Transcript

Hello, everyone! Welcome to “Just a Moment News.” I’m your host, Erika, and today’s date is May 18, 2024. Let’s dive into some of the interesting news stories we have today.

First up, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in South Africa has reported receiving over sixty-five million Rand in political donations as the country heads into this month’s elections. This is part of a larger sum of over one hundred seventy-two million Rand declared by political parties between January and March this year. Among the notable donors, companies linked to Patrice Motsepe were significant contributors, along with the Oppenheimer family and Martin Moshal. It’s interesting to note that the National Assembly has temporarily suspended the limit on donations, pending a new limit to be set by the president.

Moving on to a different sector, Eskom, South Africa’s power utility, has rehired over twenty-four former employees to tackle ongoing issues with load-shedding. These veterans are expected to train less experienced staff and help reverse the decline in operations. This initiative follows the launch of Eskom’s skills crowdsourcing platform, which has seen significant participation from former employees. It’s a crucial step given the leadership and skills gaps identified by the company’s board.

In the retail world, the Shoprite Group is making headlines with its Checkers Sixty60 app. They’re expanding their service to include ten thousand larger-sized products from Checkers Hyper stores, promising lightning-fast same-day delivery. This expansion is currently in beta testing in various Cape Town areas and includes a range of products from camping gear to kitchen electronics.

Now, let’s talk about OpenAI. They’ve recently announced that their ChatGPT can now speak in a human-like voice. However, this development is overshadowed by the resignations of key team members, including co-founder Ilya Sutskever. These departures and the company’s shift from open-sourcing its models have sparked discussions about its internal culture and commitment to safety.

In sports news, Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 golfer, was involved in a traffic incident while heading to the PGA Championship. He was arrested but later released and managed to continue his participation in the tournament. Despite the incident, Scheffler performed exceptionally well, demonstrating his focus and resilience under pressure.

Lastly, in the entertainment industry, Paul McCartney has become the UK’s first billionaire musician. His fortune, now estimated at one billion pounds, has been bolstered by strong touring revenues, a valuable back catalogue, and royalties from covers of his songs. This news comes amidst a general decline in the number of billionaires in the UK, influenced by changes in tax regulations.

That wraps up today’s discussion on some of the notable news stories. Thank you for tuning in to “Just a Moment News.” I’m Erika, and I hope you found today’s insights interesting. Have a wonderful day, and we’ll catch up on more news soon!

Keywords - moment, daily, news