Transcript

Good morning, everyone! This is Erika from Just a Moment News, bringing you the latest headlines for today, October 23, 2023.

Let’s start with some exciting news in the field of physics. Physicists at the University of Sydney have made a groundbreaking discovery by bypassing the ‘diffraction limit’ in optical imaging. They have developed a method that eliminates the need for a lens and instead relies on post-processing computational techniques. By using light at terahertz frequency, this new approach has the potential to revolutionize various fields such as medical imaging, archaeology, and microfabrication. It could even be used in identifying art forgeries or assessing plant moisture content. This research has been published in Nature Communications.

Moving on to sports, Max Verstappen, the triple world champion from Red Bull, secured his 50th career Formula One win at the US Grand Prix in Austin. He held off Lewis Hamilton’s charge to claim victory, with Lando Norris finishing third. Verstappen’s win in Austin was his third consecutive victory at the circuit and his 15th win of the season, equaling the record he set last year for the most wins in a single season. Red Bull and Verstappen have already secured both the constructors’ and drivers’ titles.

Shifting gears to the real estate sector, Sun International’s luxury villas in Sun City’s development are in high demand. The first phase of the Sun Vacation Club has exceeded sales expectations, generating 166 million rand in sales since its launch in October 2022. The project, which is expected to cost 850 million rand over the next five years, has seen significant interest from existing Sun Vacation Club members. The villas are already fully booked for the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays. This development is contributing to a 30% local spend and is expected to benefit from the recovery of international travel.

In the entertainment industry, Martin Scorsese’s film “Killers of the Flower Moon” had an impressive debut, earning $44 million globally. This marks Scorsese’s best opening since 2010’s “Shutter Island.” The film, backed by Apple, received positive reviews and audience scores. On the other hand, Taylor Swift’s concert film “The Eras Tour” continues to dominate, grossing $31 million and reaching a total of $131 million in just five days. Concert films are proving to be a successful business model. Other notable films in the box office include “The Exorcist: Believer,” “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” and Disney’s re-release of “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

Lastly, in the tech world, Apple is reportedly accelerating its efforts in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Senior VPs John Giannandrea, Craig Federighi, and Eddy Cue are leading the charge in integrating AI into various aspects of Apple’s ecosystem. This includes developing a smarter Siri, integrating AI into iOS and Xcode, and implementing AI across Apple’s app suite. The company is investing $1 billion annually in AI research and development. There is internal debate regarding the deployment of generative AI and the potential development of a chatbot tool called “Apple GPT.”

In South Africa, Milkor, a Pretoria-based defense group, successfully tested its largest drone, the Milkor 380. With impressive features such as an 18.6m wingspan, 35-hour flight time, 2,000km range, and 9,000m max altitude, this drone is intended for various missions, including observation, reconnaissance, and offense, as well as conservation and border control. South Africa is investing heavily in drone technology for security purposes, with the Gauteng Department of e-Government allocating funds for crime-fighting tech, including high-quality drones and CCTV cameras.

That’s it for today’s news. Stay informed and have a great day ahead! This is Erika from Just a Moment News, signing off.

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