Daily Strategic Briefing

Uber to roll out thousands of robo-cabs built by China’s Baidu

Coming soon, somewhere in the Middle East or Asia Rideshare OG Uber has announced a plan to roll out “thousands” of robo-taxis from Chinese tech giant Baidu.…

AMD cleared to join Nvidia and resume selling some underpowered AI chips to China

Waiting for license approval but plans to resume shipments of the MI308 accelerator soon-ish The US government has cleared AMD to resume exporting some accelerators to China.…

Curl creator mulls nixing bug bounty awards to stop AI slop

Maintainers struggle to handle growing flow of low-quality bug reports written by bots Daniel Stenberg, founder and lead developer of the open-source curl command line utility, just wants the AI slop to stop.…

Ex-US soldier who Googled 'can hacking be treason' pleads guilty to extortion

File this one under what not to search if you've committed a crime A former US Army soldier, who reportedly hacked AT&T, bragged about accessing President Donald Trump's call logs, and then Googled "can hacking be treason," and "US military personnel defecting to Russia," pleaded guilty to conspiring to break into telecom firms' databases and extort at least $1 million.…

German team warns ChatGPT is changing how you talk

Let us delve swiftly into meticulous inquiry with our AI masters Like it or not, ChatGPT and other large language models are changing the world, including affecting how we speak, claims a group of researchers, and the end results could be an erosion of linguistic and cultural diversity.…

Of course, Grok’s AI companions want to have sex and burn down schools

Summary:

xAI’s first AI companions on the Grok app are a lustful anime girl and a homicidal panda.

A former OpenAI engineer describes what it’s really like to work there

Summary:

A senior engineer describes the thrill, chaos, and exhaustion of working at OpenAI this past year while launching its coding agent Codex.

Meta fixes bug that could leak users’ AI prompts and generated content

Summary:

The tech giant fixed the security flaw, netting a security researcher $10,000 for privately disclosing the bug.

Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab is worth $12B in seed round

Summary:

The deal marks one of the largest seed rounds — or first funding rounds — in Silicon Valley history, representing the massive investor appetite to back promising new AI labs. Thinking Machines Lab is less than a year old and has yet to reveal what it’s working on.

Google Discover adds AI summaries, threatening publishers with further traffic declines

Summary:

The feature will appear on iOS and Android in the U.S., with a focus on trending lifestyle topics like sports and entertainment. Google also noted the feature will make it easier for people to decide what pages they want to visit.

Mufin Green Finance raises $6.5M debt from DWM for EV and clean energy lending

Mufin Green Finance said the proceeds will be deployed to scale loans and leases for productive-use EVs, battery financing, charging infrastructure, and residential and commercial solar projects.

PayU raises over Rs 303 Cr in fresh equity from Prosus arm

According to regulatory filings, PayU allotted 48.68 million fully paid equity shares at Rs 62.21 apiece—including a nominal value of Rs 10 and a premium of Rs 52.21 per share—on June 26.

AI analytics firm Fractal raises $172M ahead of IPO: Report

The transaction saw long‑time backer Apax Partners offload a 6% stake to a consortium of 22 institutional investors. Among the buyers were funds advised by Trust Investment Advisors, White Oak Capital Management, Gaja Capital and Neo Asset Management.

Sai Parenterals raises Rs 50 Cr in equity to expand global footprint

The company said the capital will be used to fuel its global expansion strategy, including acquisitions in regulated markets, enhancement of its manufacturing footprint, and diversification of its product portfolio.

InPrime Finserv raises $6M in Series A1 round led by Pravega Ventures

InPrime Finserv is a Bengaluru-based non-banking financial company (NBFC) focused on India’s emerging middle class. It has served more than 7,500 households to date, disbursing nearly Rs 100 crore in loans.

Auto Stocks Slip: Bajaj Auto, M&M Down 1%

Auto stocks declined, with Bajaj Auto falling over 1%. Exide and M&M also dropped over 1% in the session. Source: ScoutQuest

SAIL Slips 2% Amid Metal Stock Decline

SAIL sees nearly 2% drop as metal stocks fall over 1%. Source: ScoutQuest

Bombay Dyeing Sets ₹1.20 Dividend; Yield at 0.7%

Bombay Dyeing to pay ₹1.20/share dividend on Sep 12; yield at 0.7%. EPS growth of 8.3% and low payout ratio support future dividend prospects. Source: Simply Wall Street

Astra Micro Jumps 33% in 3 Months on Strong ROE; Analysts Warn of Slower Growth

Astra Microwave Products (NSE:ASTRAMICRO) stock surged 33% in 3 months, supported by strong financial metrics like 14% ROE. The company reinvests 82% of profits, boosting earnings growth, but analysts predict slower future growth despite higher expected ROE. Source: Simply Wall Street

Hero MotoCorp Forms Bullish Pattern: White Marubozu Signals Strong Buying

Hero MotoCorp is among 6 stocks showing White Marubozu pattern on July 15. The White Marubozu pattern signals strong buying pressure and bullish sentiment. Source: The Economic Times

Vietnam Targeting 8.3%-8.5% GDP Growth This Year

Country: Vietnam, Description: Vietnam’s government will aim to raise its GDP by 8.3% to 8.5% this year despite mounting challenges, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said on Wednesday. Speaking at a meeting in Hanoi, Chinh cited a range of headwinds including geopolitical conflicts, rising global competition, trade tensions, supply chain disruptions, and climate change. Vietnamese lawmakers had earlier approved a GDP growth target of at least 8% for 2025. The goal compares with the country’s 7.09% growth last year and is intended to “create a firm foundation for double-digit growth in the 2026–2030 period,” Chinh added, according to a government statement. Vietnam’s economy grew 7.96% in the second quarter of 2025, the fastest pace since Q3 2022, accelerating from 6.93% in Q1. Earlier this month, the US and Vietnam reached a trade agreement under which the US will impose a 20% tariff on Vietnamese imports, down from the previously planned 46%.

