Daily Strategic Briefing

Discovery of 3,500 year old city in Peru links coast, Andes, and Amazon

Summary: Peñico connected Pacific coastal cultures with Andes and Amazon societies, emerging after the decline of America's oldest civilization, Caral., Description: Archaeologists have unveiled Peñico, a 3,500-year-old city in northern Peru that served as a strategic trading hub connecting Pacific coastal cultures with those in the Andes mountains and Amazon basin, flourishing around the same time as early civilizations in the Middle East and Asia.

Trump blasts Musk after America Party launch

Summary: The president blasted his former ally after the tech billionaire announced a new political party following their feud over domestic spending., Description: President Donald Trump delivered a blistering attack Sunday against former ally Elon Musk, calling him a "train wreck" who has gone "off the rails" after the tech billionaire announced the formation of a new political party amid their deepening feud over the president's domestic spending bill. "I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely 'off the rails,' essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK...

Reuters' X account restored in India after government denies ban

Summary: The news agency's 25 million-follower account was blocked for nearly 24 hours, apparently connected to a counter-terrorism operation from May., Description: Reuters' official X account was restored in India on Sunday evening after nearly 24 hours of restricted access, following swift government intervention that clarified New Delhi had not requested the international news agency's suspension from the social media platform. The account, which has 25 million followers, displayed a message stating it had been "withheld in response to a legal demand"...

NBA makes history with first seven-team trade

Summary: Kevin Durant heads to Houston in record-breaking deal that reshapes the Western Conference and involves seven franchises., Description: The NBA completed its first seven-team trade in league history Sunday, officially sending Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets in a deal that reshapes the Western Conference landscape. The transaction, which sets a new record for the most franchises involved in a single trade, was finalized as the league's moratorium period ended at 12:01 p.m. ET. The deal surpasses the...

Wildfires and record heatwave force mass evacuations on Crete

Summary: Gale-force winds reaching 50 mph have hampered firefighting efforts as flames spread rapidly through forests near Crete's southern coast., Description: A massive wildfire on the Greek island of Crete has forced the evacuation of more than 5,000 people, including tourists and residents, as flames spread rapidly through forests and olive groves near Ierapetra on the southern coast. According to reports from CBS News and EFE, firefighters have struggled to contain the blaze that erupted on July 2, 2025, as gale-force winds reaching 50 mph continue...

‘Improved’ Grok criticizes Democrats and Hollywood’s ‘Jewish executives’

Summary:

On Friday morning, Elon Musk declared, “We have improved @Grok significantly. You should notice a difference when you ask Grok questions.”

Researchers seek to influence peer review with hidden AI prompts

Summary:

Academics may be leaning on a novel strategy to influence peer review of their research papers — adding hidden prompts designed to coax AI tools to deliver positive feedback.

How Brex is keeping up with AI by embracing the ‘messiness’

Summary:

Brex quickly realized its normal software procurement process wouldn’t work in the age of AI and found a new way to test and vet tools.

Google faces EU antitrust complaint over AI Overviews

Summary:

A group known as the Independent Publishers Alliance has filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission over Google’s AI Overviews, according to Reuters. The complaint accuses Google of “misusing web content for Google’s AI Overviews in Google Search, which have caused, and continue to cause, significant harm to publishers, including news publishers in the […]

EU says it will continue rolling out AI legislation on schedule

Summary:

The European Union said it will stick to its timeline for rolling out its AI legislation, ignoring calls by tech companies to delay the bloc’s AI rules.

Khetika raises $18M in Series B funding, eyes 10X revenue jump over three years

Clean-label brand Khetika is relying on its $18M round to expand manufacturing capacity, product portfolio, and enter new markets while targeting Rs 2,000 crore revenue in 3 years.

Battery Smart raises $21M in ongoing Series B funding round

The battery swapping operator raised $65 million in June last year led by LeapFrog Investments with participation from Blume Ventures and British International Investment, among others.

Jumbotail turns unicorn after raising $120M in Series D round; completes acquisition of Solv

With fresh capital and a broader portfolio, the Bengaluru-based firm aims to scale its commerce and credit stack for India’s small retailers.

Aukera raises $15M led by Peak XV to expand retail presence

Bengaluru-based Aukera aims to scale its lab-grown diamond retail network as consumer interest in sustainable fine jewellery rises.

Wiom raises $40M in growth funding led by Bertelsmann India, Accel

In an exclusive interview with YourStory, Wiom Founder Satyam Darmora shared the company’s growth plans following its $40 million fundraise.

