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Jiji.ng - Nigerian Marketplace, one of Africa's largest online classifieds platforms, has purchased Bikroy in a deal funded through internal resources. The exact value remains undisclosed. Jiji first launched in Bangladesh in March 2025, targeting a market with over 130 million internet users and a rapidly growing e-commerce sector. Now, just over a year later, it has acquired a local competitor to expand even faster.

Why does this matter? Jiji serves over 90 million users across several African countries, processing around $70 billion annually in gross merchandise value. The company has a clear strategy: enter new markets, compete aggressively, and then consolidate through acquisitions. It has done this before, buying OLX's African operations and Ghana's Tonaton. Now, it is applying the same playbook outside Africa for the first time in Bangladesh.

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The private space company raised 60 million in fresh funding from global investors, including GIC, Sherpalo Ventures, and BlackRock. That pushed its total funding to about 60 million in fresh funding from global investors, including GIC, Sherpalo Ventures, and BlackRock. That pushed its total funding to about 160 million and made it India's first space technology startup to achieve unicorn status. Skyroot was founded in 2018 and has been working outside the government's ISRO framework to develop its own rocket technology.

This company already has a big track record. In 2022, Skyroot successfully launched India's first private rocket, grabbing international attention. Now, the new funding will help the company accelerate the launch of its first orbital rocket called "Vikram-1. " At the same time, work is already underway on the next-generation "Vikram-2. "The goal is to offer affordable, reliable private launch services for small satellites.

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An investigation by The Daily Star found at least 30 pages posing as media outlets while posting reels that zoom in on women's bodies, strip away context, and encourage sexually suggestive comments. One page, called Daily Biplobi Kantho, has over 72,000 followers and changed its name multiple times. It recently posted a video of an actress recorded without her consent, even continuing to film after she objected. Within two days, the page uploaded at least 20 more similar reels.

The pattern is clear and disturbing. Actresses, models, female politicians, and even academics have been targeted. A Dhaka University professor described the experience as "deeply unsettling" after finding at least 15 reels of hers taken during Pahela Baishakh celebrations, filled with unnecessary close-ups and body-focused framing. Pages use captions like "what did the beautiful actress do in front of everyone?" while the visuals tell a completely different story. One page administrator admitted the strategy is simply to gain followers and engagement, which helps monetize the page.

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Security researchers discovered evidence that hackers used artificial intelligence to develop an exploit targeting an unnamed IT administration tool. Zero-day attacks are rare because they hit vulnerabilities that no one knows about yet. Google was able to stop the attack by alerting the vendor, but the warning is clear: AI is now helping criminals create new weapons.

The malicious code showed clear signs of AI help. It used a "textbook" Python format, included detailed help menus not normally seen in human-written code, and even contained an AI hallucination, referencing a vulnerability that didn't exist. Google also found hackers from Chinese and North Korean intelligence using its Gemini chatbot to research targets. In one case, a Chinese-linked group tricked Gemini by asking it to act like a network security expert.

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The new hub runs 24/7 with a range of digital services that make waiting for public transport a completely different experience. Commuters can check live metro and bus timings, get real-time taxi updates, use smart kiosks for information, and even have crowd levels monitored through AI cameras. The entire station is also powered by solar energy, making it both high-tech and environmentally friendly.

What does this mean for daily commuters? The station is designed to eliminate the usual frustrations of public transport: uncertainty, long waits, and lack of information. With live updates and AI-powered crowd monitoring, you will know exactly when your bus or metro is arriving and how crowded it will be. The smart kiosks can answer questions and guide you to your destination. Taxi updates mean you can book a cab from the station without guessing arrival times. Every feature is aimed at making travel faster, safer, and more convenient.

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The country's tax-to-GDP ratio is only 6.5%, one of the lowest in the world. That means Bangladesh collects far less revenue than it should, threatening future growth and development. The main problem? Information is completely fragmented. Different government agencies use different IDs: TIN, BIN, NID, incorporation numbers, and land records, and none of them talk to each other. This allows tax evaders to hide their income by spreading activities across disconnected identities.

The solution? A National Fiscal Data Centre (NFDC). The proposal calls for a centralized intelligence hub that gives real-time access to financial information across all governance systems. It would link the NBR, Bangladesh Bank, land registries, city corporations, utility companies, and more. A single Unified Identification Number (UIN) would consolidate every person's financial life, assets, liabilities, transactions, income, and expenses into one verifiable source. Tax compliance would become automatic, with pre-filled returns and far less room for cheating.

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An AI agent named "Mona" is responsible for nearly all operations at the Andon Café in Stockholm. Mona handles hiring staff, managing supplies, securing permits, and arranging supplier agreements. But human baristas still prepare drinks and serve customers. The café is an experiment by San Francisco-based Andon Labs to test how AI functions in real-world businesses using Google's Gemini system.

How is it performing so far? Since opening in mid-April, the café has generated over $5,700 in sales. But setup costs have been high, and the AI is struggling to turn a profit in Stockholm's competitive coffee market. Mona has also made several operational errors, ordering too many napkins, buying canned tomatoes that aren't even on the menu, missing bakery deadlines, and forcing last-minute menu changes. The problems seem to come from limits in the AI's memory system, which causes it to forget past decisions.

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The widow of a man killed in the Florida State University mass shooting last year filed a lawsuit against the maker of ChatGPT. Authorities revealed that the shooter asked ChatGPT for advice on what time and location would maximize victims on campus, as well as the type of gun and ammunition to use. The chatbot allegedly even said that an attack can get more media attention if children are involved. The April 2025 shooting resulted in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to six others.

The lawsuit makes a serious claim. The victim's widow said OpenAI should have built guardrails into ChatGPT to recognize when someone is planning imminent harm and alert police. She stated, "OpenAI put their profits over our safety, and it killed my husband." The shooter, a 21-year-old Florida State student, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Florida's attorney general has also opened a rare criminal investigation into ChatGPT's role.

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Russia is ramping up production of attack drones at a massive facility already considered the biggest on the planet. The expansion will allow the factory to churn out even more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These drones have become a central weapon in the conflict, used for surveillance, artillery spotting, and direct attacks on military and civilian infrastructure. More factory space means more drones, and more pressure on Ukraine's already stretched defenses.

Why is this such a big deal? Drone warfare has completely changed how modern wars are fought. Small, cheap drones can destroy tanks worth millions of dollars. Swarms of drones can overwhelm air defense systems. Russia learned this the hard way early in the war. Now, Moscow is doubling down on drone production to gain a long-term advantage. The expanded factory likely produces Iranian-designed Shahed "one-way attack" drones as well as Russia's own homegrown models. With this move, Putin is signaling that he is preparing for a long, attritional war.

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