Friday Morning Spice

Zelensky’s Visit To South Africa Attracts Global Interest, Especially Trump And Putin – Both Trump and Putin discussed the meeting in phone calls to Ramaphosa. The visit appears to have boosted South Africa’s diplomatic stature at a time when its relations with the US have hit rock bottom. [dm]

Jacob Zuma Seeks Refuge In French Arms Manufacturers Amid Corruption Charges – Former president Jacob Zuma made it clear on Thursday that he is now pinning his hopes on French arms manufacturers to escape prosecution on decades-old arms deal fraud and corruption charges. [iol]

Just Stop Oil Was Policed To Extinction – Now The Movement Has Gone Deeper Underground – Just Stop Oil (JSO) activists are dusting down their placards, digging out their infamous fluorescent orange vests, and charging up their loud hailers — a routine they have gone through many a time before. [bbc]

‘Trump 2028’ Hats And T-Shirts For Sale On US President’s Online Store – Donald Trump, who has seen his approval rating sink, has not ruled out serving a third term – though most spectators consider that highly unlikely. [guardian]

Blake Lively Savagely Bashed At Time100 Gala After ‘Ridiculous’ Honour: ‘She Has No Influence’ – “It’s a ridiculous joke,” a political commentator told the Daily Mail on the red carpet at Thursday’s event in NYC. “She shouldn’t be here. She has no influence over anything.” [pagesix]

The New Hotel Amenity? An Artist – The latest artist-in-residency programs are adding intrigue to your stay. [elle]

Prince William Mobbed By Selfie-Hunters Outside Youth Centre – The royal found himself surrounded after paying a visit to Mentivity in Walworth, south London, where he played video games and chatted with a group of young people. [sky]

Construction Of World’s Tallest Abandoned Skyscraper To Resume After A Decade – Construction of the world’s tallest unoccupied skyscraper may resume as early as next week, almost 10 years after work ground to a halt, according to Chinese state media. [cnn]

This Big Mistake Turned You From A hit Show Into Another Netflix Zombie – Everyone’s favourite stalker is back on screens for a fifth and final season. There’s more murder, more cover-ups, and more grating voiceover, but there’s something missing from the action. [independent]

Musk’s Robotaxi Fantasy Is Starting To Unravel – The Tesla CEO has long promised driverless cars that can go anywhere. But now he’s acknowledging that there will be “parameters.” [verge]

Andy Warhol Artwork May Have Been Thrown Out In Dutch Town Hall Revamp – Maashorst council says print of Queen Beatrix from 1985 series Reigning Queens probably taken with the rubbish. [guardian]

The Man Running South Africa’s Biggest Online Store – The 42-year-old has been charged with leading South Africa’s top online store and one of the country’s biggest on-demand delivery services at a time of intensified competition from global heavyweights. [mybroadband]

AI Reset At Apple – The changes are part of a broader effort to catch up in artificial intelligence, a field where Apple has fallen behind. [techcentral]

US Focuses On Persecution Claims As White South Africans Seek Resettlement – Some of the South African applicants have taken part in a first round of interviews in Pretoria, three of them told Reuters, describing positive encounters with U.S. officials who seemed well disposed towards them and their accounts of persecution. [reuters]

Breaking The Fear Of Sharks, Backlash, And Bold Conservation In Netflix’s ‘Shark Whisperer’ [Trailer]

Controversial SA Aviation Rule Grounds 1,400 Aeroplanes And Risks 300,000 Jobs

How To Age-Proof Your Glow: The Ultimate Skin Strategy For Every Age

NSPCA Rescues Starving Dog Spotted In Viral Dance Video On X