CarTrade Rises 6% as Institutions Hold 60% Stake

Institutional investors hold 60% of CarTrade Tech, influencing price and gaining from last week's 6% rise. CEO Vinay Sanghi owns 2.7% shares; general public holds 27%, while private equity firms have 9.9% stake. Source: Simply Wall Street

CRISIL Rallies 228% in 5 Years, TSR Hits 253%

CRISIL's share price surged 228% over 5 years, with a 29% CAGR. EPS grew 14% annually, slower than share price growth; TSR was 253%. Source: Simply Wall Street

Hazoor Multi Projects Wins ₹913 Cr Contract, Stock Gains Spotlight

Hazoor Multi Projects gains attention after winning a Rs 913 crore project. Source: Moneycontrol

PTC India Fin Q4 Profit Grows, Valuation Grade Turns Fair

PTC India Financial Services shifts valuation grade to fair, showing positive Q4 FY24-25 profit growth. Key metrics: PE 12.5, P/B 0.99, EV/EBIT 7.5, EV/EBITDA 7.4, PEG 0.36 despite net sales falling 14.2% annually. Source: Marketsmojo

Sarthak Metals Ex-Dividend July 11, ₹0.50 Payout on Aug 24

Sarthak Metals (NSE:SMLT) goes ex-dividend on July 11; eligible shareholders receive ₹0.50/share on August 24. Trailing yield is 0.4% on ₹128.80 price; payout ratio is low at 17%, but earnings declined 2.3% annually over 5 years. Source: Simply Wall Street

Thailand Consumer Prices Fall for 3rd Month

Country: Thailand, Description: Thailand’s consumer prices fell 0.25% year-on-year in June 2025, following a 0.57% drop in May, and bigger than the expected 0.10% decrease. This marked the third straight month of falling consumer prices, underscoring persistent deflationary pressures and remaining outside the central bank’s 1%–3% target range. Meanwhile, the annual core inflation rate edged down to 1.06% in June from 1.09% in May, defying market forecasts of a slight rise to 1.10%.

Palestine Current Account Widens in Q1

Country: Palestine, Description: Palestine’s current account deficit widened to $963 million in Q1 2025 from $836 million in the same period of the prior year, marking the biggest gap since Q4 2023. The increase was primarily driven by the slowdown in income surplus growth, which eased to $253 million from $289 million in Q1 2024. Additionally, the goods deficit deepened to $1,340 million from $1,124 million, while the services deficit rose to $263 million from $154 million. On the other hand, current transfer surplus grew to $387 million from $319 million.

Palm Oil Sees Muted Start to the Week

Country: Commodity, Description: Malaysian palm oil prices were little changed, hovering around MYR 4,060 per tonne after losses in the previous session. Traders weighed a Reuters forecast suggesting that Malaysia’s palm oil inventories likely fell in June for the first time in four months, as production dropped unexpectedly while exports remained firm. Investors also monitored U.S. trade policy developments after President Trump confirmed that “reciprocal” tariffs—first announced in April—will take effect on August 1 for countries that have not reached a trade deal with the U.S. Additionally, nations aligning with the BRICS bloc will face an extra 10% tariff. In key buyer China, June CPI and PPI data are due later this week, with estimates that consumer prices will remain flat after four months of declines, while producer prices are likely to fall. Meantime, demand from top buyer India is expected to stay strong, as June imports jumped to their highest since July 2024, supported by competitive pricing.

Jordan Economy Expands 2.7% in Q1

Country: Jordan, Description: Jordan’s economy expanded by 2.7% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, matching the same pace in the previous three month period. The figure remained at its strongest expansion since the third quarter of 2023, despite persistent regional instability and its global and domestic economic repercussions. Sectoral data for Q1 shows manufacturing led growth with a 5.1% rise, contributing 0.88 percentage points to GDP. Agriculture expanded 8.1%, adding 0.45 points, while electricity and water grew 5.8%, and social and personal services rose 3.4%. Finance, insurance, and real estate also remained key supports for overall economic expansion. The sustained GDP growth aligns with the goals of Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision, which targets gradual but steady increases in national output.

Trump Threatens Extra Tariffs on Countries Aligning with BRICS

Country: United States, Description: U.S. President Donald Trump announced Sunday that any country aligning with the "anti-American policies" of the BRICS bloc will face an additional 10% tariff. “There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump posted on Truth Social. He did not elaborate on what specific "anti-American policies" he was referring to. The BRICS group—originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, and China—held its first summit in 2009, later expanding to include South Africa. In 2023, the bloc welcomed Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Indonesia as new members. Trump also confirmed that “reciprocal” tariffs—first announced in April—will take effect on August 1 for countries that have not reached a trade deal with the U.S.