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Top News of the Day: The Zondo report | Health Minister lifts mask restrictions and limits on gatherings

  • The definitive report on state capture by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has been issued to President Ramaphosa
  • REPEALED: No more masks inside allowed in South Africa
  • Kaizer Chiefs’ pre-season training begins at Naturena

From Zuma to Fraser to Cyril, Zondo spares no one – Times Live (for subscribers)

Thuli Dlamini reports that it took four years, more than 300 witnesses, 8 million pages of documents, and R1 billion in taxpayer money to show how bad the state capture was when former president Jacob Zuma and the Gupta family were in charge.

“Zondo found Zuma’s fingers in many pies, including the 2013 irregular landing of the Gupta aircraft at Waterkloof military airforce base and the formation and running of the Gupta media house TNA Media and news channel ANN7, leading the chief justice to conclude that Zuma had breached the executive ethics code.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa now has three months to study the report and then it will be debated in parliament. Read more here

No more masks or restrictions on gatherings, signs Health Minister Phaahla – EWN

As of today, South African residents are no longer compelled to wear a mask inside. On Wednesday, the Minister of Health, Joe Phaahla signed a repeal that eliminates the need to wear masks inside and removed restrictions on gatherings.

“Up until Wednesday, people were required to use a face mask in any public indoor space or when using public transport.” Read more here

Gallery: New Faces Start Chiefs Training, Jersey Numbers Revealed? – Soccer Laduma

Kaizer Chiefs players are back at Naturena to start the preseason, and the club’s new players have joined the training. 

“Chiefs have been busy releasing and acquiring the services of players, in an effort to get the team ready for battle in the upcoming season.” Read more here

Here are the top trending stories of the day. 

Headline: Now that Cyril has the Zondo report: where to from here? – Times Live (for subscribers)

Headline: EMS officials eliminate any doubt in the search for Khaya Magadla – EWN

Headline: Stellenbosch urination victim walks out of hearing claiming panel isn’t objective, says lawyer – Times Live

Headline: Justin Timberlake Issues a Much-Needed Apology for His Khakis in That Viral Dance Video – Billboard

Headline: Eight medical staff to be tried for Maradona death – News24

Weather: Thursday’s weather: Another bout of rain and flooding expected in Cape Town – News24

Image credit: Gallo Images

Opinions of the Day: New Music from Beyoncé – Break My Soul

After releasing a few photographs from her British Vogue photoshoot, Beyoncé added “6. BREAK MY SOUL midnight ET” to her social media biographies on Monday morning to announce the release of her latest song.

The internet has gone into a frenzy ever since the new single dropped.

Beyoncé’s new single “Break My Soul,” is the first taste we’ve had of her upcoming album Renaissance.

British Vogue editor-in-chief describes the Renaissance as such: “Music that makes you rise, that turns your mind to cultures and subcultures, to our people past and present, music that will unite so many on the dance floor, music that touches your soul.”

Brande Victorian thinks the date of the pop singer’s new single is noteworthy. The Essence journalist pens that Beyoncé has previously released “Black Parade” on Juneteenth, a significant day in black history.

Some BeyHive fans on Twitter have said that “Break My Soul” is the “perfect gay anthem”.

The full album drops on July, 29. In the meantime, you can listen to the official lyric video here:

Here’s a roundup of interesting opinions, analyses, and reviews of “Break My Soul”:

Beyoncé Releases ‘Break My Soul’ Single Early: Stream It Now – Billboard

Beyoncé, Drake and the revival of 90s house music – BBC

Beyoncé’s New Single Has Arrived – Essence

Beyonce ‘Break My Soul’ Fan Review: Singer’s new song gets dubbed as ‘pro-gay summer anthem’ – Meaww

Beyoncé drops first single from new album, ‘Break My Soul’ – Times Live

‘Break My Soul’ Becomes the First Piece of Art from the Beyaissance – Vulture

Beyonce preaches freedom, strength and living life on your own terms on “Break My Soul” – Shifter Magazine

Today in History: 28 April

April 28 (Reuters) – Following are some of the major events to have occurred on April 28:

1923 – First-ever Wembley FA Cup Final.

1936 – King Faud I of Egypt died and was succeeded by his son, Farouk I.

1945 – The Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was executed by partisans near Lake Como, one day after being caught.

