Transcript

Hello everyone, this is Erika from ‘Just a Moment News’ and it’s February 19, 2024. We have quite a few interesting stories to talk about today.

First up, let’s talk about the British Academy Film Awards that took place recently. Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” really made a splash there, bagging seven awards including best picture, best director for Nolan himself, and best actor for Cillian Murphy, who portrayed the titular character J. Robert Oppenheimer. Despite the film’s impressive haul, it fell short of breaking the record for most wins, which still stands at nine, held by “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” Comparatively, “Poor Things” clinched five awards, including best actress for Emma Stone. However, Margot Robbie’s “Barbie,” despite its commercial success, didn’t win any awards, which was quite a surprise for many.

Next, let’s set sail for Cape Town, where “The World,” the largest privately owned residential yacht, is due to drop anchor soon. This visit is part of its grand journey that covers six continents in just two weeks. The yacht, which houses 165 residences, was bought by its residents in 2003. It offers amenities that rival those of a luxury cruise ship, making it a floating paradise of sorts.

Moving on, we have some troubling news about private school fees in South Africa. They’ve nearly doubled over the past decade, and according to Momentum, they’re projected to triple in the next ten years. Elite private schools have raised their fees for 2024, with six of the top ten most expensive schools charging over two hundred and fifty thousand Rand yearly for boarding and tuition. Hilton College remains the most expensive, with fees close to four hundred thousand Rand in 2024.

In another story from South Africa, it seems that the country’s skilled youth are increasingly seeking to emigrate, primarily for better job opportunities. A survey by the Inclusive Society Institute indicates that the propensity to emigrate increases with higher qualification levels and income. The preferred destinations include developed, English-speaking countries like Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

In the world of technology, CubeSpace, a South African satellite component manufacturer, is making waves by providing over 5,000 components, including 300 control systems, to various clients worldwide. They’re even supplying parts to NASA and a lunar rover project for the United Arab Emirates. CubeSpace’s aspiration is to become the global leader in satellite control systems, and with the satellite industry booming, they’re well on their way to achieving that.

In a rather unfortunate incident, renowned Pretoria chef Fortunato Mazzone suffered a financial loss of nearly six hundred thousand Rand due to the theft of his phone. The thieves managed to access his personal and business banking accounts and make fraudulent transactions. This incident has made Mazzone reconsider his future in South Africa.

Finally, let’s talk about AI in education. Khan Academy’s AI-powered tutoring bot, Khanmigo, has been struggling with basic math. During a test by a Wall Street Journal reporter, the bot made several mistakes and failed to correct them. However, Khan Academy remains optimistic about the bot’s potential and is working on improving its accuracy.

That’s all for today’s news. This is Erika from ‘Just a Moment News’, thank you for tuning in.

Keywords - moment, daily, news