Transcript

Hello, everyone! This is Erika from ‘Just a Moment News,’ bringing you the latest headlines on this August 8th, 2024. Let’s dive into today’s news stories.

Starting with the Paris Olympics, Team South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai has had an eventful journey in the women’s golf tournament. Despite a delayed flight and a last-minute arrival of her golf clubs, Buhai managed to score a four-under par 68 in the opening round, placing her second, just three shots behind the leader. Meanwhile, her compatriot Paula Reto faced challenges, scoring a six-over par 78. In other Olympic news, Jo-Ane van Dyk achieved a personal best in the women’s javelin, and Brian Raats qualified for the finals in men’s high jump. However, the men’s 4x100 relay team is dealing with an injury to Benjamin Richardson, with Akani Simbine set to anchor the team.

In entertainment news, Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna were abruptly canceled following the arrest of two individuals linked to a foiled terrorist attack. Austrian authorities took action after discovering one suspect had pledged allegiance to Islamic State. The concerts were part of Swift’s sold-out Eras Tour, and refunds are being processed for those who had purchased tickets.

Over in Johannesburg, there’s been a significant issue with traffic lights. The Johannesburg Roads Agency is battling cable theft and unauthorized tampering, which has led to frequent outages. Efforts to maintain functionality include partnerships with Vodacom and MTN, who are providing backup power solutions to keep traffic lights operational despite ongoing challenges.

A probe by the Department of Home Affairs has implicated the mother of a Miss SA contestant in a potential case of identity theft. The investigation, which started after the Miss SA pageant organizers requested a citizenship verification, has led to broader inquiries into possible fraud that could affect the contestant’s citizenship status.

The South African government is looking to overhaul the criticized DigiTech platform, initially intended to support local small businesses. After a disappointing launch, the platform is set for a redesign to better serve technology-focused SMEs, with a new service provider tasked with ensuring its functionality and security.

In technology news, Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport is advancing its use of facial recognition technology. This ‘Smart Travel’ project aims to streamline the travel process by 2025, allowing passengers to move through the airport more efficiently, although it has raised privacy concerns in some quarters.

Lastly, the tech company Turing has expanded its role in the AI industry, evolving from staffing to providing specialized data for AI models. This shift has been crucial in developing more advanced AI capabilities, as seen with the integration of high-quality computer code into training datasets for projects like GPT-4.

That wraps up our news for today. Thank you for tuning in to ‘Just a Moment News.’ I’m Erika, wishing you a great day ahead!

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