1994 – The former CIA officer Aldrich Ames and his wife Rosario pleaded guilty to spying for Moscow. He was sentenced to life in prison, his wife to five years.

1996 – Lone gunman Martin Bryant shoots 35 people dead at popular tourist spot Port Arthur in southern Australia.

2001 – The world’s first space tourist, American Dennis Tito, blasted off on a $20-million joy ride to the International Space Station aboard a Russian rocket.

2002 – Alexander Lebed, governor of the Russian province of Krasnoyarsk, died in a helicopter crash. Lebed, a tough-talking general who played a part in foiling the 1991 coup against Mikhail Gorbachev, also ran for president against Boris Yeltsin in 1996.

2002 – Ruth Handler, the inventor of “Barbie,” the doll for little girls that became one of the world’s most popular toys, died aged 85.

2004 – Mosque attack in southern Thailand, in which police and troops shoot dead over 100 gun and machete-wielding Muslim/ separatists.

2013 – Two police officers shot outside Italian prime minister’s office in Rome as Enrico Letta’s new government is sworn in at president’s palace.

2015 – Wimbledon announces record prize money in millions of dollars.

Image credit: Flickr

Today in History: 11 March

April 11 (Reuters) – Following are some of the major events to have occurred on April 11:

1951 – President Harry S Truman stripped General Douglas MacArthur of all his posts including that of U.N. Forces Commander in Korea for making critical political statements.

1957 – Singapore was granted self-government by Britain.

2000 – South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje admitted taking money from an Indian bookmaker.

2001 – The Welsh comedian and singer Harry Secombe died.

2002 – A truck bomb near the ancient El Ghriba synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba killed 21 people including 14 Germans.

2003 – U.S. and Kurdish forces took Iraq’s third city of Mosul without a fight, sealing victory in the north.

2004 – Pope John Paul II made an unexpected appeal for Christian unity as the Western (Roman Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) churches unusually celebrated Easter on the same day.

2006 – Bernardo Provenzano, the undisputed head of the Sicilian Mafia who had been on the run for more than four decades, was arrested in Sicily.

2007 – Suicide car bombing in Algiers kills at least 17 people.

2009 – Rene Monory, a self-made man proud of his climb from a first job as a rural garage owner to that of government minister and then president of the French Senate, died.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Top News of the Day: Russia kicked out of World Cup, Riky Rick laid to rest in private ceremony today

On Monday evening, FIFA and UEFA announced that Russia has been kicked out of the World Cup and banned from playing international football games “until further notice”.

“FIFA and UEFA have today decided together that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice,” said the governing bodies of world and European football.

European football’s governing body has also discontinued its association with Russian energy company Gazprom.

According to News24, “FIFA announced on Sunday that Russian teams would be allowed to continue playing under the name of the Football Union of Russia, playing home games on neutral territory and behind closed doors, and with the Russian flag and anthem banned.”

In a separate statement, the Russian Football Union rejected the suspension, saying it was discriminatory. The statement read:

“It has an obvious discriminatory character and harms a huge number of athletes, coaches, employees of clubs and national teams, and most importantly, millions of Russian and foreign fans, whose interests international sports organisations must protect in the first place.”

In entertainment news, Rikhado Makhado, professionally known as Riky Rick will be laid to rest in a private ceremony today. The late rapper, entrepreneur and fashion designer died tragically last Wednesday in Johannesburg.

Riky Rick’s unexpected death has shaken the country to its core. His death also sparked a conversation about the growing concern of mental illnesses, especially for men.

The ceremony will be live-streamed at 10h30. Watch the full ceremony here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H172okxXeao

Here are the top trending stories of the day.

Headline: Russia dumped out of all international soccer as FIFA confirms blanket suspension – News24

Headline: WATCH | Farewell Riky Rick | Remembering the fallen star – EWN 

Headline: The trouble with men – Times Live

Headline: ANALYSIS | Why the idea of a ‘neutral’ Ukraine is a non-starter in peace talks – News24

Headline: Climate change is hitting Africa’s staple crops, increasing parasites – Fin24

Headline: Proteas complete epic comeback in NZ with crushing win in 2nd Test, series drawn – News24

Headline: New boss Jesse Marsch confident he can win over Leeds’ fanbase – The Independent 

Headline: Has ‘The Queen’ on Mzansi Magic been cancelled? – The Citizen 

Image credit: Instagram/Riky Rick

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