Transcript

Good day, everyone! This is Erika, and you’re listening to ‘Just a Moment News’ on this fine day of March 1, 2024. Let’s dive into today’s top stories.

First up, we have Woolworths launching a new division, Woolworths Ventures, to explore high-growth areas such as pet care, liquor, smaller clothing outlets, and food services. CEO Roy Bagattini believes this will allow Woolworths to be more agile and entrepreneurial. The company is looking to deepen relationships with existing customers and dominate the end-to-end pet care market in South Africa. They also see potential in expanding their liquor and food service offerings. The new W Edit stores, a scaled-down version of their retail stores, are set to penetrate markets previously inaccessible to Woolworths.

In sports news, the Bulls are preparing for their United Rugby Championship match against the Stormers. The Bulls’ director of rugby, Jake White, is focusing on acknowledging the Stormers’ strengths rather than just ending their losing streak. He’s motivating his team to play their best rugby, rather than focusing on breaking the streak. With all Springboks available for the match, it’s looking to be a highly competitive game.

In the world of motor racing, Lewis Hamilton led a surprising one-two finish for Mercedes during the practice sessions for the Formula One season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. His teammate George Russell was close behind, with Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin securing the third spot. However, reigning triple world champion Max Verstappen could only manage the sixth position.

In tech news, YX International, a technology company that routes millions of SMS text messages across the world, has secured an exposed database that was spilling one-time security codes. The database included the contents of text messages sent to users, including one-time passcodes and password reset links for some of the world’s largest tech and online companies. The database went offline a short time later.

In a unique marketing move, South African retailer Game launched a can of Koo baked beans into space to commemorate Leap Day. The can reached the stratosphere, climbing to an altitude of thirty-eight thousand meters. The event was part of Game’s promotional activities for the Leap Day weekend.

Netflix’s “Griselda” maintained its top position in the U.S. streaming market for the second consecutive week, according to Nielsen’s data. Amazon Prime Video’s “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” had a strong debut, closely missing the billion-minute mark.

Leap years can often catch companies off-guard, resulting in operational glitches. In New Zealand, dozens of gas stations experienced failures in their payment systems on February 29 due to software in payment terminals failing to recognize the date.

Finally, Cape Town-based Triggerfish Animation Studios had a remarkable year in 2023, becoming a key player in the global animation industry. The studio’s contributions to high-profile projects like “Star Wars: Visions” Season 2 and the Disney+ series “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire,” have garnered widespread recognition.

And that wraps up our news for today! This has been Erika bringing you ‘Just a Moment News’. Until next time, stay informed and stay safe!

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