Author: Vardiafrica

Meta has resumed its facial recognition software testing on Facebook. Three years after discontinuing it due to privacy concerns and regulatory pressure, the social media giant announced on Tuesday that it is testing the technology again to tackle “celeb bait” scams. Meta will enrol around 50,000 public figures in a trial, using their profile photos to compare with images in suspected scam ads automatically. If a match is found, and Meta determines the ads are scams, they will be blocked. The celebrities will be informed of their participation and can opt-out if they choose. The trial will be rolled out…

The FBI and Pentagon are investigating a leak of classified US intelligence about Israel’s plans for a retaliatory strike on Iran. “The FBI is investigating the alleged leak of classified documents and working closely with our partners in the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community,” the FBI said in a statement on Tuesday. “As this is an ongoing investigation, we have no further comment.” The classified documents involve satellite imagery analysis from the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the US National Security Agency, according to press reports. They reportedly describe Israeli preparations for a retaliatory strike on Iran for its…

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has said that the Nigerian government discovered the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) as a key route for arms, drugs and human trafficking into the country. Ribadu, who made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday during a two-day seminar titled “Climate Change and the Changing Dynamics of Arms Proliferation and Insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea: Nigeria in Perspective,” held in Abuja. During the seminar organised by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in collaboration with the Global Network for Human Development, Ribadu who was…

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Tuesday he considered Moscow a “valued ally” and friend during talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit in Kazan. Leaders from two dozen countries are expected to visit Russia for the three-day gathering, as Putin seeks to build an alliance of nations aimed at challenging what he calls the West’s “hegemony”. “We continue to see Russia as a valued ally, as a valued friend, who supported us right from the beginning: from the days of our struggle against Apartheid, right through to now,” Ramaphosa told Putin during talks, according to an…

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has issued a warning to roadside beggars to desist from the act or risk being arrested by enforcement agents.  The minister disclosed at Katampe during the flag-off ceremony of the construction of the access road to the newly flag-off judges’ quarters. He lamented that the number of persons who stay on the road is alarming which poses a threat to security in the metropolis. He then issued an October 27, 2024 ultimatum to the concerned parties to vacate the streets. Wike had on Monday, recalled how he revoked the certificate of occupancy (C of O)…

CAF President, Patrice Motsepe has urged nations on the continent to endeavour to treat visiting teams with respect and dignity. Motsepe made the call amid investigations into the Super Eagles of Nigeria being detained at the Libya airport for hours after their flight was diverted Recall the African football governing body has launched a probe into the incident with the verdict to be made public. Speaking about the incident, Motsepe reiterated that investigation is still ongoing on the case and that appropriate action will be taken. He, however, noted that CAF as a body will not tolerate lack of sportsmanship. His words,…

The Senate has announced a six-man ad-hoc committee to investigate recent allegations levelled against Sen. Ashiru Oyelola representing Kwara South. The committee is expected to summon the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to explain the recent allegations. It would be recalled that the NDLEA had days ago alleged that Senator Ashiru’s house in Ilorin, Kwara State, was raided, and illicit drugs were found. The accusation followed contributions by Senator Ashiru on the floor of the Senate on the 15th of October, during a debate on the Bill to establish the National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation, where the 68-year-old…

Worried about the recent collapse of the National Power Grid which plunged the country into darkness, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has set up a forensic investigative committee to address the issue. Ripples Nigeria reports that the national grid has collapsed three times in the last one week and has collapsed eight times in 2024. The six-man committee will be led by Engr. Nafisat Ali, Executive Director of the Independent System Operator (ISO), and has been tasked with making the national grid more robust and resilient. Others are “Chidi Ike, commissioner, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Engr. Ishola (GM),…

A former member of the House of Representatives Farouk Lawan has regained freedom after serving a five-year jail term for asking and taking a $300,000 bribe from businessman Femi Otedola. He was released from the Kuje Correctional facility in Abuja on Tuesday. “Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life as I step out of Kuje Custodial Centre, with a heart full of gratitude to Allah SWT for seeing me through this trial,” he said in a statement he signed. The former lawmaker thanked friends and family for their support in a “particularly trying phase of my…

The Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the suit filed by 16 states challenging the constitutionality of the laws establishing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and two others to a date to be communicated to the parties. The states contended that the anti-graft agency was not validly established in 2003 by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Imo, Bauchi, and Osun states joined the suit as co-plaintiffs while Anambra, Ebonyi, and Adamawa states announced their decisions to withdraw their suits. The trio’s suits were struck out, accordingly, by the court. The Attorney-General of the…