deposit to secure vaccines to fight the pathogen, and hasn’t arranged a guarantee to make the full payment. [btech]

‘He’s Coming Back For Christmas’ – SA reacts to Malawi government signing papers for Bushiris’ extradition. [tlive]

EFF Loses Again In Trevor Manuel Defamation Case – The EFF has failed in its efforts to appeal a court ruling that it and its leadership defamed former finance minister Trevor Manuel with its false claims that he oversaw a “corrupt” process to appoint new South African Revenue Service (SARS) commissioner Edward Kieswetter. [n24]

Does Putin Admit Any Responsibility For ‘New Cold War’? – During his annual end-of-year news conference, Vladimir Putin was asked about relations between Russia and the West. [bbc]

Eminem Surprise-Releases ‘Music To Be Murdered By – Side B’ Deluxe Edition – Eminem has dropped a surprise companion LP to his 11th studio album, Music to Be Murdered By, which was released in January. [rollsto]

Cockroach Review – Ai Weiwei’s Spectacular Portrait Of Hong Kong Protests – Pro-democracy activists and police clash on the streets, captured vividly in this daring, dynamic and visually stunning documentary. [guardian]

Nigerian Troops Clear A Boko Haram Militant Camp In Northeast Nigeria – More than 300 schoolboys who had been kidnapped in northern Nigeria were handed over to government security agents on Thursday, the governor of Katsina state said. [mav]

Will Smith Drops ‘Fresh Prince’ Reunion Trailer – Will Smith released a trailer of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” cast celebrating the show’s 30th anniversary. [cnn]

Christmas Shopping Sorted In Two Simple, Budget-Friendly Steps – Avoid the malls, put away the credit card, and get your prezzies sorted without all the hassle and stress that usually comes with this time of the year. [here]

Photos Of Australia During ‘COVID Normal’ – We sent a photographer to capture scenes of people enjoying mask-free socialisation, even as a fresh outbreak threatens to unflatten the curve. [vice]

Ricky Martin Shares Rare Photo Of His And Husband Jwan Yosef’s 13-Month-Old Son Renn – Baby picture! Ricky Martin gave fans an adorable peek at his and husband Jwan Yosef’s fourth child, 13-month-old son Renn. [usm]

The True And Unadulterated History Of The Drop Bear – Australia’s most deadly — and most fake — predator. [cnn] What?

Tusks From Ocean Bed Off Namibia Reveal Where Elephants Were Killed For Ivory Five Centuries Ago – New research paper analyses largest ever archaeological cargo of African ivory. [tlive]

Gillian Anderson In Love Split – The Crown star separates from series creator Peter Morgan after four years. [dm]

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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]

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]