Japan 10-Year Yield Extends Rally on Fiscal Concerns

Country: Japan, Description: Japan’s 10-year government bond yield climbed toward 1.6% on Wednesday, reaching its highest level since late 2008 amid growing expectations of expanded fiscal spending ahead of the Upper House election on July 20. Markets are increasingly pricing in the possibility of fresh stimulus measures, including a potential consumption tax cut, as policymakers move to support economic growth. The yield surge came despite the Ministry of Finance scaling back issuances of super-long bonds, indicating strong upward pressure on shorter-term rates. Investors are also awaiting upcoming trade and inflation data for signals on how US tariff threats may be affecting Japan’s economy. Additionally, Japanese yields tracked US Treasury yields higher after the latest US consumer inflation data led traders to dial back expectations for near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts.

US 10-Year Yield Steady Ahead of PPI Report

Country: United States, Description: The yield on the US 10-year Treasury note held above 4.48% on Wednesday, remaining near a five-week high as investors awaited the latest producer price index data for further clues on the inflationary impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs. Yields climbed on Tuesday after mixed consumer inflation data led traders to scale back expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts. Headline inflation matched forecasts on both a monthly and annual basis, while core inflation came in softer than expected. Adding to the cautious outlook, Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan said the central bank will likely need to keep rates steady for an extended period to ensure inflation remains contained amid tariff-driven price pressures. Markets are now pricing in reduced odds of multiple rate cuts this year, with the probability of a move in September hovering just above 50%.

Palm Oil Recoups Losses

Country: Commodity, Description: Malaysian palm oil futures surged over 1.5% to above MYR 4,200, largely recovering from a steep 2% drop in the previous session. The rebound was supported by a weaker ringgit and gains in rival Chicago soyoil. A modest rise in crude oil prices after recent losses also lifted sentiment, amid signs of steady demand driven by increased summer travel. In top buyer India, June palm oil imports jumped to an 11-month high as buyers took advantage of lately reduced prices to restock. However, further gains were limited by weaker export expectations. Cargo surveyors estimated that Malaysian palm oil shipments during the first half of July fell between 5.3% and 6.2% from the same period in June. Meanwhile, industry data showed end-June inventories rose 2.41% to 2.03 million tonnes, the highest in 18 months. At the same time, the market outlook remained clouded by uncertainty over potential U.S. tariffs and ongoing weather-related risks.

Australia’s 10-Year Bond Yield Eases

Country: Australia, Description: Australia’s 10-year government bond yield fell toward 4.41% after hitting an over seven-week high in the previous session, as investors turned their focus to upcoming jobs data. Market expectations are centered on an increase of 20,000 jobs and a steady unemployment rate of 4.1%. The labor market has remained surprisingly resilient, which has contributed to the RBA’s cautious stance on monetary easing. Last week, the RBA held its cash rate steady at 3.85%, confounding wagers for an easing to 3.60%. Currently, markets are pricing in an 80% chance of a rate cut in August, though much will depend on the second-quarter CPI report due at the end of July. Meanwhile, in the US, data showed that consumer inflation rose to a four-month high in June, leading traders to scale back expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts in the near term.

Pentagon probes Microsoft’s use of China-based workers on sensitive systems

Summary: Chinese engineers have accessed sensitive Defense Department systems for nearly a decade through a controversial "digital escort" program., Description: Microsoft has been using engineers based in China to help maintain sensitive U.S. Department of Defense computer systems for nearly a decade through a controversial "digital escort" program, according to a ProPublica investigation. The arrangement relies on U.S. citizens with security clearances who often lack the technical expertise to effectively monitor the work of these foreign engineers,...

Trump to sign executive order opening 401(k) plans to private markets

Summary: Executive order would give private equity firms access to the $12.5 trillion retirement savings market amid industry fundraising challenges., Description: According to reports, President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order in the coming days that would pave the way for 401(k) retirement plans to invest in private equity and other alternative assets, potentially transforming how Americans build wealth while opening up the $12.5 trillion retirement savings market to private investment firms.

Cuba's labor minister denies beggars exist, sparks outrage

Summary: President Díaz-Canel publicly rebuked his minister's comments as 89% of Cuban families live in extreme poverty amid economic collapse., Description: Cuba's Labor Minister Marta Elena Feito Cabrera sparked public outrage and drew a rare rebuke from President Miguel Díaz-Canel after denying the existence of beggars in the Communist-run nation during parliamentary testimony on Monday. The controversy erupted as the island faces its worst economic crisis in decades, with widespread poverty and visible homelessness contradicting the minister's...

Amazon turns to rival SpaceX for Kuiper satellite launch

Summary: The e-commerce giant faces an FCC deadline requiring 1,618 satellites operational by July 2026, with only 78 currently deployed., Description: Amazon will turn to its chief rival SpaceX to launch the next batch of Project Kuiper internet satellites, marking the first time the e-commerce giant has used Elon Musk's company to deploy its constellation. The 24 satellites are scheduled to lift off Wednesday morning from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as Amazon races against a looming Federal Communications Commission deadline. The...

House Speaker Johnson calls for release of the Epstein files

Summary: House Speaker urges Attorney General Bondi to explain her handling of the case after Justice Department contradicted her client list claims., Description: In a rare split with President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson has urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to "come forward and explain" her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and called for the Department of Justice to release all information related to the disgraced financier, as reported by ABC News.