Transcript

Hello everyone, this is Erika with ‘Just a Moment News’, bringing you the top stories of the day, January 27, 2024.

Could Amelia Earhart’s long-lost plane finally have been found? Tony Romeo, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer and commercial real-estate investor, believes he may have stumbled upon a crucial clue. After selling his properties and funding an expedition, Romeo has returned with a sonar image of an object that resembles an aircraft on the ocean floor, lying near Earhart’s anticipated route. This discovery has sparked interest among experts, and Romeo now plans to return for clearer images. The search for Earhart’s plane has been ongoing for decades, involving numerous explorers and costing millions, but her fate remains one of the great unsolved mysteries.

In other news, Vince McMahon, the executive chairman of WWE-parent TKO Group Holdings, has resigned amidst a sexual abuse scandal. McMahon, who denies the allegations, has chosen to step down out of respect for WWE, its board, shareholders, employees, and fans. The lawsuit filed against him by former WWE staffer Janel Grant includes disturbing allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct.

Turning to tech news, Microsoft recently suffered a security breach when hackers accessed senior executives’ email accounts. They did so by exploiting an old test account with administrative privileges that lacked multifactor authentication. Security researcher Kevin Beaumont criticized Microsoft’s configuration of the test account, highlighting it as a significant oversight in network security.

In legal news, former President Donald Trump has been ordered to pay writer E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million for defaming her in 2019. This verdict comes after Carroll accused Trump of raping her in the 1990s. The trial centered on Trump’s defamatory comments made in 2019, where he accused her of lying and claimed he couldn’t have assaulted her.

Moving to South Africa, Stellenbosch University’s oldest men’s residence, Wilgenhof, is facing allegations of abuse and the possession of concerning paraphernalia. An audit by the university discovered two secret rooms in the 120-year-old residence, with items found suggesting male sexual assault, among other things. The revelations have led to widespread reactions on social media, with current and former students sharing their experiences.

In sports news, Lando Norris has ended speculation about his Formula One future by signing a multi-year contract extension with McLaren. Despite a slow start to the 2023 season, Norris experienced his most successful year yet, finishing sixth in the world championship with six second-place finishes. His commitment to McLaren reflects both a sense of gratitude for the team that gave him his F1 break and his belief in their potential for future success.

Staying with sports, Novak Djokovic suffered a surprising defeat at the Australian Open to Jannik Sinner, ending his impressive 2,195-day winning streak at the event. Sinner, only 22 years old, is now set to play in his first grand slam final, making him the youngest finalist at the Australian Open since Djokovic in 2008.

Finally, an AI startup called ElevenLabs has banned an account blamed for creating a deepfake audio of US President Joe Biden. The audio was used to discourage voting in the New Hampshire primary. Following the identification of ElevenLabs’ technology in the deepfake by Pindrop Security Inc., the account of the individual responsible was suspended. This incident highlights the growing concern over the misuse of audio AI tools.

That’s all the news for today. Thank you for tuning in to ‘Just a Moment News’. This is Erika, signing off.

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