OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has issued a stark warning to the financial sector, cautioning that a wave of AI-driven fraud is on the horizon — and banks are dangerously unprepared. Speaking at a Federal Reserve conference in Washington, D.C., Altman highlighted the growing threat of artificial intelligence tools being used to commit financial fraud, especially through voice and video impersonation technologies. According to him, traditional security measures, such as voice-print authentication, are rapidly becoming obsolete in the face of advanced AI capabilities. “It’s crazy that any bank is still using voice authentication,” Altman said. “A major fraud crisis is coming,…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday, granted approval to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s request to borrow over $21 billion from external sources to finance the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years, paving the way for the full implementation of the 2025 Appropriation Act. The Senate’s greenlight covers a comprehensive loan package, including $21.19 billion in direct foreign borrowing, €4 billion, ¥15 billion, and a $65 million grant. Additionally, the borrowing plan includes domestic funding of about ₦757 billion through government bonds, and an option to raise up to $2 billion from the local market via a foreign currency-denominated instrument. The approval followed…
On July 20, 2025, a passenger ferry named KM Barcelona 5 caught fire near Talise Island in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The vessel was carrying around 280 passengers traveling from the Talaud Islands to the city of Manado. Around midday, a fire broke out onboard, rapidly engulfing the ferry in flames. Videos widely circulated on social media and by news outlets showed panicked passengers jumping into the ocean in life jackets to escape the spreading blaze. Thick black smoke billowed from the ship as rescue teams nearby mobilized to assist. https://youtube.com/shorts/k-3WkGNs_vs?si=ruc9kuhpgUc2sVDR Indonesian authorities confirmed that at least five people died in…
A devastating landslide triggered by heavy rains has claimed the lives of five members of a single family in Komer Kebele, South Ari Woreda, Ari Zone, in South Ethiopia Regional State. According to Deputy Commander Ashenafi Haile, the Public Relations Director of the South Ethiopia Regional Police, the landslide struck on Sunday after intense rainfall, leading to the collapse of the family’s home. “A father, mother, and their three children were killed when their house was buried by the landslide,” he told state-affiliated media. The disaster has displaced over 200 residents and caused significant damage to local infrastructure, regional officials…
A new on-farm study has confirmed that TELA Maize hybrids deliver significantly higher yields, greater profits, and better pest resistance for Nigerian farmers compared to conventional maize varieties. The trials, conducted during the 2024 wet season by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and its partners, revealed that the TELA maize hybrid SAMMAZ 75T achieved average yields of 5.09 tons per hectare—a 54% increase over the 3.30 tons per hectare recorded for non-TELA maize. This yield advantage translated into higher farm income, with TELA maize earning ₦3.16 million per hectare compared to ₦2.05 million from conventional maize. The on-farm demonstrations preceded the…
Professor Rabia Sa’id’s appointment to this UN panel is not only a historic personal achievement but also a milestone for Nigeria, African representation in global science, and efforts to unify the world against the threat of nuclear war.
Canada’s struggle with substance use isn’t just a public health emergency—it’s also a communication crisis. According to Dr. Kwame McKenzie, a leading psychiatrist and health equity advocate, the core failure of Canada’s drug policy lies in its criminalized approach and the stigmatizing language that still dominates the national conversation. Speaking on the Global Health Matters podcast, Dr. McKenzie—CEO of the Wellesley Institute and Director of Health Equity at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health—argued that meaningful progress hinges on shifting how Canadians think and talk about substance use. The term “substance use,” he explains, is not just semantics; it…
As part of efforts to actualize the New Niger agenda, Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has extended a bold invitation to international investors to develop agro-processing industries in Rabah, a community in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State. On July 16, 2025, the state’s Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Aminu Takuma, led a delegation of Chinese investors to Rabba for a strategic site inspection. The visit, aimed at assessing the area’s potential for agro-industrial development, began with a courtesy call on the Ndashi of Rabah, Engr. Umaru Tswako. During the meeting with traditional leaders and elders, Takuma conveyed Governor Bago’s…
The second day of a high-level advocacy visit to Sokoto State by a delegation of humanitarian stakeholders has spotlighted the urgent need for coordinated action, accurate data, and increased funding to combat severe acute malnutrition (SAM), particularly in Gwadabawa Local Government Area. Led by Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Prof. Nantewa Yilwatda, the delegation also included the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot; UNICEF Country Representative, Ms. Judith Leveillee; ACF Country Director, Thierno Samba Diallo; and MSF Nigeria Country Representative, Ahmed. During the visit to an Action Against Hunger (ACF)-supported facility in Gwadabawa, the delegation engaged in strategic…
A high-powered delegation led by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Prof. Nantewa Yilwatda, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, and top representatives of UNICEF, MSF, and ACF, arrived in Sokoto State on Saturday to kick-start a high-level advocacy mission aimed at addressing the alarming surge in cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in the state. The visit, which began with a courtesy call on Governor Ahmad Aliyu, underscored the urgent need for increased federal and state government support, as well as strengthened collaboration with international partners to combat the deepening malnutrition crisis. State commended, but challenges persist Speaking during the…