Transcript

Hello everyone, this is Erika from ‘Just a Moment News’, bringing you the top stories of the day on January 11, 2024.

First up, we have a situation brewing in South Africa, where President Cyril Ramaphosa’s travel expenses to the 2023 Rugby World Cup final in Paris have been under scrutiny. A parliamentary inquiry, initiated by DA leader John Steenhuisen, about the costs and details of this trip lapsed without a response. Interestingly, this lapse didn’t occur in isolation. It turned out that in 2023, almost two-thirds of the 4,227 written questions weren’t answered on time, raising concerns about the government’s accountability. This trend seems to be widespread across various ministries, with ministers often responding late or providing answers lacking in detail.

In the world of AI, OpenAI has recently announced the GPT Store, a platform for sharing and discovering custom versions of ChatGPT. This new store, which is available to Plus, Team, or Enterprise subscribers, allows users to find and use over 3 million custom GPTs. Alongside the GPT Store, OpenAI also introduced ChatGPT Team, a subscription plan that offers a secure, collaborative workspace for teams of all sizes.

SuperSport, the pay-TV channel, has secured the rights to broadcast the Africa Cup of Nations, also known as Afcon. They will be broadcasting all 52 matches of the tournament, which is to be hosted by Ivory Coast between January 13 and February 11. This agreement was reached with the rightsholders, New World TV, and is seen as a significant achievement for African football.

In entertainment news, South African DJ and record producer Black Coffee was injured en route to a scheduled show in Mar del Plata, Argentina. His team confirmed that he’s currently receiving the best possible medical attention and is recovering well. Black Coffee, whose real name is Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo, has had a successful career since 1994, earning numerous accolades, including a Grammy Award.

In business news, Naspers, Africa’s largest company by market value, is increasing its investment in Takealot Group. This move comes ahead of Amazon.com’s entry into South Africa’s rapidly growing e-commerce market. Naspers’ CEO expressed confidence in their ability to compete with Amazon, citing their deep understanding of the local market.

Moving to sports, the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA) has accepted the ICC’s “unsatisfactory” rating for the Newlands pitch used in the Proteas vs. India Test. Despite the criticism and the resulting penalty of one demerit point, the WPCA sees the sanction as minimal but significant. They have committed to working with Cricket South Africa to improve the Newlands Cricket Ground.

Finally, in TV news, “Criminal Record,” a new series on Apple TV+, has been getting mixed reviews. The show, starring Cush Jumbo and Peter Capaldi, has been praised for its polished aesthetic but criticized for its slow pacing and lack of character development. Despite tackling deep themes such as misogyny, racism, and police corruption, the series has been said to fall short in offering bold or innovative solutions.

And that’s all for today’s news roundup. Thanks for joining me, Erika, on ‘Just a Moment News’. Stay informed and I’ll catch you next time.

Keywords - moment, daily, news