Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Just a Moment News. I’m Erika, and today, July 24, 2024, we’re diving into some intriguing news stories from around the globe.

Starting off, Spotify has recently reported some impressive financial figures for the second quarter. The music streaming giant notched up an operating income of two hundred and sixty-six million euros, a significant turnaround from a loss of two hundred and forty-seven million euros the previous year. The number of monthly active users has grown by fourteen percent to six hundred and twenty-six million. CEO Daniel Ek attributes this success to ongoing innovation and exceeding expectations, which also led to a fourteen percent pre-market stock increase. Despite a price hike for Premium plans in the U.S., Spotify managed to add seven million net subscribers, surpassing its guidance by one million. Amidst financial challenges in the past, Spotify had to reduce its workforce significantly, cutting one thousand five hundred jobs within the last year.

In other tech news, Meta has unveiled Llama 3.1, its latest AI model. This new version is designed to compete with giants like OpenAI and Google, capable of performing mathematical tasks, generating images from text, and processing entire books. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, has high hopes for Llama, aiming for it to become as influential as the Linux operating system in its field. However, there are some concerns regarding the open-source nature of Llama, which could potentially allow users to modify the model and bypass safety measures.

Switching gears to sports, South Africa’s most decorated Olympian, Chad Le Clos, is gearing up for a strong comeback at the Paris Olympics. At thirty-two, after a disappointing stint at Tokyo 2020, Le Clos has revamped his training regimen in Germany under coach Dirk Lange. His efforts seem to be paying off, with a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games and a gold at the World Short Course Championships in 2022, where he set a new African record. Le Clos is not only focused on Paris but also has his sights set on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, aiming to cement his legacy in swimming.

Moving to a legal battle in the business world, Takis Biltong, a renowned South African biltong company, is taking a stand against multinational Grupo Bimbo. Despite a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling in December 2023, which favored Takis Biltong, the Mexican company’s Takis Fuego products are still being sold in South Africa. Taki Aristides, CEO of Takis Biltong, expressed frustration over the ongoing issue and plans further legal actions against retailers and importers to enforce the court’s decision.

On the entertainment front, Apple TV+ has released a new series based on the 1981 film “Time Bandits” by Terry Gilliam. Directed by Taika Waititi, this new rendition has stirred some discussions for its significant changes from the original, including a lack of actors with dwarfism among the main cast, except for the boy, Kevin. Critics have noted that while the series is educational and family-friendly, it doesn’t quite capture the original’s charm and visual splendor.

Lastly, a rather unusual discovery in Peru has caught the attention of many. Humanoid “alien mummies” with three elongated fingers and unique fingerprint patterns were found, differing significantly from traditional human fingerprints. While some researchers suggest these mummies could represent a new, genetically manipulated species, skeptics argue they might be hoaxes. Further DNA studies and carbon dating are needed to draw any concrete conclusions.

That wraps up today’s discussion on Just a Moment News. I hope you found these stories as fascinating as I did. Thank you for tuning in, I’m Erika, and we’ll see you next time on Just a Moment News